Help build healthy, happy communities with your Arizona tax credit donation. Visit bhhslegacy.org or call 602-778-1200 to learn more and donate now. Working to Make Communities Healthier for Everyone • Improving access to healthcare • Supporting nonprofits • Investing in healthcare workers of the future • Strengthening the community

Phoenix is booming in a bunch of different ways. The tech sector is exploding, thanks to an influx of investment by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Intel and others. Our healthcare industry is expanding to meet the needs of a growing — and aging — population. Phoenix is becoming a hub for new-economy industries such as cybersecurity. Opportunities abound for young people plotting their career paths forward. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple for those in minority communities, especially women. Due to a variety of factors, lower-income Black and Latina women often don’t have the Forging New Paths Pathways to Economic Opportunity helps Black and Latina young women find new career choices BY TOM EVANS same exposure to new industries as males or white people in general. The result is that they may miss out on high-wage jobs, even in a booming economy. That lack of exposure and opportunity is part of the reason Black and Latina women make less than their white male counterparts — for every dollar a white male makes, a Black woman makes 64 cents. Latina women make 53 cents in comparison. So when Valley of the Sun United Way invested funding to help address the wage gap, it convened a broad team of agencies to do something about it. NEXT DOORS FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE | 53