Photo via: TOFi International
Tamla Oates-Forney lives by the motto: “To whom much is given, much shall be required.” She was raised by a single mother, graduated as a first-generation college student and went on to become a Vice President of Human Resources for one of the world’s most admired companies, General Electric. As the highest ranking African American female executive in a company with over 300,000 employees, Oates-Forney’s roles have included leading diversity and inclusion, human resources leader for GE Africa, and most recently leading the Human Resources Department for an $11 billion global business with over 43,000 employees worldwide.
She is now utilizing the power of her platform to help fund the entrepreneurial dreams of women and girls who look like her. Under TOFi International, Oates-Forney has officially launched her very first “HERs OWNly” Pitch Contest. The contest encourages women and girls of color who are ages six and up to enter for a chance to win start-up funding for their business or non-profit.
Oates-Forney is on a mission to “‘invest in the future, one woman (of color) at a time’ through philanthropy, thought leadership, and fiscal investments … from cradle to CEO.”
If you meet the qualifications to apply, deadline for submission of your application is August 17. After the finalists are announced on August 20, all finalists will present their start up proposal to a set of judges on November 4 in Atlanta, Georgia. The prize package will include $50,000 worth of financial and professional services.
Girls ages 6-18 can apply here; Ages 19 and up can apply here.
Mrs. Oates-Forney, we salute and thank you for using your platform to invest in the future of women and girls of color who want to pursue a career in entrepreneurship.
Learn more about Mrs. Oates-Forney and her company here.