10 Years Strong: How Women of Toledo Grew from an Experiment to a Vision into a Movement
- Women of Toledo
- Sep 3
- 7 min read
When Nina Corder arrived in Toledo as a 19-year-old international student from Malaysia, she couldn’t have imagined that decades later she would be leading one of the region’s most impactful organizations for women. Today, as the Executive Director and co-founder of Women of Toledo (WOT), Nina has built a movement grounded in connection, mentorship, and equity — one that continues to shape the future of women and girls in Northwest Ohio.
This is her story.
From Malaysia to Toledo: A Researcher at Heart
Nina describes herself first and foremost as a researcher. Her academic and professional background has consistently centered on understanding humanity, behavioral science, organizational leadership, and creating systems that work better for people.
And the spark that ignited Women of Toledo came from her own lived experience. As a young graduate student in 2013, Nina faced a personal setback when she lost her graduate assistantship due to budget cuts and had to find a way to cover the costs of her education. She turned to entrepreneurship, starting a small jewelry business. At a vendor event, she met Michelle Ansara, another jewelry seller who would later become her friend and co-founder. Michelle invited Nina to join her networking group at the Stone Oak Country Club (SO NOW), founded by the late Jen Wenzke, where Nina encountered successful women leaders and entrepreneurs for the first time.
And yet, something felt missing. Nina understands that if you want something different, you need to do something different. Motivated by challenging her own status quo and her ability to understand the organizational culture of the group dynamic, Nina took a bigger role with the group as SO NOW, Chief Operating Officer. She began supporting the founder, Jen Wenzke, who poured so much wisdom and love. She also met another great networking guru - Debby Peters, who also shared her knowledge on networking connections. Unofficially, Nina claims these women as her mentors.
“I met a lot of amazing and supportive women, immersed myself in the organization culture and system, yet I still felt like something was missing,” Nina recalled. “I do feel welcome, but didn’t see anyone who looked like me or talked like me.” And she became very curious. This desire to find more inclusion in networking circles led Nina back to her roots as a researcher.
With encouragement from her organizational leadership professor, she began studying the “network gap” for ethnic minorities in Toledo. Why weren’t women of different backgrounds connecting? What barriers were preventing inclusivity? How do we bring a welcoming and belonging culture to our workplace?
The answers were gathered through focus groups, listening sessions, and candid conversations with women from diverse communities. Over and over, Nina heard the same story: regardless of race, culture, or background, women were facing many of the same challenges. They just weren’t meeting each other across networks. That realization planted the seeds for a social experiment that would become Women of Toledo.
Read Nina's Letter to the Editor in The Blade on Network Gap.
From Research to Movement
What began as a research project evolved into roundtables and intentional gatherings. Nina and Michelle created spaces where women could sit together, share experiences, and build connections they couldn’t find elsewhere.
Word spread quickly. Women from all walks of life — including newcomers to Toledo, long-time residents, professionals, entrepreneurs, and students — attended these conversations. Many participants said it was the first time they had felt truly seen, heard, and connected outside of their usual circles. When the research project was over, Nina received a phone call from a participant asking when they were meeting again. “I explained to her about my social experiment and the outcome of the research, and she told me that she was a white woman born and raised in Toledo. Whenever she came to our groups, she met someone she had never seen before and was building a different connection,” Nina recalled. “So I said to Michelle - ‘I think we have something here’.”
The turning point came when Nina was connected to the NoVo Foundation through a fellowship program in 2014. Impressed by her approach, which turned a social experiment into grassroots community-building research, NoVo invited Nina for further discussion and later awarded Women of Toledo its first grant — $10,000 to establish a nonprofit organization.
By 2015, Women of Toledo had secured its 501(c)(3) status, built a founding board, and received a three-year funding commitment from NoVo. Those unrestricted operating fund dollars provided stability, covering part-time salaries and program costs that allowed the organization to grow. Looking back, Nina admits she never set out to start a nonprofit. “I’m always in research mode and working to improve the system, so I’m not really interested in things like sitting in the office and managing people and programs,” she said. For more than a decade, Nina has worked tirelessly to advance gender equity in Toledo, grounding her efforts in research and data-driven solutions. Her leadership extends beyond the local community as well — she has served in national and international roles, including with the Obama Administration’s Women and Girls Council and as a fellow of the United Nations Women Empower Women Champion for Change Initiative.
