PHOENIX — Arizona nonprofit Fresh Start Foundation has been selected as one of the 25 Microsoft TechSpark fellows for 2026.
The organization provides services to women struggling in their careers by affording them opportunities to re-educate themselves for a new industry and gain economic mobility and financial security.
Fresh Start Foundation’s Abdu Dahr explained that 72% of the women they serve are domestic violence survivors and 60% are single mothers.
“An example (of someone we support) would be a single mom who is working, for lack of better words, a dead-end job. Maybe she has one job or two and she can’t make ends meet,” Dahr said. “She would come to Fresh Start. … We would provide a path for training and education, help her receive a certification in a certain industry, and after that, help her connect with an employer, and she can start a new career.”
Dahr said the problem a lot of women face is wages not meeting the cost of living, as Arizona’s minimum wage sits at $15.15. The hourly wage needed to meet basic needs for a single mom and infant is $28.01.
Microsoft TechSpark works alongside its selected companies to expand digital access and career improvement.
Dahr explained this means Fresh Start clients will have more opportunities and resources available for workforce development to provide digital education in a changing world.
“Given Arizona’s position when it comes to technology, when it comes to advanced manufacturing, specifically the semiconductor industry, we have collaborated with training providers to create workforce training paths for women that we serve that they can pursue careers in technology and advanced manufacturing,” Dahr said.
Dahr said the next step for Fresh Start is to look at the resources available through Microsoft and plan for how to best integrate them into the program.
Fresh Start and Microsoft have been collaborating since 2023 by holding networking and career education events.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
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