Empowered Flower Girl Encourages Youth to Embrace Peer Mentoring During National Mentoring Month

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Listen to episode 23 “Teens Mentoring Teens” of the MindShift Power Podcast on January 16, 2024

Empowered Flower Girl, a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another and themselves, is urging young people to consider the profound impact of peer mentoring as the nation observes National Mentoring Month. Founder and Chief Empowering Officer Rasheda Kamaria Williams encourages both adults and teens to engage in mentoring, emphasizing the transformative power of supportive relationships.

Empowered Flower Girl champions the idea that everyone, regardless of age, can make a meaningful difference as mentors. Peer-to-peer mentoring is a particularly effective way for young people to provide support and guidance to one another.

“Peer mentoring empowers young individuals to share experiences, offer insights, and create a supportive community,” Rasheda said. “It’s a reciprocal relationship that fosters personal growth and resilience, benefiting both the mentor and mentee.”

Empowered Flower Girl invites youth and youth advocates to tune into the MindShift Power podcast with Fatima Bey on January 16, when Rasheda will discuss the vital role of mentors in the lives of 21st century teens. The podcast episode explores the benefits of mentoring relationships, highlighting the positive impact they have on personal development, goal-setting, and navigating challenges.

Interested in adding mentoring to your program offerings? Empowered Flower Girl offers training for organizations and associations as well as individuals who desire to make a difference through mentoring. Email rkamaria@empoweredflowergirl.com for more information.

She’s EmPOWERed: Georgia Teen’s Passion for Positivity Inspires Others 

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With gloomy headlines dominating daily news and social media feeds, it can be a strain on our mental health. The negativity can cast a dark cloud that leads to sadness. 

But 13-year-old Lena Ford is shifting the narrative and focusing on the power of positivity.

As the CEO of Positively Lena, Lena is on a mission to inspire everyone she meets.

“I started Positively Lena (at 9 years old) because I saw so many negative things happening in the world,” she said. “I wanted to find a way to let people stay positive with a small but fashionable item they can always look at when they need a bit of positivity.”

Positively Lena combines Lena’s passions for art, fashion, and positive messages. The company offers a wide range of products including apparel, accessories, and stationery – all featuring positive messages, images and affirmations. These products are designed to remind young people of their worth and encourage them to stay optimistic even in challenging situations.

“We also offer workshops and events focused on building self-esteem and fostering a positive mindset,” Lena noted. “These workshops are tailored to different age groups and cover topics such as entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, creative writing, journaling, and positive self-talk.”

In addition to Positively Lena, Lena is also the co-founder of a non-profit, Kinship Family Initiative. The organization helps children in foster care or experiencing homelessness. Other programs that support youth in foster care include Arting 4 You, where Lena donates art kits and Embracing Their Roots, where she donates hair supplies.

“My plans for the future are to continue to grow Positively Lena and Kinship Family Initiative. I want to inspire others to give back to their communities and teach youth about entrepreneurship,” Lena said.

Support Positivity

When you purchase an item from Positively Lena, you’re not only getting a fashionable item, but you’re also helping a child have access to art supplies.

Connect with Positively Lena:

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Positive thinking has a number of benefits for mental health and happiness. Empowered Flower Girl offers these tips on how to incorporate positive thinking into everyday life:

1. Make a point to notice the good things that happen each day, no matter how small. A simple “thank you” can go a long way in helping to shift your focus from the negative to the positive.

2. When you catch yourself having negative thoughts, make a conscious effort to reframe them in a more positive light. For example, instead of “I’m such a failure,” try telling yourself “I’m doing my best and I will get better with practice.”

3. Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself and who have a positive outlook on life. These people will help “feed” your positive mindset and make it easier for you to maintain it.

4. Take care of your physical well-being by getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating healthy foods. When your body feels good, it’s much easier for your mind to follow suit!

5. Practice gratitude by keeping a gratitude journal or simply taking a few moments each day to think about what you’re thankful for in your life.

