We are a nonprofit organization on a mission to help you fulfill your call to leadership by providing training and resources on faith-based leadership.
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CHRIST AT THE CENTER
The Cornerstone Difference
Distinguishing ourselves from typical leadership programs, our foundation revolves entirely around Christ's teachings.
Our sole source of wisdom is the Bible, which informs our faith-driven resources. We're here to provide you with tailored, friendly support and specialized training, catering to your unique journey as a leader.
WHY WOMEN LEADERS?
More than 57% of the workforce are women*
35%
In the past five years, the number of women in leadership roles has grown. Women hold 35% of senior leadership positions.
Companies that hire and retain women executives are more likely to outperform other companies.
58%
58% of women under 30 say career advancement has become increasingly important to them over the past two years.
Women leaders have been at the forefront of helping other women succeed, particularly women from underrepresented backgrounds.
48%
Women are motivated to take on more senior level leadership positions with 48% of women switching jobs to pursue career advancement.
Working women were the majority of remote workers during the pandemic, balancing leadership at work and caring for their family.
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Women work both at home and in-office settings. Despite challenges, women have excelled as leaders across all sectors, bringing invaluable professional and interpersonal skills to the table. Women have been voices for change to improve our society as a whole, and they have empowered a new generation of young women to rise up as leaders.
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*US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Our Story
Shadae Paul, Chief Executive Officer
Raised in a Christian household, Shadae's faith has been a guiding light throughout her life’s journey. Her passion for serving women and making a difference in the world led her to pursue a Master of Public Health, specializing in Global Women, Adolescent, and Child Health (Global WACh), and a Master of Public Administration with a focus on International Development Policy and Management at the University of Washington. Her educational journey also includes a BA from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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With a career spanning 15 years in global health, Shadae's work has taken her across five continents. But it was during her tenure as President of the Washington County Commission for Women that she truly stepped into her senior leadership role. This non-partisan and non-political government organization based in Hagerstown, MD, representing over 76,000 women in nine municipalities, became a transformative experience for her life and leadership.
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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shadae assumed the role of President in 2021, after serving as Vice President in 2020. In this leadership role, Shadae sought to embody the principles of Christ-like leadership, however she encountered a scarcity of resources tailored for young professional women in similar positions. It was at this juncture that she turned
to her faith, surrendering her role to God and sought guidance from the Bible and other Christian authors on the art of leadership.
Following a season of prayer and reflection, Shadae sensed God's direction leading toward helping women discover and embrace biblical leadership principles. With unwavering faith, she founded Cornerstone for Women Leaders.
Shadae's heart’s desire is to utilize all of her God-given gifts and talents to be a faithful steward of this ministry. Her warm and nurturing spirit shines through in her commitment to empowering women and guiding them on their own journeys of leadership and faith.
Training 100,000 women leaders to impact the world by 2026
Vision
Values
Great Expectations
We believe that God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20-21). We will plan, work, and pray with great expectations for God to do more than we can dream with our ministry.
Maintaining strong moral principles to guide our decision-making, conduct, and performance.
Accountability
Taking active responsibility and ownership for our work and how it impacts others to gain and retain the trust of people we serve.
Transparency
Openly and honestly communicating the mission and operations of the ministry to people we serve.
Collaboration
Embracing, empowering, and helping one another in our daily work and outreach as we work towards our collective goals.
God’s Word
We believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God. It is without error and never changes. The Bible is trustworthy, true, and what we build our entire life upon. We believe the Bible is as relevant today as when it was originally written. As a women’s ministry, our work is guided by God’s word and it informs and instructs us in our daily lives. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
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The Church
We believe the church is the body of Christ. The church is not a place, but rather the body of believers that is called to live out God’s mission by making disciples of all nations throughout the world. We also believe that members of this universal body of believers should become members of a local church where they can grow in discipleship through community. (Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Cor 10:17; Col. 1:8; 1 Pet. 5:1-5)
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Humankind
We believe that we are all made in the image of God and is the supreme object of his creation regardless of gender, ethnicity, ability, social class, or culture. As image-bearers of Christ, all humans are worthy of honor and dignity. God’s purpose for us is to bring glory to him in all that we do, to grow in faith, and to devote ourselves to developing a personal relationship with him. (Gen 1:23, 27; Matt. 28_19-20; 1 Cor 10:31; Rom 3:23)
Core Beliefs
God
We believe that God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (always with us), and omnipotent (all-powerful). He is good: he is loving, compassionate, faithful. He is our Father and our Lord. It is in him that we live, move, and exist. (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4)
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Jesus
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life on Earth as both fully God and fully man. He died on the cross, taking on our sin and punishment, so we can have new life and a right relationship with God, then rose from the dead three days later, appearing to his disciples, before ascending to heaven. He now sits at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus is coming back again to rule and establish his kingdom on Earth. (John 1:1-18; Col. 1:13-22)
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Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. After Jesus ascended into heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper, Counselor, and Comforter. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and equips the believer for ministry and life. The Holy Spirit lives inside all believers and testifies to the will of God. (Gen. 1:2; Eph. 1:13-14)
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The Trinity
We believe there is one God, yet He exists as three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity serves different functions. Each member of the Trinity possesses their own power and authority. (Isiah 48:16; Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
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Salvation
We believe that Jesus Christ provides the only way of salvation through the forgiveness of our sin. Salvation occurs when we place our faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for our sin. Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned through our own efforts. (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 10:9; Eph. 2:8-9)