NEW YORK, July 8, 2020 — The U.S. Bank Foundation announces a partnership with Girls With Impact, the non-profit NextGen business academy for girls, to help expand the organization’s reach into New York City and provide girls of color and girls from low- to moderate-income families with skills that will transform their future career opportunities.
“At U.S. Bank, we draw strength from diversity,” said Reba Dominski, Chief Social Responsibility Officer for U.S. Bank, headquartered in Minneapolis with a significant presence in New York, “we are excited to help Girls with Impact expand their work to New York City to help more young women develop the skills that they need to succeed in the future.”
Under the partnership, Girls With Impact will recruit and train girls from the five boroughs as tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs over the next six months. These girls will undergo a 10-week live, instructor-led business training program in which they will develop their own business or nonprofit venture, arming them with critical entrepreneurship, leadership and business skills that give them a huge leg-up for their future.
On July 10th, nearly 1,000 girls from 40 states will graduate in a live, online ceremony where their ventures will be featured – many focused on addressing diversity and issues related to Covid-19 (register to attend).
Today, 7.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women and none are black or Hispanic.
The program drives outcomes in areas that have long been barriers to success. For example:
- 85% of graduates feel greater confidence as leaders
- 60% feel better equipped to save for their future
- 93% feel more college ready
“When companies like U.S. Bank invest in these girls, it’s a triple whammy,” said Girls With Impact CEO Jennifer Openshaw. “They’re impacting lives, our communities and our economy.”