Climbing the Rungs

By Khalil Garriott ('04)

Alison Kindle Hogan (’03) is personally invested in lifting women into the middle class.

As founder and chairwoman of Rung for Women, she truly believes every woman has the power to transform her life. Hogan’s nonprofit pairs women earning less than $50,000 annually with career coaches who assist in placing them into the workforce in the St. Louis area. The objective is simple: More women making more money.

“My hope is that by helping these women grow in earning potential, confidence and community engagement, they will help other women who are in the position they were once in,” said Hogan, the granddaughter of Enterprise Holdings founder Jack Taylor.

In addition to job opportunities, Rung for Women’s programming runs the gamut, from child care and wellness to personal finance coaching and domestic violence services, just to name a few.

“I believe every city needs a Rung, and my strategy over the next five to 10 years is to open more Rung for Women locations in order to reach more women,” said Hogan, who majored in communication studies at JMU.

Rung for Women ensures that women who want to make a change have the necessary resources to live better lives.

“Our ultimate goal is to create generational change, and the best way to do that is to help women make better lives for their children and teach them about goal setting, hard work and the rewards that come from it,” said Hogan, whose daughters are 6 and 4.

Now based on a new, $20 million campus in a neighborhood that needed a financial shot in the arm, Rung for Women is poised for continued success. 

For more about Rung for Women, visit rungforwomen.org.