Future CEO Leaders Program

Founded in 2003, Michigan Association for Female Entrepreneurs (MAFE) is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase and improve economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Michigan through advocacy, entrepreneurial training and leadership development.

MAFE is seeking financial support to expand our Future CEO Leaders Program with the objective of helping young girls from under-served communities discover, strengthen, and enhance their leadership skills and develop to their full potential.

The Future CEO Leaders Program is a leadership development program designed to teach young girls ages 14 to 18 about business, leadership, philanthropy and social responsibility, and to promote leadership through self-empowerment.

Through the program, students attend seminars and workshops on topics including education, health, culture and diversity, social entrepreneurship, human rights, social justice, government and politics. Students also attend conferences and business events, meet with local business and community leaders, and participate in community projects.

Conferences attended by past students include, the Asian Indian Leadership Summit, Women in Leadership Forum, Youth Leadership Summit on Race, Race2Equity Conference, Youth Civil Rights Conference, and many others.

Future CEO Leaders at the Asian Indian Leadership Summit with Roop Raj, Reporter at Fox 2 News

Future CEO Leaders at the Women in Leadership Forum with Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence

Future CEO Leaders at the Youth Leadership Summit on Race

Future CEO Leaders at the Race2Equity Conference with Heaster Wheeler, Assistant CEO of Wayne County

Future CEO Leaders at the Youth Civil Rights Conference with former City Council Member Sheila Cockrel

Leadership in women and girls today is in crisis. Societal perceptions of leadership tend to exclude women, especially young women. A recent study shows that only 1 in 5 girls believe she has the key qualities required to be a good leader (Center for American Women and Politics).

The Future CEO Leaders Program provides a forum in which young girls can discover the power and possibilities of their ideas and how to use their voice to create positive change in their community.

The goal of the Future CEO Leaders Program is to empower young girls to gain the leadership skills and confidence needed to become tomorrow's leaders in school, business, politics and the community.

Funding in the amount of $5,000 is needed to help cover program expenses including:

• Staff & volunteer training
• Program evaluation tools
• Program materials (Tote bag, T-Shirt, Leadership Book)
• Conference registration fees for program participants
• Transportation to group outings, including community service projects
• Expenses associated with hosting the Young Women's Leadership Forum in 2018
• Future CEO Leader Scholarship Award (presented at the Young Women's Leadership Forum)

About our Founder

Tonya McNeal-Weary is a successful entrepreneur and global champion for women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship. In 2003, Tonya launched the Michigan Association for Female Entrepreneurs (MAFE) to empower women and young girls through mentoring and coaching, entrepreneurship training, and leadership development. Her passion and dedication for supporting women has earned her numerous awards. Tonya is committed to giving back to her community and is actively involved in many initiatives both locally and globally.