
Adrienne Fowler Payne gets unapologetically emotional when she talks about her experience in the Momentum Works program.
“I learned that I’m worthy,” Payne said when asked about what she gleaned from the program. “To tell a group of women that they’re worthy of success, I get emotional, even thinking about it.”
Momentum, Alabama’s premier leadership organization for women, launched the Momentum Works program in 2024 with the help of a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. Last year, Momentum Works served 51 women, with most graduates reporting a promotion or salary increase due to the program. In fact, the total reported salary increases for women who participated in last year’s cohorts exceeded $450,000.
This tuition-free program aims to equip participants with the skills and confidence to grow in both their personal and professional lives. Over the course of six monthly, half-day sessions, attendees learn from experienced trainers selected by Momentum. To make the program more accessible, sessions are held on Saturdays, and a childcare stipend is available for those who need support. In addition to the in-person meetings, participants gain access to a robust network of resources, including virtual learning materials, co-mentoring groups, one-on-one mentoring, professional coaching, and self-paced assignments. The sessions cover key leadership topics such as Emotional Intelligence, Strengths Assessment, Resilience, Taking Initiative, Negotiation and Prioritization, and Building Community.
“I think it was just very well put together in how content was delivered for people who either had experience with it or were hearing it for first time,” Payne said. “It was digestible, relatable, and they could leave with something, another tool in their toolbox to pick up when they need and have a refresher, or to implement in their personal lives.”
Payne is a graduate of the program’s second cohort. After a successful pilot year, the team at Momentum Works will seek to double the impact of the program in 2025 by offering the program to 100 women across four cohorts.
“We are passionate about expanding our reach to provide essential leadership development opportunities to women who have been underrepresented and underserved,” said Raven Holloway, Program Manager of Momentum Works.
“This program’s growth is a testament to Momentum’s mission and the unwavering support of our partners and donors, who share our vision of removing barriers and creating pathways for more women to thrive both personally and professionally.”
In addition to the upward mobility achieved by many graduates, all participants reported enhanced social capital, a heightened confidence in their leadership abilities, and a stronger commitment to taking on leadership roles.
Payne is a Momentum Works success story. In fact, she was selected to give the Graduation Day reflections for her cohort. Payne serves as the administrative director for The Comprehensive Urban Underserved and Rural Experience (CU²RE) program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Heersink School of Medicine. The goal of the program is to enhance the recruitment, training, and retention of medical students dedicated to serving as family medicine physicians to provide primary care in the medically underserved urban and rural areas of Alabama.
Though the program’s mission aligns with her values, she often doubted if she made the right decision when she left her position as an education administrator for the Department of Emergency Medicine at UAB to work for the CU²RE program.
“Coming into this position that I’m in now came with a lot of challenges because of the skin that I’m in,” Payne said. “I doubted myself and the knowledge and skills that I had. I have been told by some people that I struggle with imposter syndrome.”
During her four years with the CU²RE, Payne has helped to secure more than $10 million in supplemental grants for the program. After participating in the Momentum Works program, Payne gained the confidence to ask for a new title, which resulted in a raise and her current role being reclassified from program director to administrative director.
“Momentum helped me value and know what I bring to the table,” Payne said. “Through my attendance in Momentum Works, God granted me confirmation that I was on the right path.”
Along with a raise and reclassification, Momentum Works also gave Payne the relationships she needed.
“In most of my career I’ve been a minority in a lot of spaces, being one of maybe one or three Black women on my team,” she explained. Through Momentum Works, Payne had the opportunity to work with and learn from women of diverse backgrounds.
“As a Black woman, there was a sense of belonging that I had needed for a while,” she said. “With what’s going on in society, what’s going on in politics, I needed to feel that. And more importantly, I just needed to learn from a diverse group of people, and that’s exactly what I got and more. Learning about women and their various stories, their shared experiences, was liberating to me and healing in many ways.”
These bonds Payne formed with the other women of Momentum Works didn’t break once the program ended. The women stay in touch and encourage one another through a group chat and meet up for social events too.
The confidence and camaraderie Payne gained through Momentum Works also pushed her to pursue another passion. She recently launched a business selling vintage furniture, clothing and accessories.
“I am a quiet person,” Payne said, “but now I feel like I’m being birthed into a bold person.”