Centers of Wellness for Urban Woman

What Centers of Wellness for Urban Woman does

Centers of Wellness for Urban Women, Inc. (CWUW) is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2007 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, that operates a portfolio of community-based wellness programs for women and families in urban settings, with explicit focus on Black women and ALICE (working but asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed) households. Its core offerings include Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better (a chronic-disease-prevention walking and nutrition program stewarded from the NIDDK Weight-control Information Network), Connection 4 Wellness (mental-health support), Power of Retreat (trauma-informed programming with Psychological First Aid training), Life Rhythms (reproductive, maternal, and hormonal health education), the Young Women's Advisory Council (youth policy leadership), and the overarching 7 Dimensions of Wellness framework spanning physical, emotional, social, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, and occupational wellness. In 2025 the organization extended its scope to include direct housing assistance (650+ women supported with rental and mortgage stability) and mental-health service connections (350+ women and families).

The underlying "technology" is a whole-health program model rather than a software platform: programming is delivered through in-person events at community centers (Hawthorne Community Center, Frederick Douglass Park Family Center, Success Center), parks (Holliday Park, Broad Ripple Park, Garfield Park), and partner sites (Flanner House, Marian University Eco Lab, YMCA, Westminster Neighborhood Services), supplemented by Zoom-based workshops and a Squarespace-hosted e-commerce store selling branded merchandise (hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, tote bags) and downloadable educational toolkits (Mental Health Toolkit for Black Women at $3, HIV & STI Awareness Guide at $3). Revenue is generated primarily through donations, foundation and government grants (Glick Philanthropies, CICF/Women's Fund, PNC Foundation, Indiana Department of Health, City of Indianapolis, United Way of Central Indiana, Audiochuck, AADF, IAAQLI, Elevance Health Foundation), and fee-based workshops supporting program sustainability. Since inception, CWUW has cumulatively served over 9,000 women and families, trained 50+ food entrepreneurs with $750,000+ in direct support, and built a social-media following exceeding 11,000.

The organization operates with 1-10 employees under Executive Director Rhonda L. Bayless, and its competitive position is grounded in 18 years of community trust, an extensive partnership network across Indianapolis's community-based organizations, and content specific to Black women's health disparities rather than in technology assets. There is no disclosed revenue, no parent company, no venture backing, and no AI/data technology stack; CWUW is a relationship-intensive, grant-funded community nonprofit.

Name

Centers of Wellness for Urban Woman

Legal name

Centers of Wellness for Urban Women, Inc.

Website

https://cwuwonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centers of Wellness for Urban Women (CWUW) is a 501(c)(3) Indianapolis nonprofit founded in 2007 that delivers community-based wellness, mental health, trauma, and reproductive-health programs primarily for Black women and ALICE households through in-person events, partner locations, and workshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Wellness Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJAAAO

Community Health & Health Equity/Social Determinants Units

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Public Health Agencies & Health Departments

SECONDARYEDALAIAE

Group Fitness, Personal Training & Wellness Coaching

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Athletics, Recreation & Fitness

SECONDARYMPACAJAL

Health, Wellness & Patient Communities

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Social Networking & Community Platforms

SECONDARYTHAGAMAB

Wellness Retreat Centers (Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness)

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Wellness, Spa & Health Retreats

SECONDARYEDALAFAF

Health Promotion, Prevention & Wellness Education

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Health, Counseling & Wellness Services

Keywords

• Women's wellness programs
• Community health services
• Holistic health education
• Urban community outreach
• Nonprofit wellness services

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: CWUW is a 501(c)(3) public charity that relies on financial contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Donations support programs for housing, utilities, food, and health care assistance for women and families.
2. E-commerce Store Sales: The organization operates an online store selling branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and downloadable educational resources/toolkits.
3. Fee-Based Workshops and Programs: Some educational offerings and 7 Dimensions of Wellness workshops are available through registration fees, which help sustain programming and expand access to wellness education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Centers of Wellness for Urban Woman (CWUW) is a community-based nonprofit organization that delivers free wellness programs, fitness classes, nutrition education, and mental health support services targeted at women living in urban communities. The organization combines physical wellness activities such as yoga and tai chi with mental health resources and community empowerment events to address holistic well-being of urban women.

