News

Oct 02, 2023

KEEN Utility Empowers Next Generation of Tradeswomen With $1M Pledge

She Builds Grant Program supports nonprofits encouraging women to pursue careers

She Builds Grant Program supports nonprofits encouraging women to pursue careers in the trades

PORTLAND, Ore., June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KEEN Utility, a leader in safety footwear and the work boot division of KEEN Inc. (KEEN), has announced the six recipients of its 2023 She Builds Grant Program. Launched by KEEN Utility in 2021, the She Builds Grant Program was created to help advance the empowerment of more women entering the skilled trades. Between 2021 and 2026, the program has pledged $1M in product and financial support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and Canada that are leading the way to provide tradeskills education and support for the next generation of tradeswomen.

This year, six She Builds grants will be awarded to Black Women Build-Baltimore, British Columbia Institute of Technology's Trades Discovery for Women, Girl's Garage, Grid Alternative's Women in Solar Program, Oregon Tradeswomen, and Vermont Works for Women. These grants will help provide hundreds of thousands of hours in quality tradeskills education, expansion of workplace inclusivity training, and KEEN Utility's women's specific safety footwear. Recipients were selected by KEEN Utility and its fans.

"Women are a vital part of the skilled trades," said Kevin Oberle, Senior Director of Global Insights & Engagement at KEEN Utility. "Through the She Builds Grant Program we are able to better support a number of forward thinking organizations dedicated to the empowerment of women in the trades. A career in the trades can be incredibly rewarding and, as a company, KEEN Utility is proud to help build a future where women are provided more support and offered more inclusivity in industries critical to our way of life."

The She Builds Grant Program is funded through the KEEN Effect program, a give-back initiative whose larger mission includes making the outside and the trades accessible to all. The KEEN Effect program was founded in 2005 and the brand has committed millions of dollars toward social and environmental justice since its inception.

KEEN Utility is passionate about stepping up when it comes to welcoming more women into the trades. A leader in women's safety footwear, KEEN Utility's Tradeswomen Tested collection of footwear leverages the feedback of working tradeswomen in a variety of professions from initial conception all the way to hitting the store shelf. By creating footwear designed for and inspired by tradeswomen, the brand is helping ensure the future of the trades is diverse and safe for all.

For more information about KEEN Utility's women's specific styles visit https://www.keenfootwear.com/work-tradeswomen-tested-collection/.

About KEEN UtilityKEEN Utility, a leading industrial and service footwear brand, successfully exceeds footwear safety standards while combining advanced durability and innovation with the same comfort and unparalleled classic fit offered by KEEN outdoor, lifestyle and kids footwear. KEEN Utility footwear is grounded in protection with the goal to make boots to fit you better. The whole you. Discover more about KEEN Utility at http://www.keenutility.com/, Facebook: fb.com/keenutility, Twitter: twitter.com/keenutility and Instagram: Instagram.com/keenutility.

About KEENDriven by a passion for life outside, KEEN is a values-led, independently owned brand from Portland, Oregon, that's on a mission to create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire adventures outside. Founded in 2003, it launched a revolution in the footwear industry with the introduction of the Newport adventure sandal and has continued to launch disruptive products and establish new standards for performance, comfort, and design. As a family-owned company, KEEN has made doing good part of doing business since day one. By working with non-profit partners, consciously constructing its products, providing grant funding to grassroots organizations, and activating communities and individuals to protect the places where we work and play, KEEN puts its values in motion to leave the world a better place. KEEN's recent Together We Can Help program partnered with KEEN fans to give away 100,000 pairs, about $10,000,000 of shoes, to those on the front line fighting the COVID-19 virus. Learn more at https://www.keenfootwear.com/pages/keen-effect-grants and https://www.keenfootwear.com/the-keen-effect/

Media Contact:Josh Segal | [email protected] | 617-947-3795

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SOURCE KEEN Utility