You can read more about the history, stories, and timeline via various platforms:
The Sojourner’s Truth, Unlocking Women’s Potential: Women of Toledo, July 18, 2024
Building a Seat at the Table: Girls Hub
One of the programs closest to Nina’s heart is Girls Hub, a STEAM-based initiative that empowers girls to build confidence and skills in male-dominated fields. The inspiration came when Nina attended a conference at the University of California, Berkeley, for leadership training. There, Nina was introduced to an organization called Girls Garage. Ideas spark to start creating something similar in the Midwest region.
Nina began her research mode, flew to Boston, and was introduced to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. An institute dedicated to educating the public about the critical role of the Senate in our government, encouraging participatory democracy, invigorating civil discourse, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the civic life of their communities. Nina became involved in community groups in the Boston area, participating in hands-on workshops where she had the opportunity to create her own “seats at the table,” inspired by Shirley Chisholm's quote: “If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” And I was like, ‘That's it! I'm just going to have the girls build a chair, nothing else, so they know how to build a seat at the table,” Nina recounted.
Since its inception in 2022, Girls Hub has become a space where girls can explore leadership, creativity, and self-advocacy. By building physical chairs, they are also building confidence and community — and learning that they belong in every space where decisions are made.
And now the space evolves into a BuildHer Studio, where our youth can build and design anything they envision for their world, with the support of our local American Institute of Architects (AIA) members and supporter Erin Curley from Engage Studio Architect. BuildHer Studio has produced almost 70 individual seats at the table (chairs), 8 projects for Charity, 9 Women in History - Glass Ceilings: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures, and over 25 Toolboxes. With the support of BuildHer Studio instructor and curator, Julia LaBay, the program also introduces the A Seat at The Table Exhibition.
One of the significant accomplishments is recognition and a feature exhibition with A Culture of Peace, as part of The City of CEDAW's 10th Anniversary and Onward to Beijing +30, our Action Day for the UN.
A Friendship and a Legacy: Honoring Michelle Ansara
None of this would have been possible without the friendship between Nina and Michelle Ansara. From their first meeting at a jewelry show, the two forged a bond rooted in shared vision. Michelle became an anchor of support, always stepping in whenever Women of Toledo needed her.
Michelle’s leadership also shaped the organization’s values. She championed the “No Woman Left Behind” initiative, insisting that Women of Toledo should never turn anyone away, regardless of financial circumstances. Today, that commitment continues through the Michelle Ansara Memorial Fund, which ensures that all women have access to programs and resources.
When Michelle passed away in 2020, the loss was deeply felt across the community. Yet her legacy endures. Nina describes Women of Toledo as not just her own work, but a shared legacy with Michelle — one that belongs to the entire community.
As Michelle once modeled, Women of Toledo is about creating a sense of belonging. “Michelle always welcomed you,” Nina remembered, “and gave you the sense that no matter what, you deserve to be here. You belong.”
Looking Ahead
Today, more than a decade after its founding, Women of Toledo continues to grow as an ecosystem of mentorship, advocacy, and empowerment. Nina credits the mentors and community members who poured into her journey, and she feels a responsibility to pour just as much into the next generation.
“I should not be full when I leave this universe,” she reflected. “I should be empty, because I’ve poured everything into the next person who will pave their way and pour into others.”
For Nina, Women of Toledo is not about one person — not even about her. It is about all the women who have come together to build something greater than themselves.
“Women of Toledo is not Nina,” she said. “Women of Toledo are the women of Toledo.”
Join Us in Continuing the Legacy
Nina often reminds us that Women of Toledo is not about one person — it is about all of us. The programs, mentorship, and opportunities we provide are made possible by the generosity of those who believe in building a more equitable future for women and girls.
Your support ensures that no woman is left behind and that the next generation has the tools, confidence, and community they need to thrive. Become part of this legacy of empowerment, belonging, and change.
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