Pave HER Way Launches in Los Angeles With Up to $90,000 in Funding for Women Changemakers
Pave HER Way launches with up to $90,000 in funding, mentorship, and lifetime network access for women actively reshaping systems that were never built for them. When most organizations talk about supporting women, the conversation stays at the level of access. Pave HER Way, a new national nonprofit based in Los Angeles, is pushing past...
Black News 
Pave HER Way launches with up to $90,000 in funding, mentorship, and lifetime network access for women actively reshaping systems that were never built for them.
When most organizations talk about supporting women, the conversation stays at the level of access. Pave HER Way, a new national nonprofit based in Los Angeles, is pushing past that. Launched this week, the organization is designed specifically to fund, mentor, and sustain women who are not just navigating the system but actively working to tear down the parts of it that have never served women at all.
The founding philosophy is direct: the system was not built with women fully in mind, and the organizations meant to help women have often asked them to work within that reality rather than challenge it. Pave HER Way was built to do something different.
“We are not interested in helping women quietly survive systems that were never designed for them,” said Jamie Mohn, Co-Founder of Pave HER Way. “We are here to back women with courage, vision, and a commitment to making the world more equitable for other women. This is about shifting who gets supported, who gets sponsored, and ultimately who gets to shape what comes next.”
Three Ways to Get Funded
The organization launches with three distinct funding programs, each designed to meet women at a different point in their journey.
The Change Agent Prize offers up to $90,000 in merit-based recognition for women who have a documented track record of breaking down barriers for other women and girls. The Disruptor Award, also up to $90,000, is a sponsorship award for women building transformational ideas, organizations, projects, or initiatives that create public benefit for women and girls. For women facing practical obstacles on the path forward, the Self-Investment Financial Aid program offers need-based funding up to $30,000 to cover education, childcare, housing assistance, professional development, and hardship-related costs.
In addition to the financial awards, recipients gain access to long-term mentorship, cohort-based community support, and lifelong access to professional networks and industry connectors. The organization has been explicit that its connector and mentorship programs are designed to produce tangible opportunities, not performative networking.
Real Investment, Not Just Access
“Too often, women are told to work harder and lean in, but not given the sponsors and mentors who will help them pave their way,” said Irene Shih, Founding CEO of Pave HER Way. “We believe women deserve real investment — financial, communal, and structural. When women are fully backed, they don’t just succeed for themselves. They create space, access, and a vision of what’s possible for other women.”
The organization is also building a volunteer infrastructure to support its programs. Professionals, entrepreneurs, executives, creators, organizers, and advocates are invited to join as Mentors, Connectors, or Builders. Mentors commit to working directly with recipients over two years. Connectors use their networks to create meaningful introductions and opportunities. Builders support the operational work behind the programs and events.
Applications Open This August
Applications for Pave HER Way’s inaugural grant programs are expected to open in August 2026. Women across industries and sectors — including business, technology, public service, healthcare, media, education, law, and the arts — are encouraged to apply.
For more information, visit PaveHERWay.org.
