Rise Up, Sister!
Ambassadors!
Integrate • Diversify • Retain • Educate • Activate • Mentor
Our Call to Action
More than a program, it is a call-to-action and movement building that engages Black supervisors, managers, and directors to lead with courage, resilience, and purpose while creating healthier workplaces, work-rest rhythms, and stronger communities.
Together, we are cultivating leaders who preserve intergenerational wisdom, strengthen organizations, and transform systems for future generations.
Our Origin Story
The vision for Rise Up, Sister! Ambassadors(c) first emerged in 2020 as a call to leadership during a season of uncertainty and transformation.
Listening to the experiences of Black women across healthcare and public health systems, it became clear that peer-led leadership and personal development had to extend beyond technical skills. We co-created and co-designed spaces where Black women and allies could tell their stories, strengthen their identities, and lead without sacrificing their well-being. Here’s a timeline of collective wisdom from our executive director that guided her vision:
- 2017: Hidden Triggers: Race, Stress, and Mental Health of Black College Graduates. Conference presentation, Maternal Mental Health NOW.
- 2017: Reducing Stress: Undergraduates. Reducing Stress: Young Professionals. Reducing Stress: Working Mothers. Collateral materials.
- 2018: “Reframing the narrative from mortality (death) and morbidity (dying) to repairing harm, healing, restoration, reconciliation, and transformation.” Birth Equity Reflection.
- 2020: Collaboration or Collision: Straight Talk about Cultural Humility and Working Together. Conference presentation, Center for Nonprofit Management
- 2021: Examining over committing, over promising, over thinking, and over working. AAIMM networking event
- 2022: Launched Community Mentors program for Black Mamas Glowing and participated in the Black Infants and Families “Be the Village campaign.”https://www.blackinfantsandfamilies.org/wenonah
- 2023-2026: Leadership Retreats
Today, Rise Up, Sister! Ambassadors !(c) is the signature call to action for Vision 2030 preparing leaders and community women who will shape healthier organizations while preserving the legacy of those who came before them.
Our Movement
Leadership is more than a title it is a lifelong journey of growth, healing, and community.
Through Workforce Leadership Readiness Learning Labs, participants engage in leadership reflection, storytelling, wellness practices, coaching, and collaborative learning that strengthen both personal and organizational resillience.
Participants are invited to discover their leadership voice, deepen their confidence, build authentic relationships, and develop practical strategies that improve workplace culture. Every experience contributes to a growing community of leaders committed to creating environments where Black women and families can thrive.
Who It’s For
Rise Up, Sister! Ambassadors was created for Black women who are shaping the future of healthcare and community leadership.
Whether pursuing new opportunities, stepping into management, leading organizations, or mentoring the next generation, participants are welcomed into a community that values their lived experiences and invests in their continued growth.
The program also serves organizations, healthcare partners, and community leaders who believe that supporting Black women leaders strengthens entire systems of care.
About the Learning Lab
Through a blend of virtual learning, 1:1 coaching, talent insights, and leadership retreats, participants strengthen themselves, their team, and the communities they serve.
The Leadership Journey
Every participant begins with reflection before moving into action.
The learning experience combines virtual leadership sessions, in-person retreats, wellness coaching, leadership assessments, and collaborative learning communities.
Participants leave with practice tools, renewed confidence, meaningful relationships, and a clearer vision for leading with purpose while sustaining their own well-being.
Why This Matters
For more than thirty years, i.D.R.E.A.M. has documented and preserved the stories that traditional systems often overlook.
Vision 2030 builds on that legacy by investing in the next generation of Black leaders who will transform healthcare through compassion, resilience, and community-centered leadership.
Join the Movement
The future of Black maternal health is inseparable from the future of Black leadership.
By supporting Rise Up, Sister! Ambassadors, you are investing in leaders who will influence workplaces, strengthen communities, preserve organizational wisdom, and create lasting change for generations to come.
Whether you participate in a learning lab, partner with our organization, share our story, or contribute financially, you become part of a 32-year storied mission that continues to grow through Vision 2030.
Rise Up. Lead Boldly.
Transform Generations.
Together, we are reimagining what leadership looks like and creating a future where Black working mothers and their communities thrive.
