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Design by KV Design
Congratulations to all 21 Leaders for the 21st Century and a very special
to
Jd Michaels
recipient of The Loreen Arbus Champion for Disabilities Award Amazing work, Lori! “Great leaders don’t tell you what to do, they show you how it’s done.” –Alessandro Berselli
Lauren Embrey, and The Embrey Family Foundation, is Pleased to Pay Tribute to all of the Women's eNews
21 LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 2019
Lauren Embrey President Embrey Family Foundation
Honorary Gala Chair
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LOREEN ARBUS
oreen Arbus is currently the President of The Loreen Arbus Foundation, The Goldenson-Arbus Foundation and Loreen Arbus Productions, Inc. Through these organizations and in her personal endeavors, Ms. Arbus is a tireless advocate for women and girls; a champion for one of the world’s largest minorities - people with disabilities; and is passionate about encouraging equal opportunities in television, film, communications, and the arts. She holds the trailblazing distinction of being the first woman to head programming for a U.S. network, a feat accomplished twice (both at Showtime and Cable Health Network/Lifetime). In addition to helping establish these two cornerstones of cable television, she launched Loreen Arbus Productions, Inc., an independent television production company with an emphasis on non-fiction programming. Ms. Arbus has extensive experience in the entertainment industry as a writer and producer, a consultant to various networks, and an executive in network television, cable, syndication and print media. The author of six non-fiction books, she has also written countless articles for many national publications, and was twice nominated for an EmmyŽ Award. She co-wrote the first book
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on AIDs, Everything You Need to Know About AIDs, with Dr. Mathilde Krim. Through her philanthropic activities, particularly the Loreen Arbus Foundation, Ms. Arbus supports a broad scope of interests including advocacy for women and girls, scientific and medical research, minorities, people with disabilities, gender and racial equality in media, the arts, animal rights, and global peace. The Foundation has established and funds many scholarships that both enhance and elevate social consciousness around key societal issues. As a disability rights activist, she is committed to the work initiated by her parents (Isabelle and Leonard H. Goldenson, Founder and Chairman of ABC) who co-founded what is today the fifth largest health agency in America, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), which serves people with a wide range of disabilities. Ms. Arbus served as the Founder and Chair of the annual Women Who Care Awards Luncheon, a high-profile New York tradition which for fifteen years generated global media attention and raised over eight million dollars for people with disabilities. Ms. Arbus also co-founded the Media Access Office to increase employment, improve depiction, and raise consciousness regarding disability.
Honorary Gala Co- Chair
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ABIGAIL E. DISNEY
bigail E. Disney is a filmmaker, philanthropist, activist, and the Emmy-winning director of The Armor of Light. As CEO and president of Fork Films, the documentary production company behind the groundbreaking Pray the Devil Back to Hell and the PBS series Women, War & Peace, Abigail is committed to stories that create dialogue across divides and move the needle on social change. She has executive produced and supported over 90 projects through Fork Films’ funding program. Additionally, Abigail is the founder and president of Peace is Loud, a nonprofit that uses media and live events to highlight stories of women stepping up for peace. Recently, Abigail co-founded Level Forward, a new entertainment model and enterprise in which profit and principle go hand in hand. The company, formed in partnership with Killer Content, builds on the legacy of making stories that matter, with a commitment to innovation, inclusion, and impact.
Having grown up in a family of filmmakers, Disney turned to documentaries in 2008, inspired to tell the story of a brave group of women who used nonviolent protests and sex strikes to bring an end to Liberia’s long civil war. That film, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, which was broadly credited with highlighting the bravery and sacrifice of its lead figure, Leymah Gbowee, won best documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2008, and screened in 60 countries around the world on all seven continents. Among the many films Disney’s production company, Fork Films, has supported promoting peacebuilding, human rights, and social justice, include: 1971, Alias Ruby Blade, Citizen Koch, Family Affair, Hot Girls Wanted, The Mask You Live In, Out In the Night, Playground, Seeds of Time, Sexy Baby, The Only Real Game, This is How I Roll, Cameraperson, and the Academy Award-nominated films Sun Come Up (2011, Best Documentary Short) and The Invisible War (2012, Best Documentary Feature).
