BWF Spoke Updates - September 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: The Spoke spotlighted the five Utah affiliates that partner with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to send a free book every month to children ages 0-5. Additionally, the Spoke amplified several local and national press stories about childcare, including coverage of two rural counties in Utah (Wayne and Grand) using Rural County Grants to expand childcare offerings and support the local economy. Critical points were highlighted by the Spoke from an Op-Ed in the Deseret News which refuted a common criticism of childcare. The Op-Ed asserted that high-quality childcare supports families in ways that do not undermine parents, but in fact strengthen family values. The Spoke promoted surveys, events, and open positions from various partners across the state, continued work on a comprehensive organizational map, and began strategic planning for Q4 with the new Spoke Co-Leaders. To receive updates on the childcare landscape within Utah, sign up for the monthly newsletter.   

Child Sexual Abuse: The Spoke sent out a September newsletter to share about key resources and events taking place within the Spoke. All are encouraged to subscribe for bi-monthly updates. The list of USBE Approved Instructional Materials for Child Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Prevention has been finalized. The materials can be sorted into three categories based on the intended audience: Adult Serving Youth, Parent/Guardian, and Elementary Student. As a result of SB205, a selected provider will be allocated money to support prevention education in Utah Elementary Schools. The RFP is out, and proposals were due Sept. 9, so it is expected that the selected provider will be announced soon. However, the Spoke encourages schools to continue working with approved providers to add prevention trainings into their curricula. The Spoke encourages community advocates to attend the annual SAFE Symposium coming up on October 6. The Symposium is hosted by the SAFE Coalition, a key partner to the Child Sexual Abuse Spoke. The Keynote Speakers will be Attorney General Derek Brown and Rabbi Zippel, and the event will have several networking and collaborative opportunities. The Spoke is asking for support in sharing about the Event with your networks. The Eventbrite page can be found here.  

Domestic Violence: Please join the Domestic Violence Spoke on October 14th, 2025 for the Dear Utah Domestic Violence Awareness Day at the Capitol from 11:30-1:30. Eventbrite sign-up coming soon. The Policy Working Group will start meeting in September, if you are interested in joining, please reach out to Erin Jemison at ejemison@udvc.org. South Valley Services is looking for board members for its Board of Directors. If you have a background in domestic violence, please reach out to Eric Montague at eric.montague@corpay.com. The Religion & Domestic Violence Subspoke has two new co-leads: Candice Smith, MD, and Jessica Woodbury, CSW. Please join the DV Spoke in welcoming them! Visit the Subspoke page to learn more, and reach out if you are interested in getting involved. The Dear Utah Campaign is still running. Please submit your stories here.  The DV Spoke is also looking for a communications volunteer. If you are interested in helping to raise awareness through social media and other outlets, please contact Carey Van Wagoner (Spoke Coordinator) at carey@careyvanwagoner.com. For more updates, subscribe to the BWF DV Newsletter here.  

Entrepreneurship: The Entrepreneurship Spoke and A Bolder Way Forward are dedicated to building networks, elevating women entrepreneurs, and driving meaningful impact across Utah. The Spoke continues to grow, with a 24% increase in LinkedIn membership last month. This momentum reflects the growing energy around connecting women-owned businesses with resources, capital, and community. To keep members informed, the Spoke will launch a monthly newsletter beginning this month. Subscribers will receive updates on events, initiatives, and tools to support entrepreneurs. Sign up to receive the newsletter here. The Spoke is involved with the upcoming Queen’s Court Women’s Networking Pickleball Event on September 26th hosted by ACG. Attendees can register for this free event by emailing meaghan@acgutah.org. The Entrepreneurship Spoke is also launching the She-Suite Webinar Series, a four-part program beginning with a focus on Capital. Panelists are Beth Colosimo, Kim Tolman & Ann Marie Wallace. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance to guide the conversation. The first Webinar is scheduled for September 30th, 2025 at 9:00am - register here. Looking ahead, Spoke Leaders are preparing for a Movement-Wide Awareness Plan in November. We're thrilled to share that the Boost Conference hosted by UVU is coming up this November! Thanks to our partnership, BWF secured a special discount—use the code BOLDER at checkout to grab your ticket for just $10 each. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity! Also in November, the Spoke will be launching a Statewide Proclamation to highlight and advance women in entrepreneurship, with support from state leaders.  

Finance:  The Finance Spoke has been hard at work preparing for Personal Finance Month and College Savings month in September. The Utah Financial Empowerment Coalition held the annual Women in the Money Conference on September 11-12 at the Sheraton Hotel in SLC, and BWF was highlighted as one of the key partners. This past month, USU Extension’s Empowering Financial Wellness (Spoke partner) provided weekly courses online for financial confidence and literacy. The High School Financial Literacy Working Group is busy planning the Invest in Girls courses that will be held this school year at Skyridge High School. To learn more or get involved, contact Angela Rawlings (Spoke Coordinator) at atrawlings1@gmail.com.  

