Who we are
Up With Women / Exponenti’elles is a growing registered charity dedicated to helping low-income women and gender diverse individuals build sustainable, prosperous careers and businesses with the aim of permanently exiting poverty. We currently serve clients in four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and BC.
What we do
Up With Women clients undergo a year-long intensive program of career and entrepreneurship-based one-on-one customized coaching, in-depth personality and emotional assessment tools, group-support sessions, and soft-skills development. We partner clients with International Coaching Federation-certified professional coaches for twice-monthly career coaching. All coaches provide their services at pro-bono, thereby allowing Up With Women to deliver high quality service at a very low cost. One-on-one coaching is also supplemented by group peer learning sessions and referrals to other community resources, such as housing, legal and immigration. In addition to our main coaching program, graduates are offered the opportunity to continue their career development journey through such initiatives as our Community Leadership Program and a customized Employment and Entrepreneurship Development Program.
Who we work with
Up With Women’s target population is marginalized and low-income women and gender diverse people. Our clients have experienced a large range of set-backs, including being recently homeless, at-risk of homelessness due to poverty, and/or earning a living below the poverty line. We serve clients in English and in French.
Why we do it
Talented people are falling through the cracks. Many Canadians experience career interruptions due to life events – but the longer one is out of the job market, the harder it is to get back in. The cycle of homelessness and poverty can be extraordinarily difficult to escape. Up With Women gives the skills and opportunities to break the cycle.
Photos by Kristina Laukkanen