Last week I marched in the Women's March on Austin, alongside an estimated 50K other people. And most importantly, alongside my partner in impact, Ben. There he was, with a pink Dreamer t-shirt on, camera in hand, chanting and supporting all the women who came out. I kept looking around me, at the men in the crowd. And it felt so empowering. To have their support. To know that so many men were there, despite perhaps a sense of awkwardness, to support the women in their lives.
This, is what matters. Strong women, dreamers, those pursuing activism or art or any form of impact - they deserve to be uplifted, to be championed. And although I value the beautiful sweetness that comes from women supporting women, I want to make a point with my work at Impact Haven, to show men how important their role is too. There is nothing like the feeling of living to your fullest possible potential in the moment, expressing your voice and your talent and your fire. And there is nothing that compares to feeling supported by a man while doing that.
All around me at the march I saw this happening. Women chanting for their rights and equality, and men chanting with them. Men starting chants, in support of women. It was electric, the atmosphere at the capitol. I saw the look on the men's faces, looks of pride and honor.
So this is what I want to say about Impact Haven and the future of this brand. We are not just a space for women. We never have been. We are a space for dreamers, change makers and misfits. Because let's be honest, those usually go together :) We welcome anyone who resonates with our intent to empower change and impact, in Austin.
Impact Haven and the Un.Incubator would not have gone from an idea to a building full of energy with the momentum and strength we already have as a community, if it were not for the men who have shown up to nurture and strengthen us. Men play a huge role in impact, both as leaders and as champions. To the men who mentor, teach, and support this program, I cannot thank you enough.
2017 is going to be a huge year for us, full of growth and pursuit and probably plenty of fear too.
I hope you'll join us, because we are stronger together.
Interested in joining our next cohort and building your impact idea into a business? Applications are open until February 15th, and we'd love to meet you! Apply here.
Looking for a space to meet or cowork? We have openings, and it's super affordable at $75/month. Sign up to cowork or just drop by for the day for $5.