Colorado nonprofit works to empower women graduates, close the gender wage gap
According to Zip Recruiter, a gender pay gap begins right out of the gate for women: Among recent graduates, women earned $67,500 and men $72,700 per year, on average. In other words, women have average earnings 93% as high as those for men.
Alejandra Jiminez
CBS
Alejandra Jiminez is an MSU Denver grad who's been job hunting since September.
"It's been a lot of networking, a lot of time spent behind a computer submitting resumes. I've lost track of how many resumes I've submitted," she said with a laugh.
Jiminez is excited to lock down a good-paying job, but in the meantime, she's found that it can be a struggle. That's especially true for women and, more specifically, women of color like herself.
"Gender bias is still at play in pay decisions," said Louise Myrland, Vice President of Programs with The Women's Foundation of Colorado. It's a statewide, community-funded foundation protecting the progress and advancing gender, racial, and economic equity for all Colorado women.
"Latinas in Colorado are only paid about 54 cents on the dollar compared to white men."
Myrland says, however, the gender wage gap here in our state continues to shrink. In fact, Colorado has some of the strongest equal pay legislation in the country: the Equal Pay Act.
CBS
"It passed in 2019. Since the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act went into effect in 2021, women's earnings have increased by nearly $3,000 a year."
Myrland says one of the most powerful ways for grads to improve pay equity is to know they're entitled to transparency. "You should expect to see a pay range and a description of the position. When workers are able to talk with one another about how much they're paying, it's easier to discover and then pursue a remedy for unfair, unequal payments."
Jiminez says she feels empowered knowing she can use this tool in the future. "I feel comfortable that the jobs that I am applying for, and I am getting interviewed for, are in a pay range that values the work that I'm going to be doing."
More women's employment resources are available online at The Women's Foundation of Colorado's resources page.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
2 minutes ago
- Forbes
This 180 Year-Old Amaro Is Celebrating With A Surrealist New Bottling
Popularly marketed as 'The Bartender's Handshake,' Fernet-Branca is a 180 year-old amaro brand initially sold for medicinal purposes. That cures-what-ails-ya perception even helped keep U.S. sales afloat during Prohibition, when the drink was permitted and legal as a cholera treatment. Unsurprisingly, official claims of medicinal properties have long since vanished, beyond the occasional, cheeky post on the company's self-aware social media. But that's hardly hobbled sales. Today, Fernet-Branca is the world's most recognized brand of fernet, a category of bitter Italian amaro. (Indeed, it's likely Fernet-Branca is the world's most consumed amaro, period.) The brand is especially beloved among bartenders, its trendiness fueled at least in part by a cult online following and savvy social media placement. In recent years, the parent company has also put its weight behind cocktail competitions and other activations seeking to get drinkers enjoying fernet in unconventional ways. Fernet-Branca is also shockingly popular in Argentina, which some estimates suggest accounts for up to 75% of the global consumption. But a new bottling is focused squarely on the U.S. market. To celebrate its 180th anniversary, Fernet-Branca is releasing 49,000 commemorative bottles into the American market, complete with surrealist flair to match its quirky history. Fernet-Branca's 180th Anniversary Limited Edition bottle features an imposing rendition of the brand's famed eagle (which first appeared on the logo in 1901), set against 'a surrealist rendering of the iconic Fratelli Branca distillery in Milan.' Those decorative bottles are sure to stand out on shelves, but the liquid inside remains much the same: 39% ABV (78 proof), characteristically bitter, and made from 27 'herbs, flowers, spices, and roots' the company claims are sourced from 'over four continents.' Company lore also says only one living person knows the exact recipe for the iconic drink, but we do know some likely candidates: rhubarb, myrrh, peppermint, camomile, cinnamon, linden, iris, saffron, and gentian are all confirmed by the manufacturer. After ingredients are infused in the alcohol base, the drink is aged for around one year in oak vats. The 180th Anniversary Limited Edition bottling carries a suggested retail price of $39.99. While it's technically a limited release, those 49,000 bottles are sure to pop up in major markets across the U.S., so don't be surprised to see it on retail shelves—or at your local watering hole, within reach of a veteran bartender looking to share a tipple.
