Highwood Women Rising: Entrepreneurship Support for Survivors of Domestic Violence

Highwood Women Rising is a transformative initiative that empowers women, trans individuals, and BIPOC communities who are navigating or have survived domestic violence. We plan to support 4 female identifying entrepreneurs by providing access to business planning assistance, workshops covering financial literacy, marketing, and business management, as well as micro-loans to help launch their business. Survivors are also connected to community resources, professional networks, and peer support to help them sustain their ventures and build long-term financial independence and resilience.

Survivors often face systemic barriers, including economic abuse, that limit their access to resources, employment, and opportunities. Financial insecurity has been identified as the number one barrier preventing survivors from leaving abusive situations, and many remain trapped due to the lack of accessible resources to rebuild their financial autonomy. Highwood Women Rising is designed to directly address this need, offering a supportive program that builds confidence, skills, and economic freedom.

Community Futures Highwood is partnering with Rowan House Society and Chelsea Vogel of Image Marketing to create and implement this project. We have letters of support on file from both organizations.

About our organizations:

Community Futures Highwood is a federally funded non-profit organization that has been serving rural communities in our region for close to 40 years. Our team provides free business planning, training, mentoring, and advisory services, as well as flexible loan financing when traditional lenders can’t help.

Rowan House has been operating in our region for the past 25 years with a mission to break the cycle of domestic violence and abuse in our communities. They offer shelter, a support line, outreach and prevention programs.

Chelsea Vogel, Owner of Image Marketing is a business coach and former social worker who has agreed to be our resident coach for this program. She brings a trauma informed approach and believes deeply in the mission and goals of the initiative.

The outcome of Highwood Women Rising is simple yet powerful: survivors of domestic violence gain the independence, tools, and confidence needed to transform their lives through business ownership. With access to education, capital, trauma-informed coaching and supportive mentorship, participants can break free from cycles of economic abuse and create new futures for themselves and their families.

Highwood Women Rising is designed to serve women, trans individuals, and BIPOC community members who are navigating or have survived domestic violence, in the Community Futures Highwood and Rowan House service regions.

Research shows that economic abuse is nearly universal among survivors of domestic violence, with 95 to 99 percent experiencing financial manipulation such as stolen money, coerced debt, or being prevented from working. Statistics also confirm that financial insecurity is the leading barrier preventing survivors from leaving abusive situations, and in some cases women who do leave are forced to return because of economic pressures. By directly addressing this gap, Highwood Women Rising provides survivors with practical supports and resources to help them regain financial confidence and pursue new opportunities.

The program specifically benefits individuals who want to explore entrepreneurship as a pathway to independence. Participants will gain access to entrepreneurial training, business planning, and coaching, alongside the opportunity to secure a micro-grant to launch. By supporting a small, focused group of participants at the outset, the program builds a foundation for measurable impact and creates a model that can be expanded in future years to reach more survivors across the Highwood region.