Product overview

Centers of Wellness for Urban Women (CWUW) is a nonprofit community wellness organization offering a portfolio of integrated programs designed to address whole-health needs of women and families in urban communities, with particular focus on Black women. The core offerings include Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better (walking and nutrition program), Connection 4 Wellness (mental health support), Power of Retreat (trauma recovery), Life Rhythms (reproductive health), the Young Women's Advisory Council (youth leadership), and the 7 Dimensions of Wellness framework. CWUW also operates a merchandise store selling branded apparel, accessories, and downloadable health education resources. All programs are offered in the Indianapolis, Indiana area through in-person community events, workshops, and virtual programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better: A health program encouraging Black women to become more physically active and eat healthier foods, originally created by a national initiative of the Weight-control Information Network (WIN). CWUW has expanded it to include a whole health approach.
• Connection 4 Wellness
• Power of Retreat
• Life Rhythms
• Young Women's Advisory Council (YWAC)
• 7 Dimensions of Wellness

Products and services

• Women's Wellness Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over 9,000 women and families since 2007
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, general and minor.

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal institute whose Weight-control Information Network (WIN) originally created the Sisters Together program. CWUW has expanded this program to include a whole-health approach.
• Hawthorne Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner location for Zumba fitness classes and community wellness programming.
• Frederick Douglass Park Family CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner location for indoor walking programs and fitness activities.
• Success Center at Carriage House EastgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner location for Zumba fitness and community wellness events.
• Marian University / Nina Mason Pulliam Eco LabgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for environmental wellness programming and birdwatching walks.
• YMCA (IRSAY)generalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for walking programs and community fitness activities.
• Flanner House of IndianapoliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term community partner providing office space and venue for programs including workshops and retreats.
• Trauma & Resilience Initiative, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization facilitating Psychological First Aid training for CWUW programs.
• Haven Yoga StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga studio partner providing space for yoga workshops and classes.
• Westminster Neighborhood ServicesgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner hosting weekly fitness classes.
• Ujamaa Community BookstoreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity bookstore partner hosting wellness workshops.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HealthConnect One: National nonprofit operating community-based, peer-led maternal and women's health programs — directly comparable to CWUW's Life Rhythms reproductive/maternal health programming in community-led, culturally responsive model and target population.
• GirlTrek: National nonprofit organizing walking groups and health programming for Black women — directly comparable to CWUW's Sisters Together walking program in target population (Black women), community-led delivery model, and physical-activity-plus-nutrition framing.
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance: National nonprofit advancing Black maternal health equity through advocacy, research, and community-based programs — closely aligned with CWUW's maternal/reproductive health and trauma-informed program mix serving Black women.
• Black Women's Health Imperative: National nonprofit focused on the health and wellness of Black women and girls, addressing chronic disease, mental health, and reproductive health — closely paralleling CWUW's whole-health, culturally responsive mission and its focus on health disparities for Black women.
• Black Girls RUN!: Community-based running and wellness organization serving Black women with local chapters and walking/running groups — directly comparable to CWUW's community fitness programming and its use of social-media-driven community engagement among Black women.

Regional players

• Flanner House of Indianapolis: Indianapolis community-services nonprofit and CWUW partner offering wellness, education, and youth programs — overlapping in urban community-health delivery for the same Indianapolis neighborhoods CWUW serves.
• YMCA of Greater Indianapolis: Local Indianapolis fitness and wellness provider that CWUW partners with for walking programs — overlapping in fitness programming and zip codes, but broader in facility-based offerings rather than community-based, culturally tailored women's programming.

Broad incumbents

• National Wellness Institute: National membership organization promoting the multi-dimensional wellness model — directly parallel to CWUW's 7 Dimensions of Wellness framework and a recognized body CWUW's Executive Director has been featured at.
• Go Red for Women / American Heart Association: National health nonprofit with a women's cardiovascular-health initiative addressing the same Black-women-CVD disparity CWUW targets through Sisters Together — comparable in disease focus but vastly larger in scale and brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Shades of Wellness Coalition: Smaller community-based wellness nonprofit serving women of color — partial overlap with CWUW's community wellness, mental health, and whole-health programming for urban women of color.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cwuwonline
• Xx.com/CWUW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centers-of-wellness-for-urban-women

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centers of Wellness for Urban Woman