SONOMA, CA — The National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) has announced the first ten collegiate
partners participating in its 2027 National Women’s History Month campaign, “Financial Literacy, Liberation,
and Leadership: Women in Business.”
The growing national alliance brings together colleges and universities committed to celebrating women
whose achievements transformed business, finance, entrepreneurship, economics, and labor, while inspiring
future generations through education and engagement.
The first ten collegiate partners include Quinnipiac University, Virginia Commonwealth University, DePaul
University, Williams College, the University of Montana, Mount Holyoke College, St. John’s University,
Adelphi University, Iona University, and Stonehill College. Twenty additional universities will be announced
later this year.
Each participating institution will spotlight an influential woman as part of the campaign’s March of Icons
initiative. Early examples include Quinnipiac University’s plans to spotlight Madam C.J. Walker, a pioneering
entrepreneur who built a successful beauty empire and became one of America’s first self-made female
millionaires, and Virginia Commonwealth University’s recognition of Maggie Lena Walker, the first Black
woman in the United States to charter a bank and serve as its president. Both women left extraordinary
legacies of economic empowerment and opportunity.
Additional honorees will be announced in February 2027, with the release of a print publication ahead of
Women’s History Month. Throughout March, each national icon will receive a designated day in the spotlight,
with a collegiate partner leading efforts to share her story and raise awareness of her contributions.
March 8, International Women’s Day, will be reserved for a nationwide celebration of local icons. Rather than
featuring a national honoree, the NWHA will invite K–12 schools, community banks, non-partner colleges, and
community organizations across the country to recognize women whose leadership and contributions have
made a meaningful impact in their own communities.
The national campaign will also feature a widely distributed educational magazine, financial literacy resources,
career conversations, and outreach connecting colleges, schools, financial institutions, and communities
across the country.
Institutions interested in learning more about collegiate partnerships may contact Ashlyn Mulligan of the
Catalyst Project at catalystproject@stjohns.edu.
About the National Women’s History Alliance
Founded by educators in Sonoma, California, the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) is the
living-legacy organization of the movement that established Women’s History Week in 1978, which grew into
today’s nationally recognized Women’s History Month. The NWHA continues to lead the selection of the
annual national theme, often collaborating with a broad alliance of partners to promote the recognition,
preservation, and celebration of women’s contributions to history.