From Military Service to Economic Empowerment: Shania Chandler’s Inspiring Journey – The Times Weekly

Report on Shania Chandler’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Subject Profile

• Name: Shania Chandler
• Credentials: Certified Project Management Professional (PMP), United States Army Veteran
• Affiliation: Founder and CEO, Black Girl Business Academy
• Professional Expertise: Credit repair, workflow management, leadership, and service.

The Black Girl Business Academy: An Initiative for Sustainable Development

Organizational Mission

The Black Girl Business Academy is an organization dedicated to fostering economic empowerment and community development. Its mission is to provide single mothers and aspiring entrepreneurs with the essential resources, financial knowledge, and support required to build credit, secure funding, and launch successful businesses. This work directly supports the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Alignment with Key Sustainable Development Goals

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • The academy’s core focus on empowering women, particularly single mothers, contributes directly to achieving gender equality by promoting female leadership and economic participation.
   • It equips women with the tools for financial independence, challenging systemic barriers and fostering economic self-sufficiency.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • By facilitating the creation of new enterprises, the initiative promotes entrepreneurship, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
   • The program fosters productive employment and decent work by enabling individuals to build viable, long-term businesses.

3. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • The academy provides a direct pathway out of poverty for economically vulnerable individuals by enabling sustainable income generation through entrepreneurship.
   • Building credit and securing business funding are foundational steps toward eradicating poverty and ensuring long-term financial stability for participants and their families.

4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • The organization actively works to reduce economic inequalities by providing targeted support to a demographic that often faces significant financial and social barriers.
   • It promotes financial inclusion and creates equitable opportunities for marginalized community members to build generational wealth.

5. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • The academy functions as a center for specialized education, offering vital training in financial literacy, credit management, and business strategy.
   • This provision of knowledge ensures participants have the skills necessary for lifelong learning and success in the modern economy.

Conclusion

Summary of Impact

Shania Chandler’s work through the Black Girl Business Academy demonstrates a strategic and impactful approach to sustainable development. By integrating her professional expertise with a mission of service, she has created a model for community uplift that advances economic empowerment, gender equality, and social equity. Her efforts reflect a commitment to creating resilient and prosperous communities.

Guiding Principle

The strategic imperative for participants is summarized in the advice to: “Always invest in yourself and your dreams.” This principle highlights self-empowerment as a critical driver for achieving personal success and contributing to broader sustainable development objectives.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Analysis

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

   The article highlights the work of Shania Chandler and the Black Girl Business Academy, which connects to several Sustainable Development Goals focused on economic empowerment, equality, and education.

   • SDG 1: No Poverty: The academy’s mission to help single mothers launch successful businesses directly addresses poverty reduction by creating pathways to economic self-sufficiency and financial stability.
   • SDG 4: Quality Education: The article states the academy equips women with “tools, confidence, and financial knowledge.” This provision of practical, specialized education is crucial for entrepreneurship and aligns with the goal of promoting lifelong learning opportunities.
   • SDG 5: Gender Equality: The core mission of the “Black Girl Business Academy” is to empower a specific demographic of women (single mothers and aspiring entrepreneurs), which is a direct effort to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls economically.
   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: By helping women “launch successful businesses” and secure funding, the initiative promotes entrepreneurship and the creation of new enterprises, which are key drivers of sustainable economic growth and job creation.
   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The focus on single mothers and women entrepreneurs is an effort to reduce economic inequalities by providing a “supportive community” and resources to a group that may face unique barriers to economic opportunities.

2. Specific SDG Targets Identified

   Based on the academy’s activities described in the article, several specific SDG targets can be identified.

   • Target 4.4: “By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” The academy’s work in providing “financial knowledge” and skills in “credit repair” and business launching directly contributes to this target.
   • Target 5.a: “Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to… financial services…” The academy’s focus on helping women “build credit” and “secure funding” is a direct action toward increasing women’s access to essential financial services.
   • Target 8.3: “Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship… and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services.” The entire model of the Black Girl Business Academy is centered on fostering entrepreneurship and helping small businesses get started through access to funding and knowledge.
   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all…” The article’s description of Shania Chandler’s mission of “economic empowerment and community uplift” for single mothers and aspiring female entrepreneurs directly aligns with this target of promoting economic inclusion.

3. Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

   While the article does not state explicit metrics, the goals of the Black Girl Business Academy imply several indicators that could be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

   • Indicator for Target 4.4: The number of women who have completed the academy’s programs and acquired skills in credit management and business development. The article implies this by mentioning the academy equips women with “tools, confidence, and financial knowledge.”
   • Indicator for Target 5.a & 8.3: The number of businesses successfully launched by academy participants. This would be a direct measure of the program’s success in helping women “launch successful businesses.”
   • Indicator for Target 5.a & 8.3: The total amount of funding secured by entrepreneurs who have gone through the academy. This is implied by the academy’s goal to help participants “secure funding.”
   • Indicator for Target 10.2: The proportion of participants who are single mothers. This would measure the academy’s success in reaching its target demographic for “economic empowerment and community uplift.”

Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thetimesweekly.com