Black leaders need to earn a ‘thriving wage’ before they can help others; an Evergy-backed cohort could help them ascend

A new program backed by entrepreneur support groups and Evergy aims to raise household income by at least 30 percent for participating Black professionals, nonprofit founders, and entrepreneurs, said Craig Moore II.

“The ultimate goal is making sure you’re a leader who can do more than show up and talk about community — you have the financial backing to support the community yourself and by raising additional money,” said Moore, founding executive director of Black Excellence KC.

Sheri Gonzales, Evergy

The ASCEND Cohort program — developed by Black Excellence and the Heartland Black Chamber — is supported by scholarships funded by Evergy. The application deadline is Feb. 16, with the program running March 2 to  Aug. 8.

Click here to apply for ASCEND.

“We’re partnering with ASCEND on this project, because we think it’s important for our own employees to be able to experience a leadership development program like this,” said Sheri Gonzales, senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion + workforce and development at Evergy.

After surveying its members, Black Excellence determined that a cohort model best suited the organization’s strategic support approach for better preparing future leaders. The program’s focuses include generational wealth, strategy for growth, Black leadership development, and culture impact.

“A lot of what our membership wanted from us is: ‘How can I understand wealth better?’; ‘How can I create career security for myself?’; ‘How can I navigate the resources that are coming in for entrepreneurship and small businesses?’” said Moore.

Growing professionals

The ASCEND Cohort program offers two pathways: the Founder Growth Track and the Professional Growth Track, providing essential leadership skills through a comprehensive framework. 

The Professional Growth Track is for Black professionals with at least two years in their careers who are seeking career growth and expertise in their specific industries. These professionals will receive performance strategies, team and department acumen, development of key performance indicators/objectives and key results, and more.

“Our hope is that they will step into leadership positions that they’re passionate about, and that they have everything that they need as an individual to be able to show up in these spaces and represent the community,” said Moore.

Growing founders and owners

Within the Founder Growth Track, founders and owners with a developed business idea looking are given help navigating their ecosystem and figuring out what scaling their business looks like for them.

“Oftentimes, particularly for Black business owners and founders, we don’t have the space and time to truly plan,” said Moore.

Both tracks provide coaching and strategic guidance from the program’s strategists, along with financial support and planning from Cornerstone Financial, ensuring participants know how to develop their careers while aligning their finances with their long term plan.

“That will take them from a living wage to a thriving wage,” said Moore. “This way, I’m able to do more with my money, I’m able to save with my money, I’m able to invest back into my community, and I’m able to donate to the nonprofits around me.”

Therapy for racial healing

One of the highlights of the program: racial healing therapy sessions, creating a supportive environment for participants to address racial traumas and embrace their cultural identities.

“Statistics show that the average Black professional comes in contact with racism at a minimum of five times a day,” said Moore. “We don’t deal with the impact of us being Black in a system that wasn’t really built for us, and so how do we heal from those impacts?”

Through therapy sessions, participants will learn to recognize and address both explicit and implicit biases. They will have the tools to navigate these interactions, advocate for oneself, and transform those experiences into opportunities for education and growth.

“It’s about creating an opportunity for you to feel secure in your own skin and who you are, know the injustice that you’re going through, and making sure that as you’re navigating these spaces, you’re being that leader that will help pave the way for people not to go through that again,” said Moore.