Nashville, TN — In a city known for music, medicine, and momentum, another powerful movement is shaping the future — one young woman at a time.
The Nashville Young Enterprising Women (YEW) Mentoring Forum, now entering its seventh year, continues to transform the trajectory of high school girls across the city. Sponsored by global investment management firm AllianceBernstein and chaired by Sharon W. Reynolds, CEO of DevMar Manufacturing and a successful serial entrepreneur and Nashville native, the forum has become one of the most impactful youth leadership initiatives in the region.
This year’s results speak volumes.
Three students representing three of the five participating Nashville high schools have collectively earned an extraordinary $1.25 million in scholarships to Vanderbilt University — each receiving $500,000 in scholarship awards — while another remarkable young scholar secured a $250,000 scholarship to Belmont University. Even more scholarship announcements are anticipated for this outstanding cohort of young women.
A Mission Rooted in Access and Opportunity
The Young Enterprising Women initiative, led by the Enterprising Women Foundation, is committed to empowering high school girls — particularly in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), where female representation remains disproportionately low.
Through its international network of accomplished women entrepreneurs and C-suite executives, the Foundation connects students — many of whom are first-generation college-bound or come from at-risk communities — with mentors who model what is possible.
As a proud member of the International Advisory Board for the Enterprising Women Foundation, Reynolds has played a pivotal role in positioning Nashville as a national leader in the program’s success. Hosted in partnership with the Institute for Consumer Money Management and generously sponsored by AllianceBernstein and DevMar Products, the Nashville forum has become a cornerstone event for mentoring young women in STEM, financial literacy, and leadership.
Nashville Leads the Nation
While the Enterprising Women Foundation hosts events in 24 cities nationwide, Nashville consistently stands out — not only for participation, but for results.
The city leads the network in the number of scholarships awarded to send students to the Enterprising Women National Conference.
Of the 100 students representing five Nashville high schools who participate in the local mentoring forum, 10 students are selected by academy coaches and peers for outstanding academic performance, leadership, and character. These selected scholars attend the national conference for immersive leadership training alongside some of the country’s most accomplished women business leaders.
Previous Nashville YEW events have been featured in the Nashville Post, Nashville Lifestyles, and the Tennessee Tribune, further underscoring the program’s growing visibility and impact.
Looking Ahead: Washington, D.C. 2026
The 7th Anniversary Nashville Young Enterprising Women Mentoring Forum is scheduled for April 24–26, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Organizers are currently seeking community and corporate support to expand access and ensure that more young women can participate in what has proven to be a life-changing experience.
Every contribution directly supports scholarships, travel, conference registration, leadership programming, and mentorship opportunities. For many students, this experience represents their first time traveling outside Tennessee, their first exposure to national business leaders, and their first glimpse into boardrooms and executive leadership spaces where women like them belong.
A Nashville Native Giving Back
For Sharon W. Reynolds, this work is more than philanthropy — it is legacy. A fifth-generation Tennessean, African American woman entrepreneur, and founder of multiple purpose-driven enterprises, Reynolds understands firsthand the power of mentorship, access, and belief. Through her leadership at DevMar Manufacturing — a U.S.-based, women-led manufacturer focused on sustainability and innovation — she has built businesses grounded in opportunity creation and community impact.
Chairing the Nashville YEW Mentoring Forum is a natural extension of her lifelong commitment to underserved communities and to empowering young women of color in particular.
“These girls are not just scholarship recipients,” Reynolds says. “They are future CEOs, engineers, scientists, financial analysts, policymakers, and founders. When we invest in them, we invest in the economic future of our city and our nation.”
