On the evening of Friday, September 9th, a group of highly distinguished women gathered in the Los Angeles Sentinel Boardroom to celebrate the launch of a new initiative—“Women from Corporate to Entrepreneurs.” This initiative’s launch was hosted by Celestine Palmer, longtime community activist, founder of Los Angeles African American Women Political Action Committee and Los Angeles African American Women’s Public Policy Institute (LAAAWPAC/LAAAWPPI). The initiatives aim to empower and uplift women to live their best financial life. “Women from Corporate to Entrepreneurs” creates a space for women in Corporate America to utilize their high-level leadership and organizational skills, experience, and passion to empower like-minded women to redefine their legacy after retirement.
Most women within Corporate America retire at the average age of 55, although the average life expectancy of women in 2016 is 87-years old. Instead of wallowing in retirement for 30 years, these women are using their platform to empower women within our community to become financially secure and financially independent through sisterhood, mentorship and most importantly education. Financial education being the cornerstone of this initiative, served as the main focus during this gathering of distinguished women. The guest speakers, Tracie Weathers, recent retired General Manager of Xerox Corporation, Andrea Berry, recent retired Senior Vice President of Fox discussed how women of influence, must have an exit strategy from Corporate America to ensure a purposeful and most importantly financially secure life after years of service to their respective company. Furthermore, the guest speakers used their experiences within Corporate America to truly inspire other like-minded women to begin thinking beyond the boardroom.
In the United States today, women are increasingly becoming more likely to be the main breadwinner within their respective families. Although elated with such progress, women understand that progress means more responsibility, educating, empowering, and mentoring women to become financially secure and independent through entrepreneurship.
