Power, Partnership and Transformation
California Women Rising, a grassroots training and virtual programming supported and facilitated through the partnership of Women’s Foundation California and the Office of the First Partner for all self-identified women and gender-nonconforming people to advance social change in California.
What We Do
Leading with the Heart is a monthly online gathering of women leaders, especially grassroots womxn engaged in social justice work. This one-hour session focuses on wellness and promotes cultural performances for women leaders to celebrate together, learn together, and practice self-care. These gatherings are offered free of charge.
Who We Serve
Leading with the Heart is open to all interested women, girls, transgender, and gender nonconforming people. Its primary audience include: The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities residents and staff, participants of the Fresno Grassroots Womxn Rising conference, California Women Rising Advisory Committee members, Women’s Policy Institute fellows and alum, and grant partners of the Women’s Foundation of California.
What We’re Up To
Check out our virtual gatherings. Created in partnership with organizations like The California Endowment, The California Wellness Foundation, and The Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation.
FOR YOUNG WOMXN ONLY: Summer Leadership Institute
What is the Summer Leadership Institute?
The Summer Leadership Institute is a virtual program created to empower young womxn of color to learn, lead and network with other womxn across California. Our participants will be encouraged to TAKE UP SPACE, share their vision of leadership and what they hope to contribute to their respective organizations and communities!
CWR Upcoming Events 2021
Get Signed up to stay connected to California Women Rising gatherings and activities.
Monthly invitations will be emailed in advance and also posted at the Women’s Foundation Website. Once you register, you will be sent a Zoom link. We look forward to seeing you at the next Leading with the Heart.
CWR Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee meets regularly and also organizes programs of CWR.
For Young Womxn Only, is a virtual space where womxn, femme-identifying folks can share their voice, connect and heal with other self-identified young womxn, ages 14 to 23, who are engaged in social justice work. This workshop series by invitation only is presented in partnership with The California Endowment, The California Wellness Foundation and The Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation.
This is the second session of the Healing from Trauma workshop series. Led by Sonya Young Aadam and Natalie Champion, this session will address generational trauma by providing a deeper understanding of its influence on our daily lives and sharing ways to change.
With so many working women disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important that we envision and work towards a future where the gender and racial wealth gap is a thing of the past. On October 29th 2020, Anne E. Price, president of the Insight Center for Economic Development, shared her vision about what an economy that actually supports women could look like.
Past Leading with the Heart Events
Staying Loyal to Your Soil, Misty Powell
This is the first session of the Healing from Trauma workshop series. Led by Misty Powell, this yoga session will address the roots of self-care for the benefits of healing, healthy living, personal growth, and sustainable communities.
Misty Powell, MA, RYT, MT-BC is a psychologist, holistic reiki healer, and certified yoga instructor. Misty takes you on a journey back to your inner wisdom in such a way that you are embodied and resilient to external forces.
Reimagining Our Future in Election Season, Favianna Rodriguez, The Center for Cultural Power
Favianna Rodriguez, co-founder and president of The Center for Cultural Power, will join us at our next Leading with the Heart on Wednesday, September 16th at 5pm PST. Favianna will present the unreleased radically inclusive coloring book, All Bodies Deserve: Creating the Future of Us, and discuss how we can reimagine our future through art and culture in the midst of election season.
Each drawing in All Bodies Deserve: Creating the Future of Us centers joy and diverse communities and is inspired by the ideas of abundance – that we should all have what we need to thrive; that people can be different and still equally valued; that we need to care for ourselves, our communities, and the world; and that we can raise curious, happy, healthy identities and families. We hope that you will bring your printed drawing and color utensils to our gathering next week.
Farming as Resistance, Nikiko Masumoto, Masumoto Family Farm
Please join us for Leading with the Heart on Wednesday, August 19th at 5pm PST for a conversation on farming as a form of resistance with Nikiko Masumoto, a yonsei (4th generation) organic farmer, community leader, and artist. Nikiko will also lead us in a meditation and a virtual tour of the Masumoto Family Farm.
The Power of Food and Community, Minh Phan, Porridge + Puffs
Food is more than nourishment. Food builds community. Chef Minh Phan, owner of Porridge + Puffs, will share her philosophy about food and running a woman-owned restaurant during the pandemic. Minh will also teach us how to make rice porridge and pickles.
Advocacy in Living Color, Sonya Young Aadam & Natalie Champion, California Black Women’s Health Project
Cultural performance by Lakhiyia Hicks, HOMEplace
Sonya Young Aadam and Natalie Champion will discuss the importance of advocacy to impact change. Join us for a conversation to build a community during these challenging times of pandemic and racial justice protests for Black lives. Our collective voices can help to heal, and to start shifting the culture of institutions.
Boosting Your Immune System: Mind and Body Connection, Prajna Paramita Choudhury, Energy Matters Acupuncture & Qi Gong
Cultural performance by AJ Kelley, singer and songwriter
Prajna Paramita Choudhury will discuss healing and nutritional practices that you can use to help support your immune system. She will lead us in a healing meditation to calm the nervous system from stress as well as highlight common foods and herbs which can help foster a healthy mind and body connection.