Rasheda Kamaria Williams Named “Empowerment Enterprise Founder of the Year” by Acquisition International Magazine 

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Acquisition International Magazine (AI) has announced the winners of the eighth Influential Businesswoman Awards, which shine a light upon women who are a driving force for innovation, change, and empowerment. 

From interior design to holistic arts education, marketing specialists to business coaching, and much more, this year’s program is home to a fantastic number of women guiding and elevating their industries – for the sake of progression, efficiency, and equality.

Among the winners is Empowered Flower Girl Founder and Chief Empowering Officer Rasheda Kamaria Williams who received AI’s Social & Business Impact Award. She was also recognized as the 2023 Empowerment Enterprise Founder of the Year.

Awards Coordinator Jessie Wilson took a moment to comment on the success of the winners: “I applaud our winners for their tenacity, sincerity, and passion for their respective businesses and fellow human beings. Regardless of the challenges faced as women, these individuals have worked hard and risen to the top – so that they may influence and aid the rest of the world. Congratulations.”

Acquisition International prides itself on the validity of its awards and winners. The awards are given solely on merit and are awarded to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity and hard work, distinguishing them from their competitors and proving them worthy of recognition.

“It is an honor to be awarded alongside so many accomplished, powerful and talented women,” Rasheda said. “I will continue to uplift and support youth and youth advocates throughout North America and beyond so that they also have the tools and strategies to reach their full potential.”

To learn more about the award winners and to gain insight into the working practices of the “best of the best”, please visit the Acquisition International website where you can access the winners supplement.

Tips and Tricks for Students Who Want to Start a Business but Have Limited Funds

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Starting a business as a student can be a great way to get a head start on your career. The one drawback of being a young entrepreneur is that you may lack capital or startup funds. Don’t stress. Business ownership isn’t out of reach, even if you aren’t rolling in cash. Here are some tips and tools to help you start a business with little financial resources.

Explore Low-Cost Businesses

Research cost-efficient business models to minimize your need for startup capital.

  • Check out business ideas that don’t require a lot of cash, like web development or travel planning.
  • Skip the cost of hiring people by pursuing solopreneurship. Possible ideas range from freelance writing to coaching.
  • Avoid paying commercial rent with a home-based business model, like personal training or fixing broken electronics.

Get Creative When Finding Ways to Cut Startup Costs

Try these hacks for minimizing your financial needs as a young business owner.

Try a Diversity of Funding Options

Traditional bank loans are just one of the many options available when it comes to financing your business. Here are some alternatives.

Embrace Free and Low-Cost Promotional Tools

You don’t have to spend big bucks on fancy ads and marketing. Here are some affordable tools to help raise your business’s profile.

If you’re a cash-strapped student with limited capital, starting a business might seem out of reach. It doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re using royalty-free videos to market your business or planning a fundraising event, the above guide provides some pointers to help you get your entrepreneurial journey off on the right foot, even if you aren’t rich.

Empowered Flower Girl offers youth tools to live more powerfully. Be sure to follow our social media channels for positive news, funding opportunities and empowering events.

She’s Empowered: Young author offers support to siblings with “I’m a Big Sister Now, Lucky Me” book

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It’s common for children to experience different emotions – from jealousy and nervousness to excitement – when a new baby arrives. For 12-year-old Aubrey Holly, a big sister to three siblings, her experience was all of the above.

“Though some days are challenging, I love being a big sister and I love my sisters,” said the author and self-professed big sister expert. “They are my friends. As a big sister, the responsibility to be a good example, be the bigger person (all the time), and share literally almost everything can be overwhelming and sometimes feel like too much to deal with. That’s why I decided to share my story.”

When she was seven, Aubrey told her mother she wanted to start a business. At the time, Aubrey’s little sister was four years old. She knew she wanted to write and decided that becoming an author would be a way to make a difference. 

“Becoming a big sister was one of the biggest changes that she experienced in her life at the time,” said Aubrey’s mom, Queala Holly. She said I’m going to write on Tuesdays and she did – every Tuesday for a month.”

