Women’s Initiative for Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development
WIELD Texas is a three-year incubator for women of color that provides a combination of professional skills development and personal support in order to help them advance to executive roles in corporate America. |
 |
Students
 |
 |
| Are you interested in entrepreneurship and want to want to sharpen your leadership skills? Are you between 18-25 years of age? Are you enrolled at UT? Are you a freshman or sophomore?
What’s Included? 3-year program includes:
|
|
Why WIELD?
Our goal is to help create an inclusive economy where our aspiring female leaders can serve in executive leadership roles or launch their own ventures within ten years of graduating from the University of Texas and this program.
ProblemWomen, especially Black and Latinx women, face challenges around equal pay and upward career mobility, and they have the lowest amount of capital invested in their ventures from the angel and venture capital community. |
OpportunityThe program focuses on social impact through a combination of product management training, human-centered design, and cultivating business ideas that serve the greater good. |
WIELD TexasWIELD offers invaluable enrichment activities that strengthen students’ understanding of entrepreneurial thinking and leadership approaches, giving them the foundation to effect social change through inclusive innovation. |
Cultivating female entrepreneurship and upward mobility within the corporate executive ranks
Skills for SuccessThis program will offer training on soft skills such as negotiation, career exploration, and navigation, managing up, building and managing teams, and interviewing. |
InternshipsWIELD Texas participants will be placed in specific roles within corporations working within middle and upper management to gain insight into the duties and decision-making involved at the executive level. This internship will be coupled with a project deliverable for their portfolio at the end. |
MentorshipWe have assembled a great list of executive advisors and through their networks, we will build a robust network of women who are looking to mentor, sponsor and coach WIELD Texas participants into executive-level roles. |
Startup FundingWIELD Texas participants will be able to qualify for a seed grant to be awarded during their second year, upon successful completion of their first-year assignments. This funding will be used to help launch their micro-venture or launch a community impact project. |
Immersive Support
|
There are some extraordinary people helping to make us great! |
Meet the Advisory Board |
Our Impact
|
“As a first-year student, I felt overwhelmed with beginning my dream of becoming an entrepreneur. WIELD Texas has allowed me to access mentorship and knowledge that otherwise I think it would have taken me years to find. The program’s humanistic approach allows me to grow as a person and leader while creating meaningful relationships with others.” – Valeria Colunga, First-Year Student |
Get involved with WEILD Texas
StudentsJoin us and start making your education work for you. |
|
BusinessesHost an internship, provide a workplace tour or make a donation. |
