about us

Emerge was founded in 2001 and was granted 501(c)(3) status in the spring of 2002. Our recent name change clarifies our organization’s status as a public charity solely supported by contributions and is an exciting step in the organization’s legacy of supporting women through academic scholarships. It also eliminates the ongoing brand confusion between our nonprofit charitable organization and the annual for-profit women’s leadership conference sharing the same name. There is no financial or legal affiliation between the two organizations although both have the same founder.

Through scholarships, Emerge addresses the need to support deserving women who have demonstrated a deep commitment to both reaching their educational goals and giving back to their communities. We actively seek scholarship applicants who have come to understand that education is key to attaining their goals in life. We know that by educating a woman, we educate a family. Collectively those women and families make great positive impact on their communities. Emerge begins a “ripple effect” that grows immeasurably with each new scholarship award.

For nearly a decade, Emerge has empowered more than 70 women through education by providing more than $300,000 in academic scholarships. These educational experiences, combined with encouragement and support provided by Emerge volunteers give these women the opportunity to advance professionally and become self-sufficient for not only themselves but also for their families and their communities.