BWF Spoke Updates - August 2025

In the Bolder Way Forward Framework, there are 18 specific areas of focus (spokes). Each spoke, a key topic area where change needs to occur, is also a movement with a strategy that functions to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Effective work within the spokes is needed to create more expansive and cohesive change overall. To learn more about each spoke’s leadership, bold vision and goals, thriving statements, partners, and ways to get involved, please click on the individual  spoke webpages  (linked below). The following are monthly updates on what is happening within each of the Spokes:    

Childcare & Pre-K: This month, Corinne Dougherty and Carrie Francis were welcomed as new Spoke Co-Leaders. The Spoke continued to grow its social media reach on Instagram (sharing news, facts, and articles in a visual format) and LinkedIn (sharing relevant press about childcare and early childhood development). PBS Utah continued to publish videos highlighting Utah childcare initiatives which the Spoke amplified via the monthly statewide update and social media. Press coverage about childcare licensing loopholes and military families in need of childcare was also featured in the statewide update. The Spoke met with both internal and external partners regarding childcare resources and supported the county representatives at a training webinar. To receive updates on the childcare landscape within Utah, sign up for the monthly newsletter.  

Child Sexual Abuse: The Spoke has worked on keeping the momentum going from the BWF Summit this month, welcoming new volunteers to working groups, aligning with new potential partnerships, and identifying ways to support the Spoke County Representatives in their roles. If you are interested in participating in a Spoke working group or volunteering as a Spoke County Representative for your county, please reach out to Alexa Simon (Spoke Coordinator) at alexabsimon@gmail.com. The Spoke is preparing for the SAFE Symposium on October 6, a powerful event full of networking, updates from organizations working to fight child sexual abuse, and discussions on what we can collectively change to keep kids safer. The Spoke encourages all to attend and participate! Registration includes breakfast, lunch, the program, and networking opportunities. Learn more and RSVP here. Spoke Partner Generationall has launched PortAll, a new free online forum designed for survivors and secondary survivors of sexual violence that includes webinars, trusted community resources, and a secure discussion space. Their next webinar is happening on Tuesday, August 19 from 4-5 PM MT, where Dr. Susan Madsen will be discussing the importance of male allyship in reducing sexual violence. RSVP (for free) here.  

Domestic Violence: The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition (UDVC) is beginning to plan policy priorities for the 2026/2027 legislative session by visiting domestic violence shelters across the state in their “Take Action Tour”. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to Erin Jemison (Policy Lead). October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the DV Spoke will be hosting an event at the Utah State Capitol. Save the date and look for more details soon. The Dear Utah campaign is still running – please submit your stories here.  Additionally, the Spoke is supporting the Start by Believing campaign and encourages all to take the pledge. The UDVC is seeking nominations for board members from individuals interested in joining the Board of Directors. The deadline to submit completed applications is August 11 by the end of the business day, and applications can be forwarded to Max Pierce (mpierce@udvc.org). More information and a nomination form are available online, and elections will be held on September 9th.  If you are interested in the new Religion & Domestic Violence Subspoke, please reach out to carey@careyvanwagoner.com. You can learn more on the new Subspoke webpage, which also includes important resources on this topic. For additional updates on domestic violence efforts in Utah, subscribe to the BWF DV Newsletter. 

Entrepreneurship: The Entrepreneurship Spoke is moving full force ahead, building momentum across Utah! If you haven’t already, be sure to follow the Spoke on LinkedIn to stay up to date on exciting initiatives and opportunities. A highlight this fall is the Queen’s Court Pickleball Networking Event on September 26 from 10:00am to Noon. The Spoke is proud to partner on this event, which is coordinated through ACG Utah and sponsored by Haynie & Company and Allianz. Register here to attend. County Representatives are needed to focus on Entrepreneurship across Utah. If you are interested, please email crystal.bwf@gmail.com. Working Groups are also growing, and all are welcome to join by filling out this interest form. With passionate leaders and grassroots collaboration, the Spoke is making bold strides for women in entrepreneurship.  

Finance:  The Finance Spoke is working to prepare for Personal Finance Month and College Savings Month in September. Along with the Utah Financial Empowerment Coalition, Spoke Leaders and members are planning the annual Women in the Money Conference on September 11-12 at the Sheraton Hotel in Salt Lake City. Registration information can be found here. Groups in rural counties are encouraged to establish watch parties for the conference when in-person attendance isn’t feasible. This month, the University of Utah had the privilege of hosting the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance (HEFWA) Summit from July 13 to 16. The Summit covered a range of topics, including financial literacy, student financial aid, policy and advocacy, mental health and financial wellness, research, and campus-wide programs. The High School Financial Literacy Working Group has started preparations on “Invest in Girls” programs that will be offered in the coming school year. Stay tuned for more information on which schools will host these after-school programs. 

