WHO we ARE
Valkyrie Rising exists to help women gain greater control over their economic lives—and, ultimately, greater freedom to shape what comes next.
Our work recognizes that economic freedom isn’t created by income alone. It requires a foundation from which a woman can move forward safely, the resources and information to navigate decisions on her own terms, and real possibilities for building the future she chooses.
That’s why our approach centers three interconnected areas:
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Stability. We work to reduce the practical and economic barriers that can keep women in vulnerable or uncertain circumstances and connect them with resources that support safety and security.
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Agency. We equip women with information, tools, and support that help them weigh their options strategically and act on their own priorities with confidence.
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Opportunity. We help women build and strengthen skills, pursue new possibilities, and forge pathways toward greater economic independence and long-term growth.
Together, these create something bigger than financial security alone: the freedom to make meaningful choices about your life because your circumstances no longer make those choices for you.
WHAT WE DO
COMMUNITY LISTENING PROJECT
The Valkyrie Rising Community Listening Project is a Baltimore-based initiative designed to better understand the economic realities, barriers, priorities, and aspirations of women across the city—and to ensure that the programs created to support them are shaped by their lived experiences.
Rather than beginning with a predetermined solution, we begin by listening.
Through conversations with women, community organizations, service providers, advocates, employers, and other local stakeholders, the project will explore what helps women achieve greater economic stability, where existing systems and resources fall short, and what women themselves identify as necessary to build greater agency, opportunity, and economic freedom.
What we learn will directly inform the development of Valkyrie Rising's programs, partnerships, and community investments. We will also synthesize and share key findings so that the insights gathered can contribute to the broader work already happening across Baltimore—not simply within our own organization.
The Community Listening Project is the first step in an ongoing cycle of Listen → Serve → Learn → Grow.
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We listen to understand what women and communities need.
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We use those insights to serve with intention.
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We learn from what works, what doesn't, and what changes.
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And we grow by improving our approach, strengthening partnerships, sharing what we learn, and expanding what proves effective.
Ultimately, this project is about more than conducting research. It is about building with women, rather than for them—and creating a foundation for solutions that are responsive to Baltimore, grounded in lived experience, and designed for lasting impact.
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