$2,009 raised by 22 donors
80% complete
$2,500 Goal
Inspiring Tomorrow's Leaders (ITL) was founded in 2011 by two Black women who had moved up the corporate ladder to find that in most spaces, they were the only people of color. They noted that junior staff who received mentoring and support to move into higher-paying leadership positions were rarely Black or Latinx women. This mentorship gap was limiting income and wealth for historically marginalized communities.
ITL was created to bridge this gap by providing soft skills development, property and casualty insurance training and credentialing, and mentorship that imparts leadership development and connections to employers at no cost to participants. ITL equips individuals with hidden talent with essential work readiness and technical skills, leadership training, career development and pathways to employment. The organization develops and leverages employment as a tool that leads to attaining a living wage income, benefits including health insurance and paid time off, debt reduction and homeownership – factors that create economic mobility and generational wealth.
To date, ITL has trained 623 participants and placed 161 individuals in jobs paying above the minimum wage with an 80 percent job retention rate. ITL's main program is Property and Casualty Insurance Training (for adults ages 18 and older). ITL partners with IMPACT Institute, which is a Texas Workforce Commission-approved training provider, to offer this 60-hour training that is led by industry professional trainers and utilizes a state-approved curriculum to prepare students for licensure and a career in the insurance industry. Participants also receive leadership training and financial empowerment education. After passing the certification exam, ITL connects program graduates with employment at Allstate Insurance.
Our mission is to inspire tomorrow’s leaders for today’s workforce to create generational legacies of education, job security and retention, and financial stability in our communities.
In the Dallas region, only two percent of executives are Black women and two percent are Hispanic women compared to 19 percent of executives who are white women (Dallas Regional Chamber, 2022). This disparity represents an intersection of discrimination in the workforce; on top of gender bias, these women experience microaggressions and barriers to advancement because of their race or ethnicity. Still, women of color remain ambitious. Forty-one percent of women of color want to be top executives, compared to 27 percent of white women (McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace Report, 2022). Limitations to their advancement, however, are evident early on. There is a “broken rung” on the corporate ladder, defined by LeanIn.org as the obstacle women face in the step up from an entry-level position to a manager position. McKinsey reports that for eight consecutive years in the United States, for every 100 men who were promoted to manager from entry-level, just 82 women of color were promoted (2022). As women of color are underrepresented in manager roles, they cannot catch up to equitable representation at the senior leadership level.
The intersection of discrimination for gender and race in advancement results in an earnings gap. In Dallas, Black women’s median earnings are just 74.9 percent of what men make (U.S. Census American Community Survey, 2021). These differences result in fewer resources to save, pay off debt, build wealth and accomplish financial goals like home ownership. Thus, the earnings gap’s impact is generational.
Roles in the insurance industry represent an opportunity for women of color to step into high-demand roles, earn a living wage and, even further, earn commissions on top of their base pay. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in July 2023 showed that employees in the insurance industry grew by 8.3 percent over the previous year, outpacing all other financial services. In May 2023, Texas ranked first nationally for the highest rate of employment of insurance sales agents, and the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan area ranked second (after New York City) for the highest metropolitan area rate of insurance agent employment (BLS). Through pathways to insurance industry credentials and career development support, women of color in Dallas can achieve greater economic mobility.
ITL recognizes that historical factors, including systemic racism and sexism, segregation and redlining have adversely affected the communities it serves and require an intentional approach. By prioritizing inclusion, diversity, equity and access, ITL seeks to mitigate the impact of these factors on students’ economic mobility and success. ITL also recognizes that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace is a more innovative and successful one. For these reasons, ITL’s staff, volunteers and board members have shared lived experiences with the students. The organization prioritizes maintaining a leadership that is a reflection of the communities served.
In 2018, ITL was selected as one of six High Impact Nonprofits of Color in Dallas by Prosperity Now and JP Morgan Chase to participate in a three-year, capacity-building cohort and provide insights into bridging the racial wealth gap. ITL and the other cohort members were chosen for demonstrating cultural competency and knowledge of economic trauma affecting communities of color. As such, ITL incorporates an intentional approach to cultural self-reflection among staff to highlight how an individual’s background shapes their engagement with the agency.
This year, ITL will create a new position on its Board of Directors for a program graduate. The process will begin with an orientation for interested members and will be followed by an application and interview process. This will ensure participant experiences are reflected at the highest level of leadership.
Organization name
Inspiring Tomorrow's Leaders, Inc.
Causes
Economic/Financial Security/Poverty
Operating Budget
$100,000 - $249,999
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Rockwall, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx
BIPOC Leadership
Executive Director/CEO
Address
3560 W Camp Wisdom Rd Suite 200