Summary

The Step UP to Inspire campaign is about cultivating the minds of young girls and women to aspire to achieve great success in business and life.  It is a call to action for women entrepreneurs to step up and reach back to help young women realize their own success.  It is a way to perpetuate continued dedication to servant leadership. 

My name is Kim Harris and I am the Creator/Visionary for the Stiletto Business Strategies™ brand.  I have been in business as social entrepreneur for more than 25 years and I am the recipient of the SBA Women in Business Champion of the Year.  I am responsible for securing grants and sponsorships from the likes of JP Chase, Citi, American Airlines, Office Depot, Verizon Wireless, and many more.

I am PASSIONATE about sharing information that transforms business and lives, and that is why I created the Stiletto Women Business Owners Symposium™, a live tour that travels across the U.S. and abroad.  This platform engages the most successful women entrepreneurs in their industry to share value and make a difference.  

The goal of the Step UP to Inspire campaign is two-fold: 1) to cultivate the minds of young girls and women at our live and virtual events, and open the doors of opportunity so that they can reach their highest potential;   2) to encourage social responsibility for women business owners by identifying local entities to create cause-related partnerships.

The Stiletto Women Business Owners Symposium™ 2015 tour is on tap to visit 3 domestic cities and two international cities.  We have committed to awarding 15 scholarships within each city.  This represents 75 young girls and women between the ages of 16-30 who will be empowered with the information shared at our symposium.

• We need $7,500 to sponsor 15 young women and girls in each city we visit for 2015.  Here is how it will be allocated:

• We want to acknowledge your contribution and support in the most valued way we can provide, so here are some creative ways we will do that:
• Live Tweet Wall
• Step & Repeat Stationary Media Wall
• Stiletto Spotlight Business Coaching
• Stiletto Business Strategies Compilation CD
• Featured Listing - Stiletto Business Strategies Online Directory
• Radio Ads on Stiletto Business Strategies Show

The Impact

The impact of Step Up to Inspire Scholarship campaign is a far-reaching and lasting one.  The information learned by sponsored participants from our symposium format provide practical action plans that can be easily implemented.  Additionally, mentoring resources are open to participants in an ongoing relationship.  Resources are continually compiled and contributed to our online training center and available to access at any time.  The right information delivered at the right time, can change lives.

Your support will magnify our efforts to reach our goal to positively impact 75 young girls and women. It will provide a means to attend the event to receive valuable information that can enhance their lives.

Risks & Challenges

There are some challenges we face when planning our symposiums in different cities. Tickets sale benchmarks, venue location, other major events happening at the same time.  Having successfully hosting several symposiums, and evaluating the success of each one, I have discovered creative ways to address challenges that would enhance the experience.  Here are some ways we do this:

• Target Ambassadors within each city who have established networks to champion the event process and tap into existing networks
• Seeking non-traditional venues such as museums, campuses, and community centers to host the event provides a feasible alternative to hotels, or convention centers.
• Identify local businesses and organizations that we can provide connections with so that cause related partnerships can be formed for sustained support.

Other Ways You Can Help