Skills that build a revenue source of her own.

Crklyn is our entrepreneurship and small business training program. We teach the real skills behind running a business — sales, marketing, customer service, website design, and social media — and provide direct, hands-on support to women who want to launch a small business of their own, online or in person.

What the program includes

Core business training: sales, marketing, and customer service

Website design and basic e-commerce setup support

Social media marketing and brand-building guidance

Direct, one-on-one help launching your own small business

Ongoing mentorship as your business gets off the ground

Program length

6 weeks, with weekly check-ins and ongoing support after completion

Class size

Kept small — no more than 10 participants at a time

How we do it

Practical training paired with hands-on help actually launching — not just learning the theory

The benefit

A real toolkit to start and run a business, plus support at your side while you launch it

Crklyn Publishing is our storytelling and self-publishing program. So many women carry a story that just needs somewhere to go — Crklyn Publishing gives it one. Through story circles, writing classes, and public speaking workshops, participants learn to write, shape, and share their own words, and are guided from a first draft all the way to a finished, published book.

What the program includes

Regular story circles and guided writing classes

One-on-one editing and manuscript support

Public speaking workshops to help you share your story out loud

Book design, formatting, and self-publishing guidance

Community readings and launch celebrations

Program length

12 weeks, with bi-weekly check-ins and ongoing support after completion

Class size

Kept small — no more than 10 participants at a time

How we do it

Small group circles paired with one-on-one editing support, from first draft to finished, published book

The benefit

A finished piece of writing that belongs to you, real public speaking confidence, and a voice you trust

Crklyn Essentials teaches women the craft of making natural skin and body care products — soap, salves, body butters, and more — from the ground up. Those same classes double as production sessions: what participants learn to make, we turn into real products distributed to shelters, partner organizations, and people who need them.

What the program includes

Hands-on classes in natural body care formulation

Guided production sessions turning skill into finished product

Distribution runs to Portland shelters and partner programs

A foundation for participants who want to build their own product line one day

How we do it

Learn the craft in class, then help make and package real batches distributed across Portland

The benefit

A genuine, marketable skill — and the chance to give back to other women through what you make

The Academy is our online, self-paced workshop hub and classroom — available anytime, from anywhere. It's where participants can dig deeper into topics covered across our in-person programs, on their own schedule.

Topics include

Resume writing and interviewing techniques

Self-publishing and story formatting

Merchandising and product presentation

Business banking basics

And more, added regularly

How we do it

Self-paced, on-demand courses you can revisit anytime, at no cost

The benefit

Flexible learning that complements every other program — no schedule required

In addition to The Academy, we host in-person workshops periodically, on a rotating variety of topics tied to our Crklyn programs — writing, business skills, product-making, and more. These sessions are hands-on and community-based, and require paid registration. Pricing varies by workshop, and proceeds go directly back into funding our free programming.

Good to know

Held periodically, on a rotating variety of topics

Open to the community

Paid registration, priced per workshop

When

Held periodically · Rotating topics · Open to the community

Cost

Paid registration, priced per workshop · Proceeds fund our free participant programs

The benefit

Real-time practice and connection with other women building alongside you

Off the Clock isn't a therapy session or a case management meeting — it's a gathering. Women coming together to laugh, vent, talk through their lives, and simply be in community, in a safe, confidential, laid-back space.

Good to know

This is not a drop-in group — attendance is by roster, so we know how many women to plan for each week

Interested women submit their name, phone number, and email to be added to our contact list

Each week, we send out a flyer and a link where you can confirm your spot on the roster or let us know you can't make it

When & where

Weekly, at our downtown Portland office — 310 SW 4th Ave., Portland, OR 97204

What's provided

Light food and refreshments · Childcare may be available, but is not guaranteed week to week

Who it's for

Women who are 18+, female-identifying, and residents of the Portland metro area

Navigating housing, legal, healthcare, employment, and social service systems is overwhelming on your own. We walk alongside you, help you understand your options, connect you to resources, and advocate when systems create barriers. As we build out our dedicated resource directory and referral network, we continue to offer this support directly.

We help with

Housing: Applications, tenant rights, eviction prevention, VAWA protections

Employment: Job search, resumes, interviews, workplace accommodations

Legal: Court navigation, legal aid referrals, family law, expungement

Benefits: SNAP, OHP, TANF, SSI/SSDI applications and appeals

Healthcare: Finding providers, insurance navigation, patient advocacy

Childcare: Options, subsidies, parenting resources

How it works

Initial intake meeting · Ongoing phone/email/in-person support · Accompaniment when possible

Our approach

You lead, we support · No judgment · Real help, not just referrals

Not every woman we serve is ready to launch a business right away — some are looking for steady work now. We help with the fundamentals of finding and landing a job, alongside everything else we offer.

What's included

Resume and CV writing

Interview preparation and practice

Job sourcing and application support

The benefit

Concrete, practical support to help you get hired — free of charge