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Cottonwood Heights Journal

Comcast celebrates the launch of SheMoney’s Spend program

Dec 05, 2022 04:23PM ● By Peri Kinder

When ComcastRISE was launched to support women-owned small businesses, Comcast committed $1 billion to programs that would affect 50 million people. ComcastRISE, which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment, helps business owners get access to tools and funding they need to thrive.

 In early November, Comcast sponsored the opening of SheMoney’s Spend program, inviting conscious consumerism to support women+ business owners in their wealth creation journey.

SheMoney, a content platform dedicated to financial equity, is a sister brand to ShePlace, a network designed to help members build social capital through resource sharing and opportunities for worldwide collaboration.

 Madison Limansky, COO of ShePlace, worked in the fashion industry and production for 17 years. After receiving a degree in gender studies from the University of Utah, it changed her perception of the fashion world and she revolutionized the way companies approach representation through media campaigns.

Limansky joined forces with ShePlace founder Jacki Zehner to build a program that takes networking to a new level, with a focus on collaborative success.

 “We believe that social capital is a crucial ingredient to financial success. What we want to do at ShePlace is provide digital and in-person space where people can connect in a way that goes beyond industry and socioeconomic status,” Limansky said. “Research shows when looking at what makes a community vibrant for upward mobility, what’s most important is friendships that connects people across a socioeconomic spectrum.”

 ShePlace is a network where individuals and groups can share opportunities and challenges and have the opportunity to coordinate efforts. Approximately 70% of ShePlace members are based in Utah, but the platform includes women+ from 28 states and 13 countries. It encompasses nonbinary or gender fluid individuals and is intentionally inclusive of people that don’t identify on the binary spectrum.

The SheMoney brand gives women the ability to learn about and control financial resources. While money can’t buy happiness, it can help provide resources like access to counseling services, fitness classes, networking opportunities and more.

 Through its custom framework called the 7 Money Moves, SheMoney delves into the actions a person can take with money. Whether it’s spending, saving, investing, protecting, giving, borrowing or earning, SheMoney offers women a chance to understand and control their financial security.

“If we can make a difference in a person’s financial wellness, that has the potential to impact every area of their well-being,” Limansky said. “If you can’t afford a therapist or live in a home with access to clean water or take time for a spiritual practice, money has the ability to impact all areas of your life.”

Spend is the first targeted focus of the SheMoney platform and brings together 70 small business owners across 10 categories, including business services, art, food, beauty and health. SheMoney hopes to inspire conscious spending and intentional support for women+ owned businesses and create social change.

“We started with Spend because it’s something everyone can participate in immediately,” she said. “If we spent every dollar in a more intentional way to support women and people of color, that could make a huge impact in the financial landscape of Utah.”

Historically, Utah has been a difficult place for women economically but the Spend experiment could be the first step toward addressing change in a healthy, long-term way.

“We hope to be an aggregator of the resources readily available to business owners,” Limansky said. “It’s about economic connectedness among the business owners and accessing resources like knowing which type of capital is most effective for your business, or understanding when is it time to grow and scale your business.

“Comcast not only provided a cash sponsorship for the launch event, they also provided a lot of photo and video coverage for this event. That was such an extraordinary gift and an asset to us as a small company just getting started.”

Visit sheplace.com and comcastrise.com for more information.