Ruffin Mitchener’s Post

Stage 1: History of control or stalking The first phase begins before the relationship begins. The point here is that if the abuser controlled, abused, or was jealous of his former partners, he would most likely do the same to his future partner. The abuser will very often reveal a history of control, abuse, and jealousy towards the former partner to the new partner. He will talk about the former partner as the one who, for example, caused the breakup of the relationship.   The project is supported by the SOLIDARNA Foundation as part of the Women's Fund through the Civil Society Development Program.   #femicideawareness #womensrightsmatter #stopfemicide #breakthesilence

MENTORSHIP REDEFINED! To address GBVF (Gender-based Violence & Femicide) we must do more than just hold conferences, imbizos and wear branded t-shirts. We need to engage our boys, inspire them to be better men and be role models they can look up to. At BrightSpark Foundation SA, we strongly believe that each and every young boy has the opportunity to lead from a position of love, become men who love their family, their partners and children. Our boys can be these men, it does however require us as a nation to step up and do what is right. We know that protecting our women, and children requires that we do actual work, break down false narratives, projections of power and stop sitting in conversations that perpetuate violence against women and children. #WeAreBrightSparkFoundationSA For more information, please follow us on: 
https://lnkd.in/dCGXEQv

OUR MONEY ERA 💰💵 4 years. Thousands of conversations, interactions & connections. Hundreds of members. Along the way on this exciting journey, we’ve discovered one BIG thing… ➡️ When it comes to finding and maintaining success, we need more than community and we need more than events. Women today need a revolution...of ideas, vision, sisterhood and the way that we do business, and spend and make money with one another. Our history suggests that we are stronger together and we need one another to do incredible things. Our growth, as business owners and leaders in the state of Texas, is dependent upon our capacity for connectivity and actively showing up for each other. ⭐️ FACT: Whether she’s in Houston, Lubbock or South Dallas, a woman in Texas has the full support of her sisters around the state. She is not alone 🫶🎉 By creating a diverse, connected, statewide movement, we are on a mission to FUEL and FUND the growth and expansion of #womanowned businesses. How? ➡️ By increasing the amount of $$ that is spent and invested in women. Together, we got this 🥂 📍 Her Texas x Houston #CoffeeAndMimosas July 2023 | Esperson Building | Esperson Flex #HerTexas #womeninvestinginwomen

"millage funding for Patmos Library passed with flying colors in yesterday's vote!" (Well, this turned into a rabbit hole. I went looking for a clear description of what a millage is and what they fund in Michigan, to post alongside this, because it's complicated. This was the best, most issue-neutral one I found - https://lnkd.in/gi4F7yak - by Benzie County Record Patriot, but then in looking at the footer to check their "about" info to make sure they weren't creepy in some way (as everyone should do) I found this interesting tidbit about their use of AI - https://lnkd.in/gNBmF-PA - which is clear and well thought out, in a way that I appreciate. Also, BCRP seem to be a perfectly reasonable local news source, if strapped for cash and thus inundated with massive ads similar to many others in the industry.) (Also I have complicated feelings about GoFundMe (see: https://lnkd.in/gJ7mMMaY) but Patmos is a great case of it being used productively - by people actually impacted, to make it through a temporary problem that is too large for one person to carry, and where there is a clear end goal.) https://lnkd.in/gg-Z3miX

NMV is what it is because of the women who lead it. In fact, the earliest ideations of NMV on record came from a Black woman who saw the burgeoning social media field as an opportunity to harness and expand civic power across digital spaces. Ashindi Maxton, we salute you for your early advocacy and foresight which sprouted what would become New Media Ventures, as well as the many fantastic women from Democracy Alliance who helped shape this network. NMV proudly boasts a 28% investment rate in female startup founders (for-profit), in stark comparison to the 3% industry standard, and an overall 50% investment rate across both for profit and nonprofit female-led organizations. Not as a trend, but because it's baked into our DNA. Here's to all the women who built and continue to strengthen the entrepreneur community at-large. 🥂 #happynationalwomenshistorymonth Pictured: Christie George Jessica Salinas Carlissia N. Graham Julie Kohler Cheryl Contee Daaiyah Bilal-Threats Sarah M. Williams Julie Menter Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman Felicia Wong Anna Fink

