Friday's Program

Registration Opens at Center City Building
7:30 AM to 8:00 AM
Opening Address: Why Talk about Economic Mobility for Women + Girls?
8:15 AM to 8:45 AM
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force
9:00 AM to 10:15 AM
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force is working to build economic mobility and access to opportunity in our community. Dr. Garmon-Brown and Dr. Greene will share some of the compelling data the Task Force has been learning about over the last year on issues that often affect women and girls in our community, including quality childcare, prenatal care, reduction of toxic stress in early brain development, and family structure. They will also seek audience perspectives on these and other issues the Task Force should consider as it looks through the lens of creating greater economic opportunity for women and girls, particularly for low-income women and girls of color.
Conversations
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Come hear more about W+GRA-sponsored research as well as research undertaken by graduate students, staff, and faculty affiliated with W+GRA. Join in the conversation as governmental and business policy experts, practitioners, service providers, and community advocates discuss how research might be used to help women + girls move out of poverty. Conversations will be held in two rounds: 9-10:15 and 10:30-Noon.
Work and Wages
Entrepreneurship and Community Development
Education
Removing (In)Visible Barriers through Empathy
The Costs of Violence Against Women
Bridging Divides, Building Solutions
Hands-On Workshop: Using Public Data Sources
9:00 AM to 10:15 AM
Reliable data sources are critical for making good decisions. This session will introduce and provide examples of reliable data sources and tools, which allow users to collect data useful to their research or interest. Data will be viewed at a variety of topics. Sources used will include the W+GRA Data Portal and more.
C’est La Vie: The Game of Social Life
9:00 AM to 10:15 AM
Developed by Dr. Kosha Bramesfeld while she was an Assistant Professor at Maryville University in St. Louis, MO, C’est La Vie: The Game of Social Life will introduce you to “concepts of social stratification based on multiple dimensions of poverty, including inequalities related to housing, education, occupational status, social power, and health outcomes.”
Sharing Our Stories: Our Economic Journeys
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Where did you grow up? Was your family rich or poor? How did your experiences shape your life? What lessons or messages do you have to share about your economic journey? Share your story!
Workforce Development and Job Quality for Women: What Works, What Doesn’t - A Sister Cities Presentation
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Recent years has seen significant progress on workforce development efforts to help women access better paying jobs. While these initiatives have shown success overall, underreported findings on gender wage disparities call these initiatives into question. Recent focus on job quality appears on the surface to help women, but hidden policy barriers may preclude women from accessing and succeeding in training programs. Dr. Crandall will review trends in workforce development for women, present the findings of a multi-sector initiative, and discuss implications for policy, philanthropy, and practice
Networking Lunch
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Pick up your boxed lunch and then continue the conversation!
Plenary – STEAM careers as a Path for Economic Mobility
1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Having more women pursue STEAM careers is good for women and their families. The U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration found that women in STEAM careers face far less of a wage gap compared to men than do their sisters in non-STEAM careers (Beede et al., 2011). What works and what can we do to support women pursuing these pathways?
Celebration!
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Join us for a celebration of Charlotte-area, women-owned food and beverage companies. Sample offerings and talk with the owners about their experiences and the power of women entrepreneurs! Featuring: Deanna Bradish, Red Clay Ciderworks Emma M. Cromedy, Southern Cake Queen Esther Ikuru, The Cooking Pot African Kitchen Rachel Klebaur, Orrman’s Cheese Shop Deedee Mills, The Mayobird Chandra Torrence, Birdsong Cathy Tuman, Smelly Cat Coffeehouse & Roastery