Aubrey turned those words into the book “I’m a Big Sister Now, Lucky Me,” available at www.aubreykam.com.

“She would write her thoughts down and I would review,” mom said. “She has three younger sisters now. And thinking about the impact big sisters have on the younger siblings, we’re working on developing a community for big sisters.” 

In addition to the big sister book, Aubrey has published the “Be Yourself___You’re Amazing Notebook” and the “Goal Writing and Productivity Planner.”

When Aubrey grows up, she would like to be an orthodontist. 

We know Aubrey will be successful in whatever she puts her mind to. She’s emPOWERed!

Connect with Aubrey:
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She’s EmPOWERed: Calgary student’s gesture to help friends grows into nonprofit providing essential support to the community

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When times get hard, people often find themselves in need of help. Sometimes, that help comes from strangers but other times it comes from supportive friends.

Meet Deep Braich – a friend on a mission to help those in need.

Deep, a 20-year-old university student from Calgary, Alberta, is the founder of Youth Helping Youth YYC. She started the organization at the height of the pandemic to provide much needed hygiene supplies to young people in her community.

“When the Covid lockdown was first announced, my classmates and I were doing our best to stay in touch with one another through social media because we all felt the drastic toll it had on our relationships with one another,” she said. “We shared with one another the problems we were having with families losing jobs, having an increase in financial difficulty because the university was going to start in the fall, and my female friends being unable to access feminine hygiene products because of financial difficulty, the inability to leave the home, and many more concerns.”

After hearing about the issues her friends and other associates were facing, Deep wanted to do her best to help. She started looking for any extra hygiene products like shampoos, pads, and tampons that she had at home and started packaging them up into brown paper lunch bags to keep them discrete.

“I would leave the package outside my front door and my friends would come to pick it up to take home,” she added. “The number of friends I was helping started to increase when those I had helped started telling their friends that this was something I was doing. Slowly people from all over Calgary – teenage and adult women – reached out because they were in need.”

Deep was initially funding the project with her own savings and the money she earned from babysitting and a summer job. But she needed more resources to meet the need in her community.

After receiving some local and even international media coverage about the project and the selfless work she was doing, Deep started receiving messages from people asking how they could donate. “Suddenly the project I had started to create a difference amongst my friends became a project to create a difference amongst my city,” she said. “ When organizations like the Women’s Shelter began to reach out to access feminine hygiene kits, I became more aware of the structure of our society and the people at the bottom of the economic triangle who are in need of hygiene products year-round, even more now because of Covid.”

Youth Helping Youth YYC was founded as a result.

What started as a thoughtful gesture to help friends has become an official nonprofit operating under Youth Helping Youth Alberta, an umbrella organization for Youth Helping Youth YYC.

“We started local with the YYC title and we wanted to provide support to more youth communities, therefore we registered ourselves as Youth Helping Youth Alberta Foundation to provide opportunities to establish smaller umbrella organizations in other cities,” Deep said.

To date, the organization has provided over 2,075 feminine hygiene kits to women in Calgary and parts of Alberta. The organization works with local emergency shelters as well as housing and youth organizations. It also offers mental health, anti-bullying and anti-racism workshops.

Youth Helping Youth is youth-run in all facets – from projects, ideas and planning to communications, social media and networking.

“We work together to build solutions to youth social issues and advocate for our fellow youth,” Deep noted. “We find that youth issues are often put aside and we want to bring the spotlight back on this community for politicians to recognize the support and resources our youth need.”

Deep is a true advocate with big aspirations. After completing her undergraduate studies, she plans to go to law school and become a lawyer while also continuing her work in the community.

Connect with Youth Helping Youth YYC:

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Facebook

Email: calgaryyouthhelp@gmail.com

Teach Your Child Money Lessons With These Invaluable Tips

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By Laura Pearson

Teaching children how to be financially responsible is a big job, but if you start early, you can give them the tools they need to make good decisions for the rest of their lives. These days, there are many resources available that will help you and your child tackle financial literacy – from board games to phone software to online learning tools. Not only that, you can work in lessons on your own while you’re grocery shopping or setting up an allowance.