Gender Pay Gap: This month, the Communication & Education Working Group is scheduling presentations of their educational modules on self-advocacy in obtaining equal pay. Statistics show that most women do not negotiate their salary, and these modules will help women in understanding that process. Contact Emily (Spoke Coordinator) at emily@martinprisbrey.com to schedule a presentation for your organization, county, or group. The Data & Research Working Group is partnering with University of Utah researchers on Utah-focused data projects, and the Legislative Working Group will be coordinating with other workplace spokes on priorities for the upcoming 2026/2027 legislative session.  

Health Across the Lifespan: The Health Across the Lifespan subspokes are focusing on clarifying actions that can be brought to the county coalitions through County Spoke Reps. In the Uintah Basin, an area with one of the lowest rates of mammography, the Access Subspoke is working with the Uintah Basin County Coalition to bring mobile mammography to two sites in August. Along with the Prevention Subspoke efforts in the Glendale area of SLC (with an event in September at West High School), these pilot efforts may be expanded to other counties to meet the goal of improving mammography rates. For more information on these and other initiatives to improve the health of girls, women, and families in Utah, contact Amy Anderson (Spoke Coordinator) at amy.z.anderson@usu.edu.  

Higher Education Attainment: The Spoke is hard at work creating resources to help fight untrue perceptions of FAFSA and grow support for FAFSA in the state, which will help students fund their schooling. A new Research Working Group was established this month, which plans to publish white papers through the Utah Women & Leadership Project that show the benefits to communities when women obtain higher education. All working groups within the Spoke focus resources and volunteers on initiatives that help move the needle in specific areas. The Spoke is looking for co-leads to help guide working groups. Please contact the Spoke Coordinator at courtney.bwf@gmail.com to learn more about this opportunity.  

Home & Family: The Spoke hosted two info sessions this month, highlighting key Home & Family issues while encouraging networking and leadership opportunities. A Communications Working Group, headed by Claire Gardner, was established within the Spoke. Anyone interested in social media, advocacy, or storytelling is welcome to join. The Single Mothers Subspoke encourages single mothers to apply to the InPowered Program, which offers career essentials and job placement opportunities. The Utah Advocacy Coalition (BWF Partner) toured the Primary Children’s Hospital Behavioral Health Campus before it opens to the public with other advocates and caregivers. The Spoke is looking for more people to engage with family topics and join (or create) a working group. Take this interest survey to get started! 

K-12 Initiatives: The K-12 Initiatives Spoke met with Envision Utah, a Key Partner for BWF, to discuss their Early Learning Project. Envision Utah is continuously working with partners across the state to help educate parents, professionals, and other Utahns about the things we can do to enable a child’s success starting from when they are newborns and onward throughout their childhood. The Vroom Program was introduced to the Spoke Leaders, who are very excited about strengthening this partnership as this aligns well with the Spoke’s Early Numeracy Campaign, Math Matters. For more information on Envision Utah's Early Learning Project, check out this short video on Early Learning, Brain Building, & Vroom. 

Leadership Development: This month, a new BWF partnership was “born”. The Leadership Development Spoke met with Connie Sokol from Born to Lead (BTL), which  holds events to help young adults be equipped with essential leadership and public speaking skills — all in just one transformative day. The BTL program aligns with the Young Leaders Subspoke and will be a great partner as they work to empower every girl and young woman to lead. The Young Leaders Subspoke is also excited to share the opportunity for youth to engage in BWF Young Leaders Clubs. The Leadership Development Spoke continues to encourage women across the state to take the UWLP’s Exploring Your Purpose: Talents, Callings, and Influence course and to share this valuable opportunity with others. 

Organizational Strategies & Workplace Culture: As the Spoke plans to resume regular meetings in August, the Spoke Leaders have been working to refine Spoke goals and to brainstorm ways that the Spoke can support other BWF workplace initiatives and the Women's Leadership Institute, a reinvigorated partner with like-minded goals. There are many opportunities for volunteers to engage in these efforts! If you are interested in learning more and becoming involved, please reach out to Kristen Lee (Spoke Coordinator) at klee.abwf@gmail.com.  

