Empowering Black Women Through Project Management

South LA

For centuries, Black women and their struggles have been overlooked. Black women have been put last in every movement and scholars say Black girls are still seen as a footnote. In 2014, President Barack Obama announced a national initiative called My Brother’s Keeper to improve the lives of young Black men. A few months later, Kimberle Crenshaw, a professor and scholar of race theory, wrote an opinion article titled “The Girls Obama Forgot.” Black women need workplaces and experiential learning opportunities where they are a priority, their challenges are acknowledged, and their authenticity is celebrated. These women need career paths, professional experiences, and life skills to break the poverty cycle and achieve a prosperous life. Black women earn $0.63 for every dollar earned by white men, highlighting the income inequality in our country. Black women not only need supportive workplaces, they need opportunities to earn fair wages and tangible skills to advocate for equal pay.

LIVE & FAITH Consulting is a firm led by Black women for Black women, offering above market rate salaries to its employees. With the rapid growth of project management (PM), the firm is focused on a skill that is transferable to all industries. The Project Management Professional (PMP) is the most in demand certification. Individuals with PMP certifications work across various industries including consulting, healthcare, engineering, banking, construction, and IT. By 2023, 80% of organizations will utilize a project, program, or product management office to deliver outputs. On average, these individuals earn a 22% higher salary compared to those without a PMP. The Summer Internship is a 10-week program introducing students to PM and the world of business. The students will complete the course work to earn their Certified Associate in Project Management Certification and gain applied learning experience through supporting firm projects. Students will be offered the opportunity to join the firm’s Associate Program. The Associate Program is offered year around for graduates of the Summer Internship Program or postgraduate students. This program is designed to support firm projects and provide students with work experience on the pathway towards earning their PMP Certification and/or to gain professional experience and transferable skills. The task-based on-demand model allows students to earn income while attending college and promotes self-management.

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative

To launch our Internship Program, the first group of students entering the LIVE & FAITH Consulting ecosystem will come from community colleges in underserved communities in South Los Angeles. For the second cohort of students in 2022, the firm is targeting students throughout Los Angeles County. As the program begins to scale, the firm will then work with high school students to introduce the career of project management and encourage students to start to dream at an earlier stage. As our firm reaches more young Black women in Los Angeles, we believe that through each woman a career is started, a family is impacted and eventually a whole community. Our vision is to increase awareness of the project management career path, provide training, mentorship, and applied learning experience to Black women, and support these women along their educational and career journey.

Intern Program Metrics: # of Applicants - Shows interest in project management (PM) field and program # of CAPM Certifications - Shows demonstrated understanding of PM concepts # of Students Transitioning in the Associate Program - Shows firm’s ability to provide value and inspire students on PM career path # of College Graduates (Associate’s Degree) - Shows firm’s ability to support students on their educational journey while in program Job Placement Rate - Shows students have developed skills needed to transition to desired career paths Associate Program Metrics: # of College Graduates (Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s) - Similar to Intern Program # of Full Time Hires - Shows interest in PM as a career. Hiring shows they’ve fully mastered skills needed to work in PM field Job Placement Rate - Similar to Intern Program # of PMP Certifications - Long-term goal (3 - 5 years after program) due to hours of work experience required for exam

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