Keeping the conversation about money open with your kids is a great way to show them real-life examples, especially when you’re about to make a big purchase, such as a home. Talk to your kids about the process of home-buying and why it’s so beneficial for a long-term financial plan.

Include Your Children in the Process

When it comes to buying a house, including the entire family in the process will open up the conversation about what goes into financing, how to build up good credit and create some security for the future, and how to handle buying and selling according to what the market is like.

Talk to older kids about how the market either favors buyers or sellers and how the local economy affects a seller’s ability to attract potential buyers. Other factors include the season, how many homes are currently for sale in a given area, and current interest rates. Because there are so many details that go into buying or selling a home, involving your kids in the process now will help them understand it a bit better when they’re ready to do so on their own.

Let Them Shop with You

Handling big financial decisions as a family—such as buying a home—is a great way to teach young people about how it all works, but you can do it on a smaller scale as well. Going grocery shopping for the week is an excellent opportunity to teach your kids about the importance of a budget and how to stick to it, so write out a list and allow them to help you figure out how to plan for meals within the amount you want to spend. This real-life experience is invaluable for kids of many different ages.

Look for Fun, Money-Related Games

Another way to get in real-life experience with finances is to find cash-related games your kids will enjoy, such as Monopoly, Pay Day, or The Game Of Life, and play them as a family. You can also use real money and play your own games at home, allowing your child to become a banker or business owner who must give you change after a “purchase.” Talk to your kids about sales tax and how to plan for purchases, especially if they’re old enough to receive an allowance.

Let Them Take Responsibility with Credit

It can be daunting to hand over financial responsibility to your children, but setting up an allowance offers a great learning opportunity where saving and spending are concerned. You might even consider looking for a kid-friendly credit or debit card that allows you to load a certain amount, or setting up a checking or savings account in your child’s name. Additionally, you can use this opportunity to teach your children about credit scores and reports, how they work, and the importance of maintaining a good score — which can help you when it’s time to purchase that new home. This type of financial literacy is crucial to learn as kids get older, but starting early will help them see the value of money now.

Guide Them Through Long-Term Planning

As your kids age, it’s important to guide them through the process of making long-term plans and executing them. Having a sound financial plan is important for any path in life, but if your child has college aspirations, they need a sound plan for that as well. Begin the process of developing those plans with your children as they enter high school, and help them adjust as necessary through graduation and beyond.

Teach Them About Starting a Business

 When teaching your kids about starting a new company, there are a few key steps that you should focus on. The first is to help them write a solid business plan. This should include information on their target audience, their marketing strategies, and their budgetary needs for things like supplies and startup fees. It’s also important to discuss the importance of networking and connecting with other entrepreneurs, as this can be a valuable way to gain support and advice as they start out in the world of business. Finally, you should work with your child to identify any potential roadblocks or challenges that they might encounter along the way.

Teaching young people how to handle money and credit is a process that will help everyone in your family learn about the importance of being responsible. Utilize online resources when possible, help them develop long-term plans, teach them about starting a business, and keep the conversation about money open so you can answer any questions your children have.

Empowered Flower Girl strives to help positively strengthen the relationships between young people and those who care about them. Be sure to spend some time exploring the site to learn more about what we do.

Laura Pearson, of Edutude, is passionate about teaching the younger generation. Edutude was built to share resources on how to keep children engaged and in love with learning.

Mentors Urgently Needed: You can make a life-changing difference for youth

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January is National Mentoring Month

According to MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, 1 in 3 young people will grow up without having a mentor. This means that they may face growing and developing without positive resources and reinforcement outside of the home. 

Life-changing impact

Mentoring has the potential to profoundly transform the lives of young people in our communities. By providing guidance and support, mentors are able to open up new opportunities and broaden horizons for their mentees. However, despite this potential, mentors are still urgently needed in many areas across the country.

Learn why mentorship is so important and how you can help make a difference in the lives of young people today.

