Women of Tocqueville Spotlight: Cassandra McKinney
Just a few months back, former Women of Tocqueville chair Cassandra McKinney presented two checks to the United Way Social Innovation Incubator in a second-floor room of the Dallas College Bill J. Priest Institute. The first was $125,000 on behalf of her employer, Comerica Bank, an investor in the program since the beginning. And the second, $75,000 on behalf of the WOT Fund for Women and Children.
She was dressed in a blue top, stamped with black and white flower patterns. Her smile at the front of the room said these are the moments she lives for.
Giving back, and in a big way, isn’t new to Cassandra. She grew up in Birmingham, Alabama watching her mom and dad launch the first limousine business in the state. They grew into entrepreneurs with big hearts, and their passion for change rubbed off.
“To whom much is given, much is required, we must give back”, she said. “It’s important to raise the level of living, engagement and health of our community.”
With Comerica Chairman, President and CEO Curt Farmer serving as chair of United Way’s 99th Annual Campaign, the bank rallies behind the Live United movement like no other. The company also invested $25,000 into the Incubator’s alumni.
The all-women Incubator is designed to solve the region’s most pressing problems in the areas of education, income and health through a unique approach: providing mentorship and access to capital to the people closest to the issues facing our community.
The third cohort in partnership with Dallas College, Southern Methodist University MADI and eqALL Business Solutions, welcomed innovative thinkers like Alicia Serrato, founder of Primos Dallas, a Pleasant Grove-based nonprofit that empowers students and their families to tackle challenges through mentoring and exposure opportunities.
“We’re one of the only youth development organizations in the area,” Alicia said. “Missing out on our services is missing out on a whole generation of kids in Pleasant Grove.”
Tocqueville members are powerful agents of change who drive measurable impact in our community. To renew your gift before year’s end, contact donorservices@unitedwaydallas.org.