Gender Pay Gap: This month, the Gender Pay Gap Spoke had a leadership transition and is grateful for Latonya Howell’s vision and service this past year. Brit Davies was welcomed as a new co-leader bringing expertise, enthusiasm, and a connection to the Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination Spoke. The Data & Research Working Group is partnering with University of Utah on a county-by-county study of the gender pay gap in Utah and looks forward to sharing findings as the project continues. The Spoke has launched an on-line training series on salary negotiations. It a 4-part series and participants are encouraged to participate sequentially on Fridays from 12-1 pm in September and October. This is an interactive training that you can sign up for the next session here. Statistics show that most women do not negotiate their salary, and these trainings are amazing tools to help Utahns understand and combat the pay gap. If your group is interested in a live presentation of this series, please contact our Emily Prisbrey (Spoke Coordinator) at emily@martinprisbrey.com to schedule a presentation for your organization, county, or group.  

Health Across the Lifespan: This month, the County Health Representatives met one another and Spoke Leader Stephanie Stokes in an introductory meeting. Discussion focused on collaborating with local health departments and best methods for representatives to communicate with one another. A Spoke-wide leadership meeting with all subspoke and working group leaders is planned for mid-September to solidify engagement. The focus is to hear and collect feedback in key areas, in particular mental health integration within the subspokes and county representative community. Given changes in data collection and funding, subspoke leaders were asked to evaluate and update goals so that they remain supported by consistent and valid metrics. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and a BWF Movement-Wide Awareness Campaign plan was created by the Breast Cancer Working Group and Prevention Subspoke and distributed to all counties. Partnerships with the American Cancer Society, Know Your Lemons, Intermountain Health, and University of Utah Health’s mobile mammography units are integral to its success. For more information on upcoming events and how you can help raise awareness about breast cancer, please contact Amy Anderson (Spoke Coordinator) at amy.z.anderson@usu.edu.  

Higher Education Attainment: The Higher Education Attainment Spoke gained great momentum this month. Progress was made finding leadership and participants for Working Groups, and several volunteers have expressed interest. The Spoke is thrilled to welcome Maile Marriott as a Co-Lead for the Policy Working Group. Maile resides in Utah and is finishing up her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin. Maile has a huge passion for facilitating meaningful change for women in higher education and will be a great asset to the Spoke. A few Working Group Co-Lead positions are still available - please reach out to courtney.bwf@gmail.com if you are interested. Spoke efforts are currently focused on creating event proposals, strategizing most effective next steps, and supporting Working Groups.  

Home & Family: The Moms with Littles group finalized badge criteria for their child-friendly business rating system and partnered with a UVU design student to design the badge. The Spoke also met with leaders, county reps, and DavisLinks to strengthen advocacy and resources. The Single Mothers Subspoke is working to improve the ORS and invites single mothers to join the Utah Single Mother Coalition Facebook group. Social media and newsletter engagement continue to grow, reflecting stronger community involvement. To get involved or stay updated, email Charlotte Williams (Spoke Coordinator) at charlotte.abwf@gmail.com.  

K-12 Initiatives: The K-12 Initiatives Spoke is joining the statewide attendance campaign efforts of USBE, which is seeking additional Attendance Ambassadors. An Attendance Ambassador is someone who works to promote and encourage students’ attendance at school. Ambassadors are involved with the campaign and help spread the word within their school or community, care about student success in and out of school, and supports others by sharing tools and connecting them to helpful attendance resources. Those interested in becoming an Attendance Ambassador for the Utah State Board of Education can complete this Commitment Survey. For more information, contact Laney (Spoke Coordinator) at laneysconnection@gmail.com. Let’s end absenteeism in Utah! 

Leadership Development: The Leadership Development Spoke met with data researchers from Weber State University and Brigham Young University to introduce the Spoke’s goals, share information and resources, and strategize data on leadership development programs in Utah. In August, Jen Werner (Young Leaders Subspoke Co-lead) joined the Women’s Influence Network in Washington County to lead a dynamic session on redefining leadership. With around 30 women and a few teenage daughters in attendance, participants were encouraged to look beyond titles and recognize the everyday ways they lead with courage, authenticity, and intention. Through interactive activities like Bold Leader Bingo and Superpower Discovery, attendees learned to uncover their unique strengths and challenge themselves to embrace leadership in all its forms. Leadership isn’t about position, it’s about impact, and you can make an impact in your community by emailing laneysconnection@gmail.com to join the BWF Leadership Development Spoke! 

Organizational Strategies & Workplace Culture: The Spoke is excited to serve as a “hub” for the workplace spokes within BWF. This new approach will help streamline and strengthen efforts to share best practices, increase public policy, and collaborate on research related to the workplace. This month, the Organizational Strategies & Workplace Culture Spoke brainstormed and gathered ideas on the best ways to coordinate and share workplace spoke resources and events. The Spoke is working closely with Women’s Leadership Institute (partner) to help organizations elevate the talents and status of women across Utah. If you are interested in getting engaged, please reach out to the spoke coordinator Kristen Lee.  

