The Detroit Women’s Leadership Network (DWLN) is founder Danielle D. North’s all-races, all-ages, all-career-paths, and all-Detroit response to former Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg’s book, “Lean In.” That response ultimately led to the network giving 13 members professional-development mini-grants.
The winners are: Jennifer A. Russell, Ebrie Benton, Adrienne Pickett, Diane Renee Fuselier-Thompson, Dr. Kamaria Washington, Sherisse M. Butler, Jasmine Cooper, Darlisha Barnes, Natasha Anée, Alexis Davis, Tiffany Brown, Brittany Rogers, and Power of Girlhood, which was founded by Ber-henda Williams.
The grantees were chosen from 39 women who applied, which is the largest applicant pool to date, according to North. Typically, around 30 applicants vie for the grants.
“This year’s winners are earning certificates, applying for professional memberships, and we even have a pelvic floor physician working to assist women with fertility issues and will use the grant for training by an expert in the field,” North said in an email to the Michigan Chronicle.
The winners’ projects cover a wide range of interests and pursuits. However, they must outline a professional development opportunity they would like to pursue with the funds. The funds range from $500-$1,000 each. This year’s grants totaled $9,000.
The Detroit Women’s Leadership Network started offering the mini-grants in 2018. They’ve given a total of $40,000 in funds to date.
“We haven’t awarded the grants every year but, when we have, it has made significant impacts in the lives of women leaders,” North stated.
Another member of the network and an organization provided the funds this year: Carla Walker-Miller and Dream Studio Detroit.
“Carla Walker-Miller is an avid supporter of women, entrepreneurs and minority leaders,” North said. Carla’s organization, Walker-Miller Energy Services, has donated $12,000 toward our mini-grant program to date. The full $6,000 of her 2022 donation went towards professional development mini-grants.
“The total awards this year were over $9,000. Dream Studio Detroit stepped in to offer the remaining mini-grants. The community complex believes in equitable, multi-generational form of impact that distributes equitable resources to children and adults pursuing careers and entrepreneurship.”
Detroit Women’s Leadership Network also grants a Woman of the Year Award named after Walker-Miller, who was the first awardee in 2020. It’s given to women who have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing opportunities for underserved groups of people. Other women are candidates considered for the award.
This year’s winners are the founders of the Women’s Sustainable Development Initiative (WSDI): Karen Burton, Brinda Devine, Rachele Downs, Jill Ferrari and Lisa Berden. The nonprofit corporation seeks to provide funding, educational resources and meaningful networking connections to women commercial real estate developers, primarily those who are Indigenous women and women of color.
The Initiative founders found out about receiving the honor at DWLN’s Women’s History Brunch held March 11. North said the women will receive their final honors and award at the DWLN gala later this year.
The organization began in 2014 when it hosted its first meeting at The Whitney. It has a robust private Facebook group of about 11,500 members, though “we have never been strictly a Facebook group,” North said. “Since our inception, we have hosted in-person meetings. Our community is strengthened by our online engagement.
“Our greatest assets are the women in the virtual Facebook group. The network is a living, breathing and thriving organization with or without curation because the women keep it alive with their requests, recommendations, engagement and sharing of opportunities.”
The biggest challenge to the organization’s core programming is the lack of funding and staffing to support the mission, North said.
The DWLN offers paid memberships. The memberships help pay for the mini-grants, host events, curate content, develop partnerships and pursue future goals. The group also hosts an annual summit, a gala and workshops throughout the year.
One of DWLN’s future goals is to have a brick-and-mortar space for the network, North said—and they’re “very close to fulfilling this vision within the Dream Studio Detroit concept.”
To support DWLN, visit dwln.org.
About Post Author
