Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

I’m inspired by the resilience of survivors and by leaders who build purpose-driven organizations that solve real problems. Founding Becoming Grace Foundation came from both personal experience and seeing critical gaps in support for women leaving abuse. Watching survivors rebuild their lives fuels my work and reminds me that entrepreneurship can be a powerful tool for restoring dignity and creating lasting change.

How do you stay motivated?

I stay motivated by the relationships we build and the moments when hope returns. Seeing the joy come back into someone’s eyes, hearing that our support felt like an answered prayer, or knowing we helped keep someone from homelessness or despair reminds me why this work matters. Those personal connections make the mission real and fuel me to keep going.

What would you do with the $25,000?

We would invest the $25,000 in hiring a part-time Program Manager to strengthen and expand our services. As a volunteer-run organization, our ability to respond to families in crisis is currently limited by capacity. This role would allow us to serve more women and children escaping abuse, coordinate resources more efficiently, and ensure no one seeking help is turned away due to lack of support.