Political & Civic Representation: In August, the Political & Civic Representation spoke shared a series of posts through social media and within the Spoke Newsletter, which highlighted consolidated feedback from the BWF Summit breakout session related to barriers and solutions at each rung of the civic engagement ladder. You can review these posts on the Spoke’s LinkedIn Group Page. Spoke Leaders held a “Meet & Greet” Event, which was held at the Utah State Capitol on September 15. This was an opportunity for those aligned to the Spoke to learn more about the Civic Engagement & Advocacy Toolkit, brainstorm solutions with partners, and get to know each other. For more information about this event and the toolkit, contact Britney McCausland (Spoke Coordinator) at britneym.bwf@gmail.com.  

Poverty & Homelessness: The Poverty and Homelessness Spoke has officially launched an Instagram page! This platform will serve as a space to share updates on Spoke initiatives, highlight community agencies addressing poverty and homelessness, and provide resources and information to keep the community informed and connected. Follow to stay engaged, learn more, and reach out to Nancy Griggs at nancygriggs@ogdencity.com to get involved and support ongoing efforts to reduce poverty and homelessness in Utah.  

Sexual Assault:  The Spoke is thrilled to welcome the Dove Center as their newest key partner. The Dove Center is committed to cultivating an informed community free from domestic abuse and sexual violence. The Spoke loves collaborating with their partners to decrease the prevalence of sexual assault in Utah and increase resources and support for survivors. Spoke Partners are committed to the mission of making Utah a place where more girls and women can thrive and live in a world free of sexual assault. If you are interested in becoming a BWF partner with the Sexual Assault Spoke, contact the BWF Partnership Coordinator, Kathryn Newman, at kathryn.newman@usu.edu to get involved. The Spoke is still seeking a co-facilitator for the LGBTQIA+ Working Group that is part of the work of the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA). This group is dedicated to creating services where LGBTQIA+ survivors are supported, seen, and affirmed. The Spoke is sending out monthly newsletters to keep Spoke advocates informed on upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, donation needs, latest news, and current Spoke information. Sign up for the Spoke Newsletter here! 

Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination: Spoke Leaders have begun advancing initiatives focused on consolidating legislative efforts, anti-discrimination, and pay gap training by developing content, resources, and support. In addition, the Spoke is exploring opportunities to increase women’s representation on Judicial nominating commissions and to elevate women lawyers in key roles. Action items and potential collaborations with partners across the organization will be further defined during the October Strategy Meeting, where goals and priorities for the upcoming year will be solidified. This month, the Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination Spoke welcomed Suha Lingam as its new Spoke Coordinator. Reach out to Suha via email at bwf.suha@gmail.com to get involved and learn more about these exciting initiatives.  

STEM Fields: The STEM Fields Spoke and its Higher STEM Ed Working Group are actively collaborating with the Higher Education Attainment Spoke to strengthen pathways and support systems for Utah girls and women in STEM, recognizing the critical role postsecondary institutions play in these efforts. Early discussions between the spokes have identified shared goals and key areas for collaboration, such as resource sharing and deeper engagement with colleges and universities across Utah. Similarly, the K12 STEM Ed Working Group is focused on increasing awareness of STEM opportunities among parents, schools, and communities through strategic outreach. Their efforts also aim to build stronger pathways from elementary through junior high and enhance career readiness by connecting students with industry partners. These initiatives support a broader goal of ensuring continuity and collaboration across spokes to boost equity and representation in STEM education and workforce statewide. The STEM Fields Spoke continues to grow its community through the quarterly newsletter, BWF events, and LinkedIn, highlighting local achievements and opportunities. Community involvement is encouraged; to learn more about how to join a STEM Fields Spoke working group, collaborate on upcoming STEM Ed efforts/events, or explore leadership opportunities, please reach out to the Spoke coordinator Ashley at ashleyp.bwf@gmail.com.  

Workforce Development: In August, the Workforce Development Spoke Leadership met with other BWF spokes to discuss mentoring and training events and looks forward to collaborating and providing opportunities to connect with women throughout Utah. The Spoke held a quarterly zoom meeting with all Workforce Development Spoke advocates on Sept 9. Spoke partners are preparing for some large events in September! Tech-Moms will host a big 5-year anniversary celebration on September 24 from 6:30-8:30pm at Progressive Leasing in Draper. Please RSVP here. In addition, mark your calendars for September 27 and join us at Adobe in Lehi, Utah for our 2nd Annual Elavare Summit with training on resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and cover letters. Find more information and register here. And finally, if you are searching for a meaningful volunteer opportunity, People Helping People is looking for mentors for women who are looking to enter the workforce. Please reach out to Angela Rawlings (Spoke Coordinator) at atrawlings1@gmail.com to get involved.