About Us

Today, women’s career paths are more complex and the barriers they face continue to evolve. Around the world, women face systems that limit their access to training, restrict opportunities for skills development, and create persistent barriers to full-time work. These barriers are not abstract; they are real forces that keep millions of women on the sidelines of opportunity and economic mobility.

For nearly three decades, Dress for Success Worldwide has been proving a simple truth: When you invest in a woman, you invest in everything around her. Families. Communities. Countries. The World.

We are a movement that started in 1997 in a church basement by one woman, Nancy Lublin, who did an extraordinary thing. She transformed a $5,000 gift into doing good for other women.

We are a strong global community network across 130 locations in 15 countries, helping more than 1.3 million women achieve greater economic mobility.

Vision

A world where women thrive in work and in life.

Our Purpose

To empower women to achieve economic mobility by providing a global network of support, workplace attire, career skills and tools for success.

Our Values

We exist to break down barriers to economic advancement.
We won’t stop until all women have access to the tools, wages, and opportunities everyone deserves.
We are careers ignited.
We are futures transformed.
We are a global community of women rising.

History

Dress for Success Indianapolis was granted its charter in May 1999 to the founding Executive Director, Talene Shuck. Talene, along with other founding board members, saw the need for such an organization in the Indianapolis area. The original program, Suits for Success, served its first client in 2000. Dress for Success moved to a permanent home in downtown Indianapolis in 2001, and in 2006, the second program, Professional Women’s Group, was launched. In May 2009, the Career Development Center started serving clients through our third program, which addresses career planning and development needs. The organization relocated to its current facility at 820 N. Meridian Street in May 2008.

Dress for Success Indianapolis has grown significantly and measurably since its inception in 1999. There are several employees who oversee programs and daily operations. Volunteers remain a driving force for the organization.