Designing for Impact: Empowering Young Moms in Chicagoland

Young expectant mothers facing homelessness, systematic racism, and poverty often struggle to imagine a secure future for themselves or their families. A coach program aimed at supporting these mothers during a daunting time in their life can be a powerful tool in building a strong foundation that will ultimately lead to long-term family well-being. During this talk, we will explore how our multidisciplinary team worked with our partner to create a coaching program to support their mission: to empower these young women to achieve their goals. We will uncover how incorporating empathy and co-creation methods into the design process can ensure all involved stakeholders’ perspectives are integrated into the tools used to deliver the coaching program and how the experience ultimately strengthens the coach and mom relationship.