Political & Civic Representation: In July, the Political & Civic Representation Spoke worked on consolidating feedback gathered from the BWF Summit breakout session regarding the barriers and solutions at each rung of the “civic engagement ladder”. The Spoke has created some graphics summarizing this data, which are being shared in the Spoke newsletter and on social media. Many individuals that attended the Summit have volunteered to join (and lead) working groups, and the Spoke has been busy organizing and preparing to help them engage. Spoke Leaders will meet with new volunteers in August to have them help with research/information gathering, partnership/resource coordination, and communications for the Spoke. Please reach out to Britney (Spoke Coordinator) at britneym.bwf@gmail.com to learn more about opportunities to get involved! 

Poverty & Homelessness:  During the summer, Spoke Leadership has been focused on updates on national politics related to poverty and homelessness. On July 24, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets," which mandates several sweeping changes to U.S. homelessness policy and enforcement. The order directs federal agencies—especially the Attorney General, HUD, and HHS—to prioritize grants for cities and states that strictly enforce bans on urban camping, loitering, squatting, and public drug use. It explicitly shifts funds away from harm reduction programs and Housing First models and instead promotes civil commitment for unhoused individuals with mental illness or addiction. Critics—including homeless advocacy organizations and civil rights groups in Utah—warn that this is a punitive approach that criminalizes homelessness, infringes on civil liberties, and fails to address root issues such as lack of affordable housing. Furthermore, housing and treatment resources are not being expanded at scale to support affected individuals’ post-incarceration or post-commitment. The Poverty and Homelessness Spoke will continue to follow how this order with affect our communities. The Spoke is seeking a leader who can lead efforts to address the housing concerns within Utah and encourages those interested to reach out to Brie Sparks (UWLP Statewide Impact Manager) at brie.sparks@usu.edu.  

Sexual Assault: The Spoke is busy preparing for the 11th Annual Utah Sexual Violence Conference, which will be held on September 11-12 at Zions Technology Center in Midvale. This conference is grounded in strength, resilience, and collective healing. This is a wonderful opportunity for Utahns to come together and share knowledge, build skills, and strengthen responses to sexual violence. The Spoke is looking for a co-facilitator for UCASA’s LGBTQIA+ Working Group. This Working Group is dedicated to creating services where LGBTQIA+ survivors are supported, seen, and affirmed. If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Danielle Rosales (Spoke Coordinator) at danielle.rosales30@gmail.com. The Spoke is sending out monthly newsletters to keep Utahns informed on upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, donation needs, the latest news regarding sexual assault., and current Spoke information. Sign up here if you would like to start receiving the newsletter. 

Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination: The Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Discrimination Spoke is working on planning a strategy session to discuss goals and plans for the upcoming year. Working Groups are continuing to gather data on the experiences of women in the workplace regarding issues of discrimination and sexual harassment. Spoke Leaders are also hoping to implement some new perspectives and ideas for workplace harassment and discrimination training, which will be further discussed in the upcoming Spoke strategy meeting.  

STEM Fields: Since the BWF Summit in June, the STEM Fields Spoke has stayed active with continued outreach to current and new members who have expressed interest in getting involved. The Spoke is excited to welcome more individuals and organizations who are passionate about building a stronger pipeline and more inclusive environment for girls and women in STEM across Utah. The quarterly STEM Fields Spoke Newsletter was released this month, which included updates from the Summit, poll responses from the Spoke’s breakout session, upcoming events, and ways to connect with the growing Spoke community. With a desire to increase social media presence, the Spoke has been utilizing a LinkedIn channel to spotlight inspiring stories, share upcoming STEM events for girls and women, and promote opportunities from partners and organizations throughout the state. If you haven’t yet, please follow the BWF STEM Fields Spoke on LinkedIn to help spread the word. The Spoke encourages all members and supporters to continue sharing relevant events and resources that can help young women and girls thrive in STEM. While in the process of organizing and streamlining Spoke working groups, now is a great time to get involved and help shape the direction of the current efforts. Your voice, time, and expertise are valued and needed. To find out more on how to get involved, collaborate on events, learn about opportunities to lead or engage in a working group, or serve as a County Spoke Rep, reach out to Ashley (Spoke Coordinator) at ashleyp.bwf@gmail.com.  

Workforce Development: In July, the Workforce Development Spoke Leaders met regularly and with community leaders to plan upcoming networking events to be held throughout the state. Look for announcements in the next couple of months for information on opportunities for training, networking, and connection for women. Along with our partner organizations, the Spoke continues to connect women striving to enter the workforce with resources to help them find success. Spoke Leader Heather Nemelke continues to meet with representatives from companies to discuss the benefits of providing returnships. The Spoke is actively searching for a third co-leader as well. If you are interested, please contact Angela Rawlings (Spoke Coordinator) at atrawlings1@gmail.com to learn more.