BWF Impact Team Updates - June 2025

In the Bolder Way Forward Framework, there are issues that permeate across and influence each of the 18 spokes. Twelve Impact Teams are doing deep work in each of these areas so that successful societal change will happen for all women in Utah. Impact Teams are focused on supporting the movement by: 1) creating resources and advising BWF leadership and the general population, 2) increasing awareness and representation within their communities, and 3) connecting people to resources to form grassroots partnerships. Connection and collaboration between these teams, spokes, county coalitions, and others within the movement is critical. 

All teams participated in the 3rd Annual BWF Summit, where leaders from each Impact Team met with interested attendees for “conversation circles” to learn, share, and connect. We are looking forward to engaging many more in this work and encourage you to review the updates below for more information!  

50+ Thriving: The Impact Team welcomed two new members, Bonnie Mortensen and Lori Cartwright. A “What Utahns Need to Know” resource about 50+Thriving has been created and published online. The Team continues to host Living Room Conversations, and is collecting great data. Collaborations with the Older Adult/End of Life and the Perimenopause/Midlife Subspokes (from the Health Across the Lifespan Spoke) are ongoing and providing valuable perspective.  The Team also met with the Washington County Coalition to share resources. To get involved, please email Kathie at kdebenham7@gmail.com.    

Arts & Music: The Arts & Music Impact Team partners with leaders and representatives from each spoke to expand the impact of their efforts. Art, music, and other creative contributions can help uniquely amplify the messages that need to be communicated in all areas of the BWF. In addition, recognizing and celebrating women’s contributions to the arts is crucial for transformative impact. To elevate the achievements of women artists across Utah, the Team also focuses on promoting, exhibiting, acquiring, preserving, and researching their work, and supporting them as artists. If you or your organization is interested in being involved, please contact Tasha Iglesias at tasha.iglesias@usu.edu. 

Disabilities: The challenges Utah women and girls face disproportionally affect those with disabilities. Nationwide, an estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. According to the CDC, 27% of Utah's adults have a disability. That's nearly 1 in 4 people. Women living with a disability have a higher prevalence of abuse. Some studies have shown that people living with a disability are 7 times more likely to experience sexual assault. Hence, it is critical when addressing the 18 areas of focus (spokes) in BWF that the populations in our community who are hit hardest are not ignored. This Team wants to bring to the table diverse voices representing all abilities. This Impact Team is working ensure that women and girls with disabilities are considered in all aspects of BWF, and that women with disabilities are engaged throughout the movement. To learn more about opportunities to engage, please contact Kelie at kelie.hess@usu.edu. 

Interfaith: The Interfaith Impact Team continues to thrive with the help of team leader Holly Burton as we welcome new members and invite those that are interested to join their monthly Zoom meetings. They are working on expanding the Interfaith Impact Team and hope to have representatives in several spokes that can help bring an interfaith perspective to the movement. The team is working to compiling research regarding different interfaith groups throughout Utah and plans to gain more insight into the needs of our communities in Utah through contacts with different faith backgrounds and worldviews. If you would like to get involved, please contact Brooke at brookepiippo21@gmail.com.  

LGBTQ+: The LGBTQ+ Impact Team works to ensure that LGBTQ+ Utahns who identify as girls and women are considered, included and represented in all aspects of A Bolder Way Forward (BWF). The Team aims to support and empower BWF Spoke Leaders by providing resources and terminology to foster unbiased understanding. By using and disaggregating data to identify discrimination, they assist with the development of inclusive initiatives to challenge disparities. Contact Team Co-lead Anne Arendt (anne.marie.arendt@gmail.com) to get involved.  

Male Allyship: The Impact Team is working to educate and convene men across the state to join us in A Bolder Way Forward. To learn more about male allyship, please review the team’s list of resources and online course. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Utah men were some of the most supportive of women’s advancement in that era supporting suffrage, education, and sharing opportunities with women to speak in public. Utah can again become nationally recognized for the way men and women work together for the common good. As men and women join forces to improve the status of women in the state, we will benefit families and strengthen the positive impact of both women and men in their communities and the state as a whole. To get engaged and become a male ally of this important work, contact Colleen at colleen@beyondhealthconsulting.com.  

Neurodiversity: The Neurodiversity Impact Team, co-led by Marianna Henry and Andrea Bradford, met many new faces at the 3rd Annual BWF Summit on June 6. The Team is actively seeking individuals who are passionate about neurodiversity to join their efforts. A Neurodiversity White Paper is currently being drafted by the Team with plans to publish in late June.  

Race & Ethnicity: The challenges Utah women and girls face disproportionally affect minority women and girls. For example, Utah’s minority populations are more likely to have higher poverty rates, lower educational achievement, and higher housing cost burdens, according to a 2021 report published by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and sponsored by Zion’s Bank. It is critical when addressing these challenges that the populations in our community who have the greatest challenges are not ignored and are welcomed to the table with their diverse voices representing all race/ethnic groups. This Impact Team is working with the leaders across the movement to ensure that race and ethnicity are considered in all aspects of the work and that women of color are engaged in BWF and are aware of research and resources available to help them thrive. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Kameron (Team Co-Lead) at kameronabilla@gmail.com.  

Refugees & Immigrants: Utah is home to refugee and immigrant women representing a vast diaspora from around the globe.  Based on community conversations with New American women, the most pressing issues are similar to those of other women in Utah but often exacerbated by navigating life in a new country and a new language, which often creates barriers to thriving. These barriers may be reduced for refugee and immigrant women with access to mental health services, secure and affordable housing, job placement and career advancement, access to education support and scholarships, language services, and fostering communities that are welcoming.  The Impact Team is working with various organizations and advocates and is actively looking for an additional co-leader to help engage women from refugee and immigrant communities across Utah. If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Brie Sparks (UWLP Statewide Impact Manager) at brie.sparks@usu.edu.  

Sexism: Sexism is defined as referring to the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on gender. Sexism can take many forms, some overt and some more subtle. Speaking up against sexism can be a powerful force for reducing gender inequity and this Impact team is tasked with arming women and girls to identify and address sexism in their communities. Being prepared about how to respond to everyday sexism can help women feel more confident in their interactions with others. By raising awareness of the widespread occurrence and damaging effects of sexist language, comments, beliefs, and behaviors, we hope to reduce the frequency of sexism in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, and the state as a whole. To better understand sexism and how to create a more inclusive environment, please review our list of resources. 

Women’s History: Exploring women’s legacy of leadership in the past will make Utah a better place for women in the future. By the rigorous study, preservation, and education of the significant contributions women have made in Utah’s complex and interesting past, this Impact Team and their partners empower the women of today to continue that tradition of making history. Equipping women (and men) with factual historical data enables them to enact critical change. This Impact Team works with leaders across the movement to provide women's history resources that supplement and support the work of the Spoke organizations. For more information, contact Rebekah Clark at rebekah@betterdays2020.org.  

Veterans & Service Women: This Impact Team is working with leaders across the movement to ensure that female veterans and service women are considered in all aspects of the work and that these women are engaged in BWF. Throughout history, women had had an important role in our military. Today, women comprise one of the fastest growing segments in the military. Utahns have long honored and supported our service men and women and worked to provide resources for veterans who served our country. Unique challenges facing women veterans include disproportionally high rates of homelessness, healthcare issues, disability benefits, sexual harassment and discrimination, and employment discrimination and legal barriers preventing them from accessing baseline benefits and services. The Team is actively seeking an additional co-leader, as well as female first-responders to share their perspectives. If you are interested in these opportunities, contact Brie Sparks (UWLP Statewide Impact Manager) at brie.sparks@usu.edu to learn more.