Growing a WINning community for women in the Triangle

Women are founding and leading companies at a faster rate than any other time in our history.  The foundation for this change has been built by the generations that came earlier to enact critical change and support legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX.

Women are driving change in the labor market and the workplace. However, there are still key opportunities for continued growth. As we speak with women business owners at various stages of their journey, we hear that many are held back by a lack of access to the business skills, technology and capital they need to succeed.

As Bank of America’s market president for the Triangle, I see the potential that women business owners can have in our local communities and overall economy. It’s estimated that if women around the world were fully engaged in the labor force, as much as $28 trillion would be added to the global economy by 2025.

At Bank of America, we’re empowering women with solutions to ignite and accelerate their potential, so that their contributions in their communities and to our global economy continue to grow. As a society, we must empower women to achieve their professional and personal goals without feeling that they must sacrifice one for the other.  

I am very fortunate to work for a company where more than 50 percent of our workforce is women. We invest in helping women make meaningful contributions within our company and in our communities. In addition, we recognize that women play a significant role in advancing thriving economies, and we’ve formed partnerships to help connect them to the tools and resources they need to succeed.

From our work with the Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program that connects women entrepreneurs with low-cost capital to partnering with Vital Voices to develop our Global Ambassador’s program to support emerging women leaders, we recognize the importance of supporting mentorship and community building that helps women reach their full potential.

A critical part of empowering women is bringing them together so they can learn from one another and from their collective experiences.  For these many reasons, we’ve been a proud founder, in partnership with Walter magazine, to host WINnovation and now WINi, in an effort to connect women from across the Triangle so that they can learn and grow together.

There is no doubt that women’s impact in the labor market will continue to grow and shift. It is important to learn from each other as we take this journey together and build a community in the Triangle that propels women to their greatest achievements.

—Kari Stoltz

Kari Stoltz is the Triangle market president for Bank of America.