CMU student nominated for women's leadership award

A woman being recognized for her organization, Black Women Owned, is seeing first-hand how her work is extending joy to others.

What started as a way to highlight businesses owned by Black women has grown much bigger. Creator Nengi Offurum is having a busy fall as she heads to class at Canadian Mennonite University. She is picking up her books this fall but could also be grabbing an award: RevolutionHer's Impact in Leadership Award.

"Black Women Owned is an online community that brings visibility to Black women-owned bands but I see it as a community. It's like a family to me so it's deeper than just promoting products," Offurum says. 

Using the brand to connect, she says her positive content reaches further than exclusively Black women, saying it is to motivate anyone including herself.

"I just feel really empowered each time I empower people," she says. "I've felt like giving up or taking long breaks from posting and in those long periods I felt empty because like each time each time I empower people I empower myself."

Offurum may be up for the award, but that's not why she started Black Women Owned (BWO). One year ago BWO began as a way to highlight Black businesses, now growing to spread joy to everyone. She is hoping to move from being an exclusively online movement to creating pop-ups each year to make connections in person.

The RevolutionHer Summit happening in two weeks' time.