January 2026 Newsletter - A Bolder Way Forward

A Bolder Way Forward Advocates,

Good morning and Happy New Year! As we look toward 2026 and maximizing our collective impact for women, girls, and families in Utah, we have some important A Bolder Way Forward (BWF) updates to share with you:

Structural Changes: Many transitions are occurring to ensure the sustainability of the "A Bolder Way Forward" (BWF) initiative, which is housed with the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) at Utah State University. Here is a link to the summary of these changes from Dr. Susan Madsen. Below the main portion are some "Frequently Asked Questions" that will be helpful. These adjustments will allow BWF to continue its work through 2030, and we’ll continue to provide updates on next steps across the movement through upcoming BWF Newsletters and targeted communications for each spoke area to help you stay engaged.

Get Involved: Grassroots are more important than ever! The counties are being unleashed to move forward with what will be the most successful in their communities. To support efforts across the state and help spread research and resources, UWLP Regional coordinators will support connections within each county. Calls to Action for each spoke are available for individuals and organizations/groups to help us make progress statewide. Check out spoke and county webpages for additional updates, resources, and opportunities.

Speaker Series: Join A Bolder Way Forward in supporting UWLP’s 2026 Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series. There are five remaining webinars in this series that celebrate dynamic and influential women who have shattered the glass ceiling landscape in Utah. Learn more and RSVP/register at the link above.

New UWLP Resources:

• Research White Paper: Women in the Workplace in 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes, and Utah Women in the Workplace: Entrepreneurship, Workforce Development, STEM Fields, and Leadership Development. These are the first 2 in a 5-part series sharing results from the UWLP 2025 statewide fall survey and have key insights into perspectives about the 7 workplace spokes and the sexual harassment & gender-based discrimination spoke.

• Podcasts: What Utah College Students Think about Teaching as a Career: An Analysis by Gender, Substance Use Disorders Among Utah Women: A 2025 Update, and Belonging in Utah: Findings from Community Conversations with Women of Color

Welcome New Partners: Westminster University, Induo Marketing, Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition, Wasatch Family Therapy, Beyond the Lavalava Foundation, Disability:IN, and Sweet Kustoms. Our partner organizations are vital to this work! Learn more about how your company, group, or organization can become a UWLP and BWF Partner here.

Check out the UWLP community calendar for all events in Utah for girls and women. To get engaged with BWF, take this Interest Survey, and join us on our social media platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Subscribe to this newsletter here.

Share this newsletter to help spread the word. Now is the time, Utah is the place, for A Bolder Way Forward!