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a process whereby an experienced individual provides guidance, support and advice to a less experienced person. The aim of mentoring is to help the mentee develop their skills, knowledge and confidence so that they can reach their full potential. 

Mentors can come from any walk of life and don’t necessarily have to be in the same field as their mentee. What’s important is that they have experience and knowledge that the mentee can benefit from. A mentor relationship is built on trust and mutual respect, and should be entered into willingly by both parties. 

Mentoring can take many different forms, but typically involves meeting on a regular basis (either in person or virtually) to chat, offer advice and support, and answer any questions the mentee might have. The frequency and length of meetings will vary depending on the needs of the individual involved. 

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, there are many organizations that can connect you with someone who would benefit from your time and expertise. Alternatively, you may know someone in your personal or professional life who could benefit from having a mentor – if so, why not reach out and see if they’d be interested in starting a mentoring relationship with you?

Long-lasting impact

A mentor can provide guidance, support and advice that can help a young person make good choices and achieve their goals. Mentoring is an important part of helping young people grow and develop into successful adults by:

  • Raising aspirations and confidence
  • Developing new skills
  • Overcoming adversity and setbacks
  • Achieving potential

Mentors can play a vital role in supporting young people through difficult times and helping them to progress towards their goals. 

Read: How Mentorship Supports Young People in Difficult Times

Become a mentor today!

It takes a special person to be a mentor. One who can give of their time, energy and resources to help another individual grow and develop into their best self. If you have the passion and commitment to make a difference in the life of a young person, then becoming a mentor may be the perfect opportunity for you. You can do it!

Still a little unsure? Here are a few tips on how to get started with mentoring:

  • Determine what type of mentoring you would like to do. There are many different types of mentoring programs available, so it is important to decide which one is right for you. Do you want to work with children, teens or young adults? Would you prefer one-on-one mentoring or group mentoring?
  • Consider your skills and experience. Do you have expertise in a particular field that could benefit your mentee? Are you good at listening and providing support? Think about what assets you can bring to the table as a mentor.
  • Complete any necessary training or certification. Some mentoring programs may require you to complete specific training before becoming a mentor. Others may provide training as part of the program itself.
  • Sign up to receive Empowered Flower Girl’s FREE Mentoring Guide to learn how you can fit mentoring into your busy schedule.

Raising Healthy Children: How to Set Your Kids Up for Success

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By Joyce Wilson

Parents fill various roles in their children’s lives. In particular, they serve as caretakers, role models, and protectors. According to the experts, one of the most important jobs parents have is to help their children make healthy choices in order to prepare them for adulthood. Here are some ideas from Empowered Flower Girl that can help you begin making those important lifestyle decisions.

Learn the Importance of Healthy Habits

If you want your kids to grow healthy and happy, teach them how to maintain their health. When you focus on healthy habits, you reduce their risk of future conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

For children to maintain ideal body weight, they need to be able to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy food choices. In addition, teach them about hygiene and expiration dates. After all, spoiled food can wreak havoc on the body. When you understand the importance of health, whether the health comes from diet or exercise – including the many benefits of martial arts – you can instill those habits in your children.

Instill Healthy Habits Early

To make healthy eating a priority, stock up on fresh, unprocessed at-home snacks. If you only have nutritious snacks available, children cannot choose to drink sugary soda or eat snack cakes. Instead, keep pretzels, fresh fruit, bagels, and sparkling water at home. Children begin to develop their sense of taste in the first two years of their life. Providing reduced-sodium snacks to toddlers may help them develop preferences for foods with less salt.

Children model themselves after you. They observe your habits and your ability to handle stress and coping mechanisms. For instance, if children see an adult becoming aggressive, they too may react aggressively. When paving the way for better decisions, do not be overbearing and restrictive, because you could encourage eating disorders. Instead, be the example for your kids.

It’s important for your children to see you engage in healthy friendships, too, so invite friends over to the house sometimes and be transparent about minor conflicts in a kid-appropriate way. You can also show them the importance of reconnecting with friends by finding old high school friends online. It’s a simple process of entering your location and searching through databases for familiar names. Reconnecting with friends from your past can be a lot of fun and show your kids how to find people they enjoy being with.

