Its Spring! With newly bursting blooms, spring break and spring fashion well, it makes me think of endless opportunities. Spring is just that, it’s about beginnings.

Tory Burch’s story is one of new beginnings as well. Yes, she is a mother of three, an entrepreneur, the CEO and CCO of her famous fashion line but she is also the founder of the Tory Burch Foundation, a non-profit that she launched in 2009.

When creating her business plan she incorporated a plan to give back and to empower other women entrepreneurs through micro finance loans. Her own experiences as a working parent, created a belief that one of the most powerful ways to create change is to economically empower women.

Women are the majority of poor citizens in the United States, with 13 million women living in what the Census Bureau calls “deep poverty”. Single mothers are at the highest risk of poverty and are the most likely to be self-employed entrepreneurs.

 (click link to see CBS news feature on Tory & her non-profit)?id=6160701n&tag=api

The Tory Burch Foundation’s partnered with, ACCION USA, to provide the loans and financial services small business people need to succeed. ACCION USA is a microlender in the United States, that provides loans from $500 to $50,000 to more than 11,000 small businesses nationwide. ACCION USA serves low-to-moderate income clients; 40% are women.

The next time you see the infamous T label, realize that it’s so much more than a shoe or a belt, it is providing thousands of new beginnings to women all over the country. Charity Matters.

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