As she walked through the halls of their newly expanded South City campus earlier this fall, Rung For Women President & CEO Leslie Gill made a statement that lingered well after the tour had ended.
“Empowered women empower St. Louis,” Gill said.
When she was tapped to lead the organization seven years ago, Rung For Women was merely an idea of founder and Board Chairwoman Ali Hogan.
Hogan had closed the nonprofit resale shop of the same name that provided women in the region access to affordable professional attire from 2010-2017. Rung’s next chapter would be so much more – and as the institution’s very first employee, Gill was charged with executing the vision that Hogan was still tinkering with.
“She was like, ‘Women need more than clothes,’” Gill said. “‘You’re going to figure out what that means.”
We haven’t been on an equal playing field. That’s why we need organizations like Rung For Women in addition to allies in companies and hiring managers to make sure that the gap starts to close.
Rung For Women President & CEO Leslie Gill
Gill did exactly that.
The community was in awe of the additional 30,000-plus square footage (a total of nearly 65,000 square feet) within the space that arms the women who walk the halls with tools and resources to thrive personally, professionally and financially. Meanwhile, class was in session for the fall 2024 cohort of members. She was on cloud nine as she talked about Rung celebrating the milestone of serving 500 members.
“I never envisioned this magnitude and this impact,” Gill said. “We have members who have bought their first home. And this year alone helped members reduce debt by over half a million dollars collectively. We are seeing the ripple effect of our mission and women’s lives are changed. Anytime I see a member outside of these walls, they are like ‘Rung changed my life.’ That feels amazing.”
Rung is currently accepting applications for its Spring 2025 cohort.
Members are guided through employment pathways in high demand industries and are provided with career coaching and a community of support as they pursue a better future for themselves and their families.
“The Rung experience has taught me to be coachable and accountable professionally and personally,” member Rose Wilson said in her Rung Member Profile. “The one-on-one coaching, career coaching, Professional Power Skills, and Maryville course were the best experiences of a growth mindset I have ever seen. When you are a member of Rung, you have a sisterhood that extends and gives more than you could ever imagine.”
Gill says the program creates spaces where women can talk about finances and about being the first and/or the only in certain industries. They can collaborate with a financial coach to reduce debt and build assets – so they are not in a constant cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.
“There are so many women who are one missed car payment, one car breakdown or one medical bill away from being homeless,” said Gill. “That’s the reality, unfortunately. We are trying to change those trends and we’re seeing it happen.”
What started with two women and a mission that was under construction has blossomed into a staff of 30-plus. And along with several community and corporate partners, they work towards the common goal of helping women lead equitable and abundant lives by inspiring them to climb the rungs of the economic opportunity ladder.
“If you give someone a good job and a great opportunity, you can break a generational curse,” Gill said. “They can have a retirement. They can help put their kids through college. They can make enough money to save some money – a living wage.”
This can be especially challenging for women due to the gender pay gap and other patriarchal systems in place that contribute to financial challenges and glass ceilings.
According to Gill, white women make 84 cents for every dollar that a white man makes and for women of color, that number keeps getting lower.
“The conditions are not set up for us to win. But we [at Rung] are trying to ensure that women can go in and advocate for themselves,” Gill said. “That they have the skills to do the job in the same way that their male counterparts can – and that they know what they need and what they want. We haven’t been on an equal playing field. That’s why we need organizations like Rung For Women in addition to allies in companies and hiring managers to make sure that the gap starts to close.”
Providing women with the tools to be successful long-term is the intention for every woman who walks through the doors of Rung For Women.
“Even though we’ve had such a strong 500 women, in the scheme of things there are so many more women who need our services,” Gill said. “And they just don’t know about us.”
Though they are relishing in the present, Gill and the Rung For Women team have their eyes on the organization’s future. The first order of business is serving more women and revealing the magic that happens when women help women for the greater good of our region.
“Empowered women are empowering women to empower St. Louis,” Gill said. “That is happening in real time right here in this space.”
For more information on Rung For Women and details about the application process and deadlines for their Spring 2025 cohort, visit https://rungforwomen.org/