Commerce Uplift Stories of Success: Empowered Health

For Gabrielle and Deshawn Fogle, owners of Empowered Health, the CommerceUplift Program provided valuable insight into what it takes to strengthen and grow a business from the inside out. After completing the 12-week program in Fall 2025, they walked away with a clearer understanding of the systems, strategy, and structure needed to support long-term success.

Throughout the program, Gabrielle and Deshawn found the support sessions very helpful, especially when it came to topics like financials, guest speaker insights, and visits that connected classroom learning to the broader business community. These experiences helped make the program feel both practical and relevant to the realities of entrepreneurship.

Guest speaker presentations were also a meaningful part of their journey. They found the sessions very valuable, particularly in helping them think more intentionally about business growth, funding opportunities, and the foundational elements needed to scale responsibly.

By the end of the program, Gabrielle and Deshawn felt very prepared for the pitch competition and found the feedback they received very helpful in sharpening their business strategy. They also noted that the experience improved their understanding of business strategy, funding, legal and government certifications, and financial management.

What stands out most about their story is how quickly they began putting what they learned into practice. Rather than letting the information sit on the shelf, Gabrielle and Deshawn shared that they are already using it daily in their business. One of the clearest next steps for Empowered Health is strengthening their financial systems, including securing an accountant and bookkeeper to support future growth.

The connections built throughout the cohort also added value to their experience. Gabrielle and Deshawn shared that everyone in the cohort was a good resource, reinforcing the importance of being in community with other entrepreneurs navigating similar challenges and goals.

Their story reflects an important kind of business growth. Sometimes success is not just about a major public milestone, but about building stronger foundations, making smarter decisions, and putting systems in place that prepare a business for what comes next. For Empowered Health, CommerceUplift helped do exactly that.