Above: A panel discussion during the International Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium on Thursday, March 5 at UNR. Credit: Alex Mounde.
The University of Nevada, Reno hosted its annual International Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium on Thursday, March 5, bringing together health professionals, nonprofit leaders and financial experts to examine how poverty, health outcomes and gender intersect in the lives of women.
The event, themed “Whole Lives: Intersectional Approaches to Economic Security and Wellness for Women,” was organized by the UNR College of Business’s Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship in partnership with the School of Public Health and the Larson Institute.
Keynote speaker Tegan Lecheler, national program director for The Bridge Project, outlined the case for direct cash programs as an anti-poverty tool for pregnant and parenting women. She cited evaluations showing participants experienced up to a 24% reduction in postpartum depression, reduced preterm birth rates, and higher rates of workforce entry and college enrollment than women who did not receive funds.
“Direct cash is not a silver bullet that will fix all of our problems,” Lecheler said. “But it is proving to be a very simple addition that, when utilized at the right time, dosage and duration, can support families, and especially women, in meeting their basic needs.”
Lecheler said funds were used primarily for childcare, rent, food, and infant supplies, distributed without spending requirements. She added that financial control is present in 97% of abusive relationships, making economic independence a critical safety factor for women.
U.S. Sen. Jackie Rosen, D-Nev., delivered a recorded address noting that one in three girls in the U.S. has experienced or will experience abuse, and that 72 countries worldwide still do not allow women to open bank accounts independently.
Four community experts also presented. Nicole Lamboley, CEO of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, warned that federal policy changes are eroding safety net programs that disproportionately support women and families. Shivani Peterson addressed financial confidence; Jennifer Calloway Ross presented on structural change in behavioral health.
Paige McCall, vice president of women’s and children’s services at Renown Health, cited data ranking Nevada 48th overall for women’s health and reproductive care, 49th in coverage and affordability, and 51st in quality and prevention. She noted that women drive 80% of healthcare decisions but that research funding specific to women’s health remains disproportionately low.
“Renown recently secured approval for a new OBGYN residency and is partnering in a $180 million state rural health transformation initiative,” McCall said.
College of Business Dean Greg Mosier and School of Public Health Dean Muge Akpinar-Elci both offered remarks, calling the collaboration a model for future programming.
Alex Mounde is a graduate student in the Reynolds School of Journalism. He wrote this news brief for the Hitchcock Project’s Science and New Media course during spring 2026.