Forbes
2 minutes ago
- Forbes
Hudson Leans Into Diversity With Retail Wins At Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
Specialist travel retailer, Hudson, has plans for 20 new travel convenience and specialty retail concepts—including two hybrid stores—at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, consistently the world's busiest air gateway. This amounts to a 50% hike in stores. Hudson, which has over 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks, and tourist locations across North America, has been awarded two 10-year contracts to open the new stores in four concourses and the domestic atrium at the Delta Air Lines hub. The 20 stores will span more than 19,000 square feet and will open amid an expanded partnership with ATL Skypointe, the official retail and dining program of the airport. They will add to the 40 locations currently run by Hudson. The wins 'reflect success in securing two distinct retail packages through competitive proposals, each in collaboration with local, certified ACDBE partners,' according to a statement from Hudson. Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) is an initiative implemented by the Federal Aviation Administration designed to ensure that socially and economically disadvantaged businesses (such as those that are minority-owned and women-owned), have fair opportunities to compete for airport concession contracts. Hudson—part of Switzerland-based global travel retail giant Avolta whose sales in North America have been flat this year, will open new stores in Concourses T, A, B, and C, and the domestic atrium from early next year. Among the 20 stores, there will be additional locations for familiar brands such as luggage maker Tumi, skincare house Kiehl's, and heritage apparel maker Johnston & Murphy. Hudson's proprietary concepts such as tech store iPorte and Simply Beauty will also be present. A dedicated SoAtlanta store will blend national brands including sunglasses, apparel, and cosmetics with local items, while two new Ink by Hudson bookstores will include picks by local independent bookseller 44th & 3rd, a black, family-run store founded in 2017 by Warren, Cheryl, and Allyce Lee in the historic West End neighborhood of Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson champions local businesses Leaning into ACDBE, Hudson will also engage 200 local small businesses, including Atlanta Beltline Marketplace, bringing together a collection of travel convenience stores created exclusively for Hartsfield-Jackson. Some of the retail brands are Maple and Magnolia, Atlanta Beltline by Hudson (a hybrid with Costa Coffee), Westside Co., Atlanta Magazine, UrbanOak by Hudson (partnering Starbucks), and Shellis News. Other retail units from Hudson will highlight Atlanta's noted role in the civil rights movement at Atlanta Reflections, and pay tribute to the city's Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) heritage at Legacy ATL. Hudson will operate the new locations with six local entrepreneurs and certified ACDBE partners. Hartsfield-Jackson's senior deputy general manager Tyronia Smith said that Hudson's new offer 'marks an exciting new chapter in our concessions program.' She added: 'Atlanta Airport is building a concessions program that reflects the diverse desires and needs of its global audience.' As the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson processed more than 108 million passenger in 2024, up 3.3% year-over-year. The new contracts represent a growth opportunity for Hudson, and its parent Avolta, and the extra footprint will help to offset a currently difficult North American airport retail market. In the first half of 2025, the Delta Air Lines hub saw a 1.5% rise in aircraft operations but a 2.1 2.1% fall in passenger traffic to 52.1 million, driven chiefly by a fall in domestic travel of 3%.
Forbes
32 minutes ago
- Forbes
Forget Pickleball. Padel Is The Hot New Court Sport At Luxury Resorts
Tucked away within the 45-acre grounds of the Mediterranean-inspired property, the Padel courts at Rancho Valencia in San Diego are part of a partnership with Spain-based company Grupo Padel Galis World and the sports company Wilson. Rancho Valencia Maybe all that pickleball 'dinking' finally got on people's nerves. Or perhaps resort guests just wanted something a bit more refined than a sport you can play at the local rec center. Either way — and the fact that it's energizing and kinda glamorous certainly doesn't hurt — padel has suddenly become a hot new court sport at U.S. luxury resorts. Padel is a racket sport played on an enclosed turf or carpet surface roughly the size of a doubles tennis court, combining elements of pickleball, tennis and paddle tennis. The key twist: the walls are in play, like in squash, which adds a whole extra dimension of strategy and engagement. Rancho Valencia installed three new padel courts this past winter as part of an expanded racket sports program that includes coaching, equipment and various clinics and tournaments. Rancho Valencia Though it originated in 1960s Mexico, padel is massively popular in countries such as Spain and Argentina and it's spreading fast. According to the 2025 Global Padel Report from Playtomic and PwC, over 7,000 new padel courts opened worldwide in 2024 along with more than 3,200 new padel clubs, driven by growth in France, the U.K., Germany and the U.S. With all the interest, more than 81,000 padel courts are expected to be built by 2027. Padel rackets are similar to the paddles used in paddle tennis and platform tennis. These Wilson Bela pro paddles were seen off the court during the Italy Major Premier Padel in 2022. (Photo by Andrea Staccioli/Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images) Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images Now the U.S. hotel market is catching on. From The Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne and Boar's Head Resort in Charlottesville, Virginia, to The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa in Houston, Texas, the sport is becoming a baseline experience. If a self-respecting tennis and pickleball resort doesn't have a padel court already, it probably will soon. "We couldn't be more excited to take our offerings to the next level with the unveiling of new Padel courts,' says Rancho Valencia General Manager Milan Drager. Rancho Valencia In California, Rancho Valencia, which already had a robust racket sports program, is setting new standards for padel. After teaming up with Wilson and Valencia, Spain-based design firm Grupo Padel Galis World, the San Diego resort this year built out a full padel program, complete with three courts, equipment, coaching support and a slate of weekly clinics and drop-ins. Guests can book a court like they would a spa appointment and everything is waiting when you show up. They're also planning multi-day events, advanced clinics and monthly 'Americano tourney' play. And the resort definitely didn't skimp on coaching talent. François Catejón — a former No. 1–ranked U.S. padel player in the 35+ division — now teaches at Rancho Valencia and helps run the on-court programming. For those who like to follow a forehand winner with something shaken over ice, Rancho Valencia now offers a courtside cocktails menu featuring drinks like the Berry Deuce, Bourbon Cherry Smash, Bandeja and Up A Creek. It's all made for post-padel sips — and, who knows, maybe for making peace with those pickleball friends who haven't quite made the switch to padel just yet. ALSO ON FORBES Forbes Why Beverly Hills' Power Players Might Lose A Beloved Dining Spot By David Hochman Forbes Smart Ovens Breville, June And Chef IQ Battle For Your Countertop By David Hochman Forbes No Script, No Problem. The Improvised Shakespeare Company Turns 20 By David Hochman