Make Success Attainable

Be open to talking to your kids about good and bad habits. Talk to them if you worry about gaming, drugs, alcohol, or poor education habits. Hold family dinners where you can discuss your day and model good behavior while discussing the risks associated with unhealthy choices. Starting these practices while your kids are young will help them feel more comfortable talking to you about bigger issues, like bullies or conflicts with friends. Empowered Flower Girl offers tools and resources to help both you and your child learn how to deal with these difficult situations in healthy ways.

Set good examples for your kids with your choices as well as your behavior.

In addition, talk to them about how they can achieve their dreams. It is never too early to discuss future aspirations. Teach your children to practice a skill every day and, when they experience failure, to get up and keep trying.

Do not forget to chase dreams of your own. This could involve starting a business centered around a hobby that you enjoy; be sure to do plenty of research to ensure that you’re putting together everything you need to get this venture started on solid ground. Or, join the countless parents and older adults who return to school to finish or start a degree. With all of the obligations of parenthood, you may enjoy the flexibility of online schools. Online degrees can match your passions and interests. The following ideas can narrow down your options:

  • To learn more about data analytics, cyber security, and information technology, choose a degree in IT.
  • To find occupations in management positions or start a business of your own, look into business management degrees.
  • A degree in education may not only launch your career but help you become an effective teacher to your children.

When your children learn to make healthy choices, they maintain those decisions throughout their lives. Developing new habits as an adult can be challenging, but not only can you make a positive change in your life, you can establish a healthy foundation for your children.

Remember to chase after things you love, too, and to make use of helpful resources like Empowered Flower Girl to help you and your child learn ways to work through difficult situations in life.

Joyce Wilson is a retired teacher and enjoys sharing lesson plans, resources, and teaching tips on Teacher Spark. Her website is a compilation of practical resources that will inspire student engagement and instill a love for learning. By tapping into a student’s natural creativity and curiosity, Joyce believes that they can take their education to a new level.

 

Empowered Flower Girl Hosts 2022 Be the Impact Virtual Youth Service Summit

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Empowered Flower Girl (EFG), a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another and themselves, will host the 2022 Be the Impact Summit on Saturday, October 8, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. The virtual youth service event will be held during National Bullying Prevention Month and the weekend before International Day of the Girl.

The event showcases and celebrates young people making or aspiring to make positive contributions to society as well as helps them discover their passion for community service.

The summit is free and open to youth and youth advocates globally and includes:

Youth Power Panel:

  • Avery Kelley (Atlanta, Ga.), producer and host of the Teendom Talk Show and CEO of Inspired Melanin
  • Vanesha and Varshini Hari (Redmond, Wash.), sisters and co-founders of Joys of Giving
  • Rosemary Nwaosuagwu (Houston, Texas), 9-year-old author and founder of Books by Rossy

Workshop:

Passion. Purpose. Profession: Introduction to Strategic Service facilitated by Rasheda Kamaria Williams, mentor turned social entrepreneur and chief empowering officer for Empowered Flower Girl; and featuring Tia Russell, founder of Take My Hand.

Presentation:

Youth Service America featuring Nikki Liles, director of partnerships, who will discuss community service initiatives and funding opportunities for young people and youth-serving organizations.
To close out the event, Empowered Flower Girl will announce the winner of its $250 Impact Ideas giveaway.

“There are young people in our communities and around the world tackling issues and championing causes – from climate change and racism to access to education and homelessness,” Williams said. “I am inspired by the courage and commitment of youth globally and Empowered Flower Girl is committed to honoring those using their gifts and talents to create change.”

The 2022 Be the Impact Summit is sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. Empowered Flower Girl was one of three Detroit-area organizations/social enterprises to receive a Social Impact Grant from the Consulate in June.

For more information visit http://www.empoweredflowergirl.com/2022BetheImpact.