Momentum has announced the women selected to participate in its sixth Upward leadership class. There are 65 women divided into two cohorts, one for early career and one for mid-career. Both cohorts will follow a nine-month curriculum of assessments, goal setting, action planning, relationship building, and community involvement. Participants are given the opportunity to be paired with a mentor and will meet regularly with their assigned co-mentoring group outside of class time.
“We find that women at this stage in their careers are feeling overwhelmed. The societal pressure to be (or become) the perfect wife/mother/care-giver, paired with their professional aspirations to build a successful career, is very stressful,” said April Benetollo, Momentum CEO. “These women are consummate high-achievers and often work in male-dominated fields. We give them a framework to bring their path to personal well-being and professional achievement into focus.”
Just over 300 women have graduated from the Momentum Upward program since its inception in 2019, and their results are outstanding. According to a recent survey of last year’s Upward class five, the average salary increase of participants was $15,000, and 33% of participants reported receiving upward mobility or a promotion during the program. 100% of participants said they were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their participation in the class.
Tawanna Jones was one such success story in Upward class five. She entered the program because “I decided I no longer wanted to play small,” Tawanna said. I wanted to be comfortable with my authentic voice, and not worry about the stereotypes that are portrayed for African American women as being the ‘only’ in the room. I decided I wanted to be open to sharing my journey.“ By the end of the year, Tawanna was offered her dream promotion at her company. She is now the Associate Director, Human Resource Business Partner at SCA Health.
As she reflected on her Upward journey, Tawanna expressed, “With this promotion, I could see a clear path for my career. I credit Momentum for helping me find my voice and providing a transformative experience for me. The guidance, mentorship, and resources provided have been invaluable in my personal and professional development. I can confidently say that I have learned a great deal, not only about leadership but also about myself and my capabilities.”
Momentum will accept applications in summer of 2024 for the 2025 Upward class. Momentum also offers ongoing resources for anyone seeking personal and professional growth. Momentum’s monthly virtual training sessions, mentor-matching service, blog, podcast, and YouTube channel are offered at no cost as a service to the community.
