Blog
by Anna Brannigan on Nov 16, 2018
For one of our recent Facebook Live Fridays, we were joined by Faith Adedokun from the Network for Southern Economic Mobility (NSEM). She and Courtney Thomas went live to discuss economic mobility in the Upstate. NSEM is a group of Southern communities, formed in order to bring cities together and figure out how to move
by Nancy Jones on Oct 15, 2018
On September 7, 2018 WREN hosted one of its #FirstFinancialFridays, talking about saving for retirement with Eileen Stevens of Abacus Planning Group. The discussion answered many common questions about IRAs and 401ks and the best way to ensure that you will be able to live comfortably without working for the rest of your life. Watch
Economic Opportunity, Special Events
by Eme Crawford on Oct 11, 2018
“If we continue on the current path, women will not receive equal pay to men until 2059… [A]nd if the rate of progress of electing women to statewide office continues at the same pace as it has since 1975, it will be 200 years before we reach gender parity in South Carolina. So what do
Economic Opportunity, Special Events
by Courtney Thomas on Sep 27, 2018
Hey, there. As the Upstate Women’s Economic Empowerment Summit approaches, I have a favor to ask of you. Yes, you, dear reader. When you join us at Furman on November 9th, you’ll get the opportunity to be an active voice and leader in group conversations and movement-building exercises. Together, we’ll be able to think through new
by Courtney Thomas on Aug 29, 2018
After our Midlands and our Charleston blog posts, we probably don’t need to convince you that women-owned businesses are important, right? There are about 11.6 million women-owned businesses in the US—approximately 164,000 of those from South Carolina. And as always, they need our support. Here are some of the women-owned businesses in the Upstate that
by Sarah Nichols on Aug 29, 2018
Charleston, South Carolina is nationally praised for being a beautiful, unique city. But do you know what else it is? An up-and-coming hub for women-owned businesses. In 2011, Charleston County had the highest rates in South Carolina for women-owned businesses. Statewide, women-owned businesses bring in about $16 billion. As we can see, supporting women means
by Carrie Lee Lancaster on Aug 21, 2018
It’s no surprise that a legacy of gender disparities continues in this country. A trending and polemical conversation has been ongoing about the gap between women’s and men’s earnings for years. The gender pay gap is prevalent at each stage of women’s careers, from entry-level to executive positions. And this pattern is no different even
by Guest Author, Laird Green (Abacus Planning Group) on Aug 3, 2018
For WREN’s First Financial Friday in August, we sat down with Laird Greene of Abacus Planning Group to discuss financial safety online. If you missed it, or you need a recap, you can watch the full discussion here: And here’s Laird’s recap with some important tips: We continue to hear about major retailers and
by Sarah Nichols on Jul 6, 2018
Now that it’s summertime, it seems that traveling is on everyone’s minds. And we can’t blame them. Because of this, we focused our #FirstFinancialFriday Facebook Live discussion on traveling on a budget. Thanks to Bethany Griffith and our friends at Abacus Planning Group, we were able to share with our followers insider tips and tricks
Economic Opportunity, Health and Education, Policy Updates
by WREN Statement on Jul 6, 2018
Today the governor issued a veto removing funding for family planning from the state budget. Click here to read the full list of vetoes. Statement from Ann Warner, CEO, WREN “In a state where many families are living in poverty, are still uninsured and are struggling to access healthcare, we should be supporting women and
Now is the time to invest in South Carolina’s women, girls, and families. We need people like you joining the movement, speaking out, and leading the way toward positive change.