Girls Inc. President and CEO Lea Rosenauer and Her Team Help Young Girls Overcome Barriers Through Opportunities, Mentorship and a Powerful Sisterhood
(By: Regina Jimenez, AVP, Digital and Corporate Communications Officer) — The mission of Girls Inc. of San Antonio is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold. For Lea Rosenauer and her team, that means a commitment to creating healthy, educated and independent girls and young women in our community. The San Antonio affiliate of Girls Inc. launched in 2004 and serves girls ages 6 to 18 throughout the region with programs that help them overcome barriers that prohibit them from achieving their personal, educational and career goals. And since its inception, Broadway Bank has been a proud supporter of this mission.
As president and CEO, Lea works with the board, staff and national representatives to implement the nonprofit’s strategic objectives, while overseeing its day-to-day activities. “I see opportunity everywhere, and I am driven to expand those opportunities for girls in San Antonio,” she said. “It takes all of us to contribute to and support our community, and I am proud to have Broadway Bank as our financial partner to help us grow and make an impact.”
Girls Inc. describes philanthropy as contributing “time, talent and treasure” to others. “I am so thankful to the teams at Broadway Bank because our relationship with the bank isn’t just transactional, it’s a lasting relationship. They share the same philosophy around giving back and continue to demonstrate great care when supporting our organization. Broadway has been a donor which helps us keep the doors open, but in addition to that, we’ve had amazing strong, smart, bold women come and talk to our girls. Our girls get to see the broad range of opportunities in the financial world. The wonderful women leaders at Broadway have taken their time, and their talent and have worked with our girls. They have attended career panels and have participated in our mentoring events—and that’s all part of that relationship that’s so important.”
Preparing for growth
Since taking the helm seven years ago, Lea has launched growth campaigns for the organization focusing not only on serving a larger number of girls but also on providing a greater depth of service. These efforts have had amazing results. One of those being the purchase of Bethesda Christian Church as a permanent home for the nonprofit. As the team kicks off a $6 million renovation project, plans are in the works to expand their reach from 5,000 girls to 6,000 girls within the coming years. An art studio, computer stations for coding and design and a kitchen are just a handful of the new facilities that local young girls will soon have at their fingertips when the 25,000-square-foot campus is complete.
“When Girls Inc. was in a position of growth, but we were a little worried about having the financial resources to make it happen, Broadway Bank jumped in to help. They took time to help us think through the what-ifs and problem-solve. This level of customer service is why we continue to make Broadway Bank our financial partner.”
This latest announcement is one of the many developments that Lea has started at the San Antonio affiliate of Girls Inc. In 2016, she and her team launched a 5-year STEM program called EUREKA for rising eighth graders to explore STEM programs and career opportunities throughout high school. “We want our girls to be successful, and one of those areas of success is securing paid internships for our high school juniors and seniors at companies around town,” said Lea. “Over the past 8 years, even during COVID, we’ve doubled the opportunity for our girls. That’s what makes me most proud. When it comes to girls, talent is universal, but access and opportunity are not.”
The local nonprofit purposefully recruits girls who have experienced deeper challenges. They report that 51% percent of girls enrolled in Girls Inc. programs come from households making less than $30,000 a year.
Why Broadway Bank is the right choice for Girls Inc.
Lea’s experience with Broadway Bank has been instrumental. “At Girls Inc. we don’t have a finance director. We don’t have someone to look at the big picture and anticipate financial trends. The relationship with Broadway has helped us think about those things and fill that need,” said Lea.
Broadway Bank continues to support Girls Inc. with their financial needs, as well as sponsorships and volunteer opportunities. We’re proud to help all girls develop their potential, break past obstacles and share a message of positive change.
