MY NEW YORK STORY

The Three Women Behind Cura Collective

By Ann Grenier

Cura translates to care, and the empowering meaning represents a unique opportunity for making a systematic change in America today. Such lofty goals were born at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, a trio of friends—Lizzie Asher, Casey Kohlberg, and Laura Day Webb—recognized the dire need facing us and, more acutely, the frontline workers.

Cura Collective began as a vehicle to help those who had once saved the lives of both Lizzie Asher and Laura Day-Webb. They aimed to assist the overwhelmed nurses, technicians, and doctors facing the ravages of the virus. However, they wanted not simply to provide for hospital workers but to do so in a way that could help the rest of the surrounding community. So Cura Collective launched a program to help direct funds they raised to restaurants and keep them open, preparing warm meals for frontline workers, thus providing an economic safety net for restaurant workers. Here are the women behind the cause.

Lizzie Asher After graduating from Harvard Law School, Lizzie worked at a premiere New York law firm specializing in corporate law. Today she is the President of Macchu Pisco LLC. This womanowned and operated spirits company was the first to implement fair trade standards in the Pisco Valley of Peru. Lizzie also serves on the Board of Restaurant Workers Community Foundation and Board of Save Venice and chairs thechairs the endowment she and her husband created at City Squash, a nonprofit working with Latino children in the Bronx. Equally close to her heart is Lizzie’s contribution as a board member of Columbia Presbyterian’s ECMO Family Advisory Board.

Casey Kohlberg Casey is a writer, producer, and philanthropist based in New York. She has worked in various roles across the fashion, media, and film industries, most recently as a video producer, in addition to her philanthropic work. She has appeared in Allure, The Evening Standard, and Harper’s Bazaar Arabia; she is working on finishing her first novel and screenplay. Casey serves as the Chair of the Young Friends of Save Venice and is a Frick Young Fellows steering committee member. In addition, she serves as Vice President of the Camalotte Foundation, a private family foundation focusing on arts, education, women’s health, and climate change issues.

Laura Day Webb Laura holds a Master›s in Art Business from Sotheby›s Institute of Art and is Director of Programming, Events, and Partnerships for High Line Nine Galleries in Chelsea. In addition, she is the Content Manager for Friend of the Artist and Development Officer for Patron Circle and Gifts at The Immigrant Artist Biennial. Alongside her roles, Laura is an independent curator and art consultant whose practice focuses predominantly outside the Western canon on historically overlooked and underrepresented artists.

She is a Co-Founder of The Royal Versailles Ball, The White Cross Ball, CoChair of The Winter Show’s Young Collectors Night, serves on the steering committee for the Young Friends of Save Venice, and is a Board Member of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

More Initiatives

In 2023, the non-profit will be dedicated to rolling out its Women’s Initiative. As the founders discussed the next phase of the evolution of the organization, they realized that all the touch points with all the various organizations with whom they had worked had been women. Hence, Cura aims to amplify the voices of other women leaders and undertake women-centered causes.

Principally amongst those is the Voluntary Intoxication Loophole. The group is committed to raising awareness of this safety issue that impacts women and the LBGQT+ community. Currently, in New York State, rape laws state that if a victim becomes intoxicated on their own and is later assaulted, that willing intoxication is equated with consent. This means that the attacker cannot be charged with rape, as rape laws do not apply. Unfortunately, this legal loophole means assaulters walk free since New York State continues to place the blame for the attack on the victims.

Cura Collective has programmed educational events on this issue during the Spring as the state legislature is considering revising the language to provide legal recourse to victims. Now, Cura Collective is promoting a petition to correct this egregious loophole. Cura Collective is aware that this is the state of the law not just in New York State but across 37 other states; surprisingly, states such as North Carolina and Arkansas have far more progressive laws than New York.

For more information on Cura Collective, visit curacollective.org

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