About the Black Women’s Wealth Alliance (BWWA)
A Leadership & Innovation Institute
INTRODUCTION
Black Women’s Wealth Alliance (BWWA) is a Leadership and Innovation Institute stewarding economic infrastructure for Foundational Black American women.
Founded in 2014, BWWA exists to stabilize, strengthen, and expand the economic position of Black women through integrated systems — not isolated programs. Our work connects career development, enterprise circulation, wealth education, capital access, housing, wellness, and community continuity into a single, reinforcing ecosystem.
We do not simply respond to economic challenges. We build and steward systems designed to endure.
OUR PURPOSE
BWWA’s purpose is to advance long-term economic stability, prosperity, and opportunity for Foundational Black American women by organizing resources, relationships, and capital into sustainable infrastructure.
We believe lasting impact comes from:
coordinated systems,
shared economic participation, and
institutions that remain accountable to the communities they serve.
OUR APPROACH
BWWA operates through a systems-based model known as The Hive Ecology — an interconnected framework that allows women to enter, participate, and remain supported across different seasons of work, leadership, and life.
Rather than offering services in isolation, we steward:
workforce pathways,
enterprise networks,
convenings and education,
capital and economic repair,
housing and place-based development, and
ongoing community connection.
Each element is intentionally designed to reinforce the others.
WHO WE SERVE
BWWA centers Foundational Black American women while operating in collaboration with a broad and diverse network of partners.
Our work supports:
Black women seeking career stability, advancement, and leadership pathways
Business owners anchoring enterprises within local economies
Partners and funders aligned with long-term, systems-level impact
OUR APPROACH TO PARTICIPATION
BWWA’s work is centered on the economic stability and advancement of Foundational Black American women, reflecting the communities most directly impacted by historic and ongoing inequities in access to wealth, housing, and opportunity.
At the same time, BWWA recognizes that systems-level solutions require broad participation and collaboration. As such, many of our initiatives are open to individuals, organizations, and partners across backgrounds who align with our mission and values.
Our approach prioritizes:
Targeted focus, informed by lived experience and data
Inclusive participation, grounded in shared goals and mutual respect
Collaboration across sectors, including public, private, and community partners
This balance allows BWWA to remain accountable to the women we center while operating responsibly within diverse, multi-stakeholder environments.
LEADERSHIP & STEWARDSHIP
BWWA is led by experienced practitioners and institution-builders with deep roots in community, economic development, and systems design. Our leadership is guided by a long-term view — focused on stewardship, accountability, and durability rather than short-term outcomes.
We understand that institutions matter — and we take seriously the responsibility of building one that lasts.
OUR WORK & IMPACT
Since 2014, BWWA has operated as a trusted steward of resources, partnerships, and community-based economic initiatives supporting Foundational Black American women.
Over time, our work has included:
Designing and operating workforce and career development pathways
Supporting Black women–owned businesses through enterprise networks and commercial spaces
Convening leaders through wealth education, economic forums, and community gatherings
Administering public, private, and philanthropic funds for economic stabilization and growth
Advancing housing and place-based initiatives aligned with career and wealth pathways
Contributing to policy conversations and systems change impacting economic equity
To date, BWWA has:
Served more than 5,000 women across career, wealth, housing, and leadership initiatives
Raised and stewarded over $9 million in public, private, and philanthropic funding
Distributed more than $3 million directly to individuals, businesses, and community initiatives
Trained over 200 Black women in homeownership readiness, resulting in over 60 first-time homebuyers
Stewarded real assets, including five residential properties and one commercial property
Built partnerships statewide, working across government, finance, philanthropy, and community development sectors
BWWA’s work consistently bridges practice and policy — translating on-the-ground experience into insights that inform broader systems and decision-making.
ASSETS & INFRASTRUCTURE
BWWA’s work is grounded not only in programs and partnerships, but in original institutional assets developed, owned, and stewarded by the organization.
These assets represent first-of-their-kind contributions to the economic landscape for Foundational Black American women and reflect BWWA’s role as an innovator and institution-builder.
BWWA-created and stewarded assets include:
Wealth Academy, a bi-annual wealth convening advancing financial literacy, leadership, and collective economic strategy
BEE Marketplace, a digital platform supporting Black women–owned businesses and consumer circulation
Black Corridors of Prosperity, a place-based economic development framework focused on stabilizing and growing Black-owned enterprises
She Who Wears the Crown, an annual leadership convening and fundraising platform elevating Black women’s leadership and economic influence
Minnesota’s first Economic Status Report on Black Women, providing data, analysis, and policy insight
DA HIVE co-working space, the first Black woman–owned co-working space in Minnesota
BWWA’s formation as the first Black woman–owned Specific Public Benefit Corporation in Minnesota, establishing an innovative legal and operational model
In addition, BWWA stewards residential and commercial real estate, physical convening spaces, and digital platforms aligned with workforce, enterprise, housing, and wealth-building goals.
Together, these assets extend impact beyond individual initiatives into lasting economic infrastructure.
LOOKING FORWARD
As economic conditions shift and new challenges emerge, BWWA remains committed to evolving responsibly while staying grounded in purpose.
Our work continues to expand through:
new enterprise anchors,
workforce and housing initiatives,
strategic partnerships, and
research and convenings that inform policy and practice.
We are building for the long term.