Value Proposition

To represent the value proposition of our organization, we used the Hedgehog Concept. 

A Hedgehog Concept represents what the organization is passionate about, what it can be best at, and where it gets its resources to run and sustain the organization.

The image below is C.E.O. Women's Hedgehog Concept:

C.E.O. Women's Passion:

• Empowering immigrant and refugee women

• Providing resources and opportunities to reach sustainability

• Organic (active, growing) network for sustainable impact

C.E.O. Women's Expertise:

• Marketing strategy (using radios, tv, newspapers, flyers, and word of mouth as a medium of advertisement)

• Very specific target group (immigrant, refugee women who do not speak English)

• Provide ESL services (learn "business English" along with business skills) 

• "Women Connected"--a network service provided for clients who finish the ESL program; connect professional business mentors and alumnae clients.

• Transparency and evaluation--CEO Women openly shares information and evaluation reports conducted by the Aspen Institute.

• Collaboration with AmeriCorp Vista and Opportunity Fund

C.E.O. Women's Resources:

• AmeriCorp Vista volunteers

• Opportunity Fund (OF)--CEO Women collaborates with OF to provide loans to its clients

• Private funding (individual donations and foundation grants)

• Women Connected membership fee ($50 per year)

C.E.O. Women's Challenges:

• Restricted funding

• Effectiveness of distance learning--CEO Women moved from a classroom setting ESL learning to a DVD learning; the DVD program hopes to reach more women; however, this new program may lack the hands-on learning experience with fellow students in a classroom setting. 

• Adaptability (switch from the classroom learning program to the DVD learning program).

• Outreach

• Internal challenges ("Do women really want to change their current lifestyle?"); External challenges ("Would the society view women differently? How so?")

• Expansion (CEO Women added a new office in San Jose)

C.E.O. Women's Essense:

• Understanding the complexity of the needs of immigrant and refugee women within a changing environment in order to sustain impact.