Introduction to Ascend Dallas
Jessica Mota never thought she’d work in banking. The daughter of immigrants thought her accent was too strong, and she only had seven years of restaurant experience. But she learned about a seven-week “Career in Finance” program offered by Ascend Dallas, a nonprofit focused on empowering women and fighting poverty. By the end of her training, she was employed by Bank of America.
“I know what it’s like, the feeling of not knowing the language,” Mota said. “So I can be, like, ‘You’re OK, you deserve to be here,’ you know, because I’ve been there.”
The Education Lab and Ascend Dallas
The Education Lab provides in-depth coverage of education issues and stories that affect North Texans. By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Mota’s story illustrates how Ascend Dallas and its community partners strive to help people move from survival to economic stability, according to Ascend and its partners.
The nonprofit recently took about 30 donors on a three-hour tour to the Dallas Entrepreneur Center Network at The Shops at RedBird and the nonprofit Hope Cottage to show firsthand how Ascend and its partners use philanthropic funding to help residents.
Services Offered by Ascend Dallas
Ascend Dallas offers career coaching, education, financial literacy training, transportation, and maternal health support to residents. A lack of access to those resources hinders one’s ability to move beyond low-wage work, according to the nonprofit’s staff.
Jessica Mota (right) speaks about her experience taking the career in finance program from Ascend Dallas alongside Lawanda Strhan, a career educator and navigator with Ascend Dallas, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Dallas.
Hope Cottage and Its Services
Hope Cottage, one of Ascend Dallas’ partner organizations, supports about 1,347 parents and 1,977 children through maternal medical care, infant adoption, foster care services, and parenting support programs, according to Hope Cottage. Hope Cottage’s services include prenatal care, diapers, and educational classes to help underserved and uninsured families.
Access to health services matters because Texas leads the nation’s highest uninsured rate at 21.6% for adults, with Dallas leading the state at 24% uninsured, said Wayne White, president and CEO of the Communities Foundation of Texas, during an event in June.
Career Training and Support
Career training and support are crucial because 40% of Dallas workers between ages 25 and 64 earn low wages, and single women and Hispanic people specifically lack opportunities for upskilling, said Lynn McBee, the city’s workforce development czar, in an interview with The News.
Hope Cottage CEO Stephanie Bohan speaks about the various organizations Hope Cottage partners with to provide services for their clients on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Dallas.
Success Stories
Stephanie Bohan, Hope Cottage’s CEO, urged attendees to support nonprofits, citing the need to focus on getting people access to food, financial literacy training, housing, and baby care items. “It is hard being poor and sick in Dallas. Oftentimes, our systems make poverty and illness even more difficult. We have the power to fight these inequities if we link arm in arm and work together to build a better, healthier Dallas for our neighbors,” Bohan told The News.
Ayshia Langrum told attendees this holistic approach worked for her, as she initially felt “lost” about motherhood. Langrum participated in Ascend Dallas’ Nurse-Family Partnership program, which supports low-income families from pregnancy through the child’s second year.
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