May 30, 2025

2025 Economic Empowerment Summit Recap Reimagining Survivor Safety Through Economic Justice

 

NYSCADV’s second annual Economic Empowerment Summit was held May 28–29, 2025, in Glens Falls, NY—bringing together advocates, leaders, and service providers committed to advancing financial security for survivors of domestic violence. Over two powerful days, attendees explored the deep connections between economic justice, personal safety, and long-term healing through expert-led trainings, interactive workshops, and community-building sessions.

Day One: Laying the Foundation with Financial Literacy

Day one featured a full Training of the Trainer on the Allstate Foundation’s Moving Ahead Workbook, led by Esmeralda Peña (NYSCADV), Kim Pentico (NNEDV), and Abigail Murat (NYSCADV). This foundational session guided participants through key financial topics, including budgeting, managing debt, and improving credit, all with a trauma-informed lens and practical tools to help survivors build long-term stability.

Attendees moved through six core modules that covered:

  • Understanding financial abuse
  • Safety and financial considerations when leaving
  • Building credit and managing debt
  • Exploring loan options and housing
  • Long-term planning for independence

Each session was rooted in the belief that economic safety is a cornerstone of survivor safety, not a luxury, but a right.

Day Two: From Resilience to Action

The second day opened with a powerful plenary, Self-Care & Financial Wellness: A BOLD Approach to Advocating for Survivors, led by Monica Day of StandUp SpeakOut NC and Monica Kearney of Safe Space, Inc. Their BOLD framework (Balanced, Open-minded, Loving, and Driven) emphasized how holistic self-care and financial empowerment practices can strengthen both survivor outcomes and advocate well-being.

Morning and afternoon workshops offered attendees opportunities to explore specialized topics, including:

  • “In Her Shoes” Economic Justice Curriculum, a two-part interactive session by Kristi Taylor (WenDo Women NY), offers an immersive look into the lived experience of economic abuse and navigating the system.
  • Deepening Your Economic Justice Work, led by Kim Pentico, focusing on strategies to embed financial literacy across survivor services.
  • Show Me the Money!, featuring Dolores Kordon (Brighter Tomorrows), which explored the process of starting a financial literacy program, training staff, and funding survivor-centered economic initiatives.

In the afternoon plenary, Seher Khawaja and Maria McCabe of Legal Momentum unpacked the laws that protect survivors in the workplace. Their session, How Employment Protections Can Advance Survivors’ Economic Wellbeing, offered real-life scenarios and tools for advocates to support survivors in navigating workplace rights.

The final session of the day, Beyond the 9-to-5, led by Abigail Murat, challenged participants to expand their understanding of economic independence. From entrepreneurship and digital platforms to passive income and trauma-informed readiness assessments, Abigail provided an actionable toolkit to help survivors reclaim their income, identity, and autonomy.

Community, Learning, and Momentum

Throughout the summit, attendees engaged in powerful conversations about the realities survivors face and the innovative solutions advocates can employ to support them. Whether learning how to launch a financial empowerment program, unpacking employment protections, or exploring creative income-building strategies, participants left the summit with renewed energy, new partnerships, and tangible tools to implement in their programs.

At a time when survivors are navigating increased economic instability and systemic barriers, the 2025 Economic Empowerment Summit served as both a resource and a rallying cry: economic justice is essential, and together, we can make it possible.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our event sponsor, The Allstate Foundation, for its longstanding commitment to empowering survivors through financial education. We also thank the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) for their invaluable partnership and technical assistance in shaping and delivering this year’s training content.

Want to Learn More?
Explore the Moving Ahead Workbook and join our mailing list to stay informed about future trainings and events.

About NYSCADV
The New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to building the power of local domestic violence programs and transforming systems to support survivors and prevent abuse. Through advocacy, training, technical assistance, and policy work, NYSCADV strengthens the capacity of communities to promote safety, equity, and justice for all.