It has been a pleasure to see WANDA grow and mature over the years, and to be a part of an organization that is continually working to build a strong community of women and allies committed to investing in single mother success.
I was first introduced to the idea of WANDA in 2007, through some of the mothers at my daughter’s school who wanted to form a giving circle. The three founders; Luba Kipnis, Dianne Giancarlo, and Susan Kokores had a focus on supporting single mothers and helping break the cycle of poverty; thus WANDA was born.
As a single mother myself, I resonated with WANDA’s early vision and was excited to meet and uplift other single mothers. Even though my ex-husband is very active in my children’s lives, I still feel connected to other single mothers. I completely understand that without the support of my children’s father, my role as a single mother could be very isolating and strenuous.
Coupled with my MBA from Stanford University, a passion for business coaching, and my professional experience as an executive leader, I was excited to join WANDA and apply my organizational development skills to the growing program.
In the early stages of WANDA I helped develop our curriculum, teach Financial Literacy I, and develop the mentoring class to add more depth to the organization. Moving WANDA away from just being a matching program to enriching the program to help single mothers on their journey to reaching their saving goals.
And after several years under fiscal sponsorship, WANDA became an independent 501(c)(3) and has continued to grow. Now, 19 years later, the organization is expanding to offer its comprehensive financial capacity building program to more single mothers. Each year, the dedication and progress of WANDA moms continues to impress, demonstrating their ability to thrive despite challenges.
Looking back on all my years with WANDA, the highlight of my work has been connecting with the different cohorts of women and helping them on their financial empowerment journeys. It’s been a pleasure to be a part of WANDA—allowing me the opportunity to become immersed in my community as well as working with other very dedicated, mission-driven board members committed to the growth of WANDA.
WANDA has grown tremendously since its beginning, but I know there are so many achievements and opportunities still on our horizon. Our 20th anniversary is next year, and I am energized by the opportunity for WANDA to become more in the community.
As an organization, we have contributed to the growth of more than 500 incredible single mothers who have gone through our program. It is important to celebrate and share and uplift these women’s accomplishments, as they embody our mission and are proof that our program changes lives.
Nineteen years ago we started small, but now we have momentum. We are reaching and changing more women’s lives everyday, and our 20th anniversary is a great opportunity to showcase that.
When I’m not working on WANDA projects, you can find me hiking in nature with my dog Spencer, or catching up on my reading with books like Apple in China by Patrick McGee.