Before EmpowHERment became a cornerstone for women’s advocacy, it was a lifeline. Following a devastating personal loss, founder Ambee Stephens channeled her profound grief into a community movement.
Established in 2018, the Pinellas County-based nonprofit began as a virtual platform before Stephens, still reeling from her father’s suicide, began hosting local gatherings. EmpowHERment, which subsequently spread throughout Tampa Bay, is now an international organization with a chapter in Barcelona.
The nonprofit, which opened its Community Center in 2020, operates far beyond its origins as a grief-fueled support group. EmpowHERment serves as a free, comprehensive resource hub designed to help women achieve financial, mental and emotional self-sufficiency.
“The last thing you want to do is contact eight different nonprofits trying to get domestic violence help,” Stephens said. “You just want to go somewhere you feel safe and get that support, and we have that environment.”
Stephens unsuccessfully sought a community following her father’s death. “So I created my own,” she said.
Sporadic meet-ups at local restaurants quickly became monthly workshops. A lack of available space during the COVID-19 pandemic led Stephens to dedicate what she had saved to buy a home to EmpowHERment’s Community Center in Clearwater.
The facility offers workshops for self-sufficiency, co-working space for entrepreneurs, a hygiene pantry, a boutique, support groups and a “warm handoff” resource program for those who need additional help, Stephens said. In 2022, a second location opened in Palm Harbor.
Stephens emphasized that all services are free and open to anyone, whether they are navigating hardships or “perfectly fine and just looking for friends.” EmpowHERment has also eschewed any income or zip code requirements.
When asked what service she is most proud to provide, Stephens said, “No-cost therapy, because my dad passed away from not having support.”
“A lot of people are not able to access mental health support these days, and we’re giving women up to 10 sessions for free,” she continued. “As someone who struggles with her own mental health challenges, to be able to offer other women that support, without judgement, means a lot to me.”
The EmpowHERment Entrepreneur Academy, an eight-week business accelerator program, was designed to help current and aspiring small business owners turn their ideas into actionable, profitable strategies. Graduates receive business cards, a website and “access to a bank to learn about getting secured loans and things like that,” Stephens said.
Since 2020, approximately 70 women have participated in the biannual initiative. Stephens said the overarching goal is for participants to create generational wealth.
She anchors the organization’s mission in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a psychological theory that organizes human motivations into a five-level pyramid that begins with survival and ends with self-actualization – reaching your full potential.
“We know that if women have all of these things satisfied, they’re not only going to be better parents, better leaders, but better for themselves,” said Stephens, who also noted that EmpowHERment could “always” use more hygiene products, boutique items and mentors.
Her ethos of vulnerable, community-first advocacy has fueled an unexpected expansion. EmpowHERment now has chapters in Orlando, Sarasota, the University of South Florida and New Orleans.
During a sabbatical in Barcelona, following a divorce and an ovarian cancer diagnosis, Stephens hosted an impromptu gathering for local women at a restaurant. The first attendee was a Google executive who endorsed the nonprofit.
The conglomerate sponsored Stephens to speak at a conference in Spain six months later. EmpowHERment’s first international chapter was subsequently born.
“It’s things like that – you could just never imagine,” Stephens said. “But when you’re in your purpose, I think it just kind of happens.”
EmpowHERment relies solely on community funding, mostly raised through three annual local fundraisers. The HER Gala serves as its keystone event.
Stephens said the nonprofit’s yearly budget is about $400,000, with $120,000 coming from the gala. “So it’s truly important.”
The “sophisticated sunset soirée” is Saturday, Nov. 14, on the top floor of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Stephens urges anyone who supports women to sponsor, attend or spread awareness of the event.
“I just want people to realize there are legends in this community who need support, that people often overlook,” said Stephens, referencing the recent deaths of Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem. “If people could match the level of support they give strangers to our neighbors, the world would be a better place.”
