Who We Are
L.C. and Lillie Cox Haven of Hope (“Haven of Hope”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Through fiscal sponsorship, incubation and acceleration programs, the organization provides aspiring and
emerging social enterprise leaders with the personalized guidance, compassionate mentoring, and strategic insights that are crucial, but often unavailable, to nontraditional business leaders.
The Women’s Social Entrepreneurship Center (“WSEC”), an internal program of Haven of Hope, seeks to address the barriers to self-sufficiency and economic mobility facing womxn suffering multiple
intersections of marginalization.
The term “womxn” denotes inclusion of non-cisgender women and non-binary individuals
Why We Are
L. C. and Lillie Cox lived their lives with perseverance, integrity, humility and dignity, and endeavored to honor the same in others. They believed that every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of their circumstances. L. C. and Lillie Cox Haven of Hope, founded in 2012, was created to carry on their legacy – offering all individuals, regardless of their economic or social status, the opportunity and support to cope, heal, and grow with dignity.
Who We Serve
The WSEC is located in a low-income urban neighborhood of East Oakland (corner of International and Seminary Avenues in Oakland, CA). The two primary populations that we serve are re-entering (formerly incarcerated) and immigrant womxn of color seeking liberation through business ownership.
Through training and mentorship programs, access to capital, and consulting services, the WSEC fosters an environment in which participants gain the technical skills they need to successfully launch or grow their social venture businesses.
Through trauma-informed and culturally aligned curricula, participants gain the agency, hope, and self-determination they need to navigate institutional and economic barriers intersecting with race, immigration status, gender, and sexuality,
in order to flourish.
Why We Serve
We recognize that the individuals we work with are whole human beings whose gifts are often overlooked by traditional service providers, and that they have tremendous ability to tap into their experiences as a source of resilience, creativity, and innovation. Our work is therefore grounded in
the knowledge that honoring the unique lived experiences of those we work with is fundamental to their success.
We use a trauma-informed approach that recognizes and honors our participants’ emotional scars and wisdom, and a social justice framework to promote diversity, equity, and unity. Our approach, organizational policies, and practices aim to engender full equitable participation in the economy and beyond for our participants.
