This summer, I had the rare opportunity to be a participant in one of Momentum’s programs. It was made even more special because Ifeoma was my classmate. We’ve both been involved with Momentum nearly 20 years, and through the Empowerment Coach Training program, our paths finally crossed! Here’s the story.

Momentum’s Empowerment Coach Training program is a three-month, International Coach Federation–certified course that builds coaching skills. Week after week, Ifeoma and I practiced and learned together online. Practising coaching skills means giving and receiving a lot of attention and care from one another, so we had become well acquainted by the graduation. Still, she had a surprise up her sleeve.

As we were sitting together at the graduation celebration, she told me, “You know, I actually graduated from Momentum’s Fair Gains program almost 17 years ago. I remember bringing my four kids—all under six!—to childcare during the evening classes back in the old space.”

I was stunned. I love a “small world” connection and was eager to learn more.

Ifeoma moved to Canada from Italy, where she resided after moving from her home country of Nigeria. She had an accounting background but didn’t know the Canadian financial system. Remarkably, she learned about Momentum’s matched savings program before she even arrived in Calgary, so she signed up for Fair Gains within months of arriving.

When she arrived in Canada, she was busy as a full-time mom, managing life with four young children while her husband found an entry-level job in the trades. Through the Fair Gains program, she not only created savings for her family (and had it matched!), but she also gained the financial literacy knowledge she needed to help navigate life in a new country. She especially appreciated learning about credit, since she had never used it before arriving in Canada.

When the time came to re-enter the workforce, Ifeoma completed a bridging program at Bow Valley College to get a job using her accounting skills. She went on to work at Bow Valley College for ten years in various roles, and then with the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Association. Now, she runs her own business in financial services.

Ifeoma decided to pursue the Empowerment Coach Training program to strengthen her ability to use a coaching approach with her clients, helping people not only understand money but also change behaviours that shape their financial well-being. When I asked Ifeoma about a key highlight from the program, she said, “This program taught me that empowerment isn’t about fixing—it’s about remembering one’s worth through insightful questioning and listening. Trauma-informed empowerment coaching didn’t just help me heal—it gave me the tools to reclaim my voice, rewrite my story, and lead with purpose.”

Today, Ifeoma is a graduate of two very different Momentum programs: A traditional Momentum matched savings program to become personally financially empowered AND a professional coaching course to uplift others.

To have graduated from the Empowerment Coach Training program with her, after all these years, is a gift. It reminded me that Momentum’s impact isn’t just about the here and now. It’s about journeys that stretch over decades. Almost 20 years ago, Ifeoma sat in a Fair Gains classroom with her kids in childminding down the hall. This year, she was in a Zoom classroom with me, building her coaching skills to support others.

If you’re interested in building your coaching skills like Ifeoma and I, check out Momentum’s Empowerment Coach Training program. The next cohort starts this fall.

Read about other participants' journeys, or learn more about our programs here.