emPOWer Press release: As a network of women’s organisations, emPOWer is profoundly saddened and deeply angered by the tragic and senseless death of Nicolette Ghirxi. This horrific loss underscores a disturbing pattern where women continue to suffer and die at the hands of violent men. We call on authorities to urgently implement stronger, more effective protective measures that are immediately undertaken upon the filing of an initial complaint, ensuring that women in vulnerable situations receive the immediate and comprehensive protection they deserve. This tragedy must spark meaningful reforms that will safeguard women's lives across our community. Words are no longer enough; it's time for concrete actions that make a real difference in women's lives. In addition, we stress the importance of educating both girls and boys from a young age about respect, equality, and non-violence. Women must also be equipped to recognise the signs of potential aggressors, enabling them to protect themselves before it’s too late.

Fearless Fund invests in women of color led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level or series A financing. Their mission is to bridge the gap in venture capital funding for women of color founders building scalable, growth aggressive companies. Fearless Fund is built by women of color for women of color. The other day one of my good friends informed me of this injustice taking place against Black women. This conservative organization is literally using the court system to bring forth this injustice to this organization. This is literally a modern day version of Tulsa. They are using the civil rights act which was made for the "advancement" of Black people against us, and if they win this battle it will set us back to 1865. We as a people have already been running in place since the 60's, and we as a people are tired. However if they win this the Black community would be able to sue every company that does not employ minority (specifically Black) people. Please research this situation as they need our help #fearlessfund #civilrights #venturecapital #blackwomen

What an incredible night of powerhouse women for our PEWIN - Private Equity Women Investor Network Houston chapter dinner. Haley Vyrostek and Eriell Delgado were incredible partners for the event, planning and helping with every detail. We even got to celebrate Tamika Tyson's birthday! We brought together some of the most senior women LPs and GPs for an intimate discussion where we covered everything from: - What makes someone a good investor? (Intellectual curiosity, listening/asking questions and not letting the outcomes of decision color if the decision was good or bad) -Using founder personality assessment tools. (Potentially a roadblock if used improperly and only in screening but could be powerful to know about team blind spots) - What everyone was excited about in 2024? (More deals happening, deeper relationships, general macro uncertainly going one way or another) Thank you Stephanie Campbell, Sandy Guitar, Samantha Lewis, Brett Ashley Barth, Mallory Gibson Baker, Faridah Usman, CFA, CAIA, Rushana Cypert, Jennifer (Jenny) Gottschalk, Kathleen M. Burke, Veronica Wu for making it such a vibrant discussion!

Check out HERStories, a video that shares words of wisdom and encouragement from women in #physics from around the world. https://lnkd.in/dU_n9WvZ #aaptresources #womeninphysics

The Mary Sue: Ex-Synanon Members Break Down Cult’s Mixed Legacy and What America Can Learn From It "It’s impossible to discuss what happened to Synanon without discussing Dederich. Born in Synanon expresses a sentiment that Synanon was a utopia until one person, Dederich, destroyed everything. Both Arkin and Rogers-Hare agree that Dederich was one of the critical components of Synanon’s fall. Rogers-Hare revealed that even members of Synanon were uncertain about whether they would survive past their founder. She explained, “We studied the Mennonites and a number of utopian groups, and what we understood was that very few survived past the founder. Very few survive. We expected to survive past the founder, but I moved in when I was in my 20s, so I had no concept that he would die … I certainly didn’t expect him to go to become an alcoholic again and to systematically destroy it. None of us had that on our radar.” Despite hoping to survive and be the exception, Rogers-Hare admitted, “We knew that things could change.” Arkin also emphasized Dederich’s role in Synanon’s downfall. Although Synanon is now often labeled one of the most dangerous cults in America, Arkin doesn’t see it that way. The danger wasn’t necessarily in the cult or group of people—the danger was in Dederich. She stated, Well, I think that Syanon was not a dangerous cult. I think in many ways, the danger is one person. What happens when one person has power, and you’re so close to that person that you’re unaware of how the society or the community is devolving and becoming something other. Because the majority of the people who moved into Synanon and were a part of Synanon were literally taking their lives, changing their lives, knowing that they themselves were creating and investing in this community to do good for others. So, we were all, in many ways, kind of like walking down this blind road, not understanding how bad things were going to be… And that really is your takeaway with Born in Synanon, is one person went AWOL and everything was lost." https://lnkd.in/epNCf8-J