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Honorary Gala Co-Chair
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LAUREN EMBREY
auren Embrey is President and the Philanthropic Visionary of The Embrey Family Foundation and CEO of Embrey Interests, Ltd. located in Dallas, TX. She also serves as a Board Member of The AT&T Performing Arts Center (Vice Chair), The Dallas Theater Center, TACA and The Letot Center Foundation Board in Dallas, Texas Futures Project in Austin, The Women’s Media Center, Former Board Chair, ERA Coalition and PEN America in New York City. Lauren serves on the Advisory Board for Human Rights Initiative in Dallas, Nomi Network in NYC, The National Observer in Vancouver BC, the Honorary Board for Have Art Will Travel in New York City and Titas in Dallas. Lauren’s passion is theater, dance, film and human rights work. She produced the U.S. Premiere of Truth in Translation in 2007 at Southern Methodist University. She is Executive Producer for the documentary Playground, a film on the commercial sexual exploitation of children in America, and a documentary on The Apollo Theater. She is involved in Chicken & Egg Pictures, Impact Partners and The Sundance Institute. Lauren is currently aiding in the development of The Global Arts Corps next theatrical production, and in the development and production of a film on the life of Bert Williams. 6 | 21 LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Lauren is a member of Women Moving Millions, The Threshold Foundation, The Democracy Alliance, and Synergos Institute’s Global Philanthropy Circle. Lauren received the Women That Soar Award for Philanthropy in Dallas, TX in 2009. The Embrey Family Foundation received the Award for Outstanding Foundation by the Greater Dallas Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Angel of Freedom Award from Human Rights Initiative in 2009. In 2015, the Foundation received The Destiny Award from St. Phillips School in Dallas for their Dallas Faces Race Initiative. Lauren received the Champion of Human Rights Award given by Mosaic Services, the Peacemaker Award from Peacemakers International, and the Women Who Give Hope Award given by The Chiapas Project in 2010 and The MS Foundation for Women’s Women of Vision Philanthropy Award in 2013. She received Ignite’s Trailblazer Award, Chicken & Egg Pictures’ Good Egg Award, The Pachamama Alliance’s Philanthropy Award, Dallas Women’s Foundation’s Maura Award, and She Should Run’s Wendy Award in 2014. She was awarded the Force for Change Award by the Texas Equal Access Fund in 2015, The Abolitionist Award from Nomi Network in 2016 and The Dallas Holocaust Museum’s Hope for Humanity Award in 2017.
Awards Gala Host
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TAMSEN FADAL
amsen Fadal is an eleven-time Emmy award-winning journalist and anchor of PIX 11 News in New York at 5pm, 6pm and 10 pm. She is the executive producer and host of Broadway Profiles for The Broadway Channel. With more than two decades of experience, she has covered local, national, and international stories including Hurricane Sandy, the Metro North train derailment, the Columbia Shuttle crash, the London bombings, and the war on terror. In 2002, she traveled to Afghanistan and was embedded with the American troops during the war. Additionally, Tamsen reported during Operation Enduring Freedom from Air Force bases in London and Germany. A longtime theater fan, Fadal made her Broadway debut in Chicago in January 2010, followed by In the Heights and Rock of Ages. In 2017, Tamsen received an Emmy Award for Best On-Camera Achievement and Best Host for Broadway Profiles. In 2014, Tamsen was honored with an Emmy Award for Best On-Camera Achievement as a News Anchor/Host and, in 2016, received the Emmy Award a second time. She has also garnered Emmy Awards for her Political News Special Remembering Ed Koch and Arts Programming for her Backstage on Broadway theater series. In 2005, she was honored with an Emmy Award for her work as an investigative reporter.
In 2016, Tamsen received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO). In 2015, she was named a “Power Woman” by Moves Magazine for her work on-air and in the community. In 2014, she was selected to receive the Soldiers’, Sailors’, Marines’, Coast Guard, and Airmen’s Club Media Award for her work overseas with our troops. Tamsen, a Lebanese-American, is passionate about empowering women and has appeared on The Talk, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Lifetime, A&E, and The CBS Early Show in support of this mission. She has co-authored three self-help books; her latest, The New Single: Finding, Fixing, and Falling Back In Love With Yourself (St. Martin’s Press), seeks to help women emerge from a big life change with confidence, grace, and a recipe for self-care. She is the Honorary Vice Chair of the ADAPT Community Network Board of Directors, Board member of Best Buddies New York, and spokesperson for SHARE Cancer Support and North Shore Animal League. Tamsen lost her mother to breast cancer in 1990 and has been a long-time advocate of educating women and their families about this devastating disease and the necessity for early detection. In 2011, she co-founded Shansen Jewelry, alongside her cousin, actress Shannon Elizabeth, with a portion of all proceeds going to animal rescue and breast cancer charities. WOMEN’S ENEWS | 7
Honorary Gala Co- Chair
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SUZANNE LERNER
uzanne Lerner, co-founder, CEO, and president of lifestyle and clothing brand Michael Stars, is an activist entrepreneur and philanthropist. Her primary focus is on creating economic empowerment for women and girls and supporting organizations that promote gender and racial equality – giving back to communities both domestically and internationally through personal grants, impact investments, and the Michael Stars Foundation. She co-founded Michael Stars in Los Angeles with husband Michael Cohen, focused on one fordimable goal: to create the perfect tee. Under Suzanne’s leadership, Michael Stars has evolved into an inimitable collection of high quality, beautifully designed and constructed wardrobe essentials, made with sustainable materials. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Ms. Lerner’s commitment to social and racial equality began at a young age, becoming part of the city’s dynamic movements for gender and racial equality. She
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and her husband, Michael Cohen, co-founded and built Michael Stars with opportunity, equality, and diversity as core values. Today, Ms. Lerner inspires new generations of social impact entrepreneurs and is a frequent contributor and speaker on investing, founding, and running socially conscious businesses. She serves as a director on several non-profit boards including the ACLU of Southern California, the ERA Coalition, and the Ms. Foundation, an organization dedicated to building women’s collective power for social, economic, and reproductive justice. She has been honored as a “Woman of Vision” by the Ms. Foundation and was recognized as one of “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women’s eNews in 2018. She is also an active member of both Women Moving Millions and Women’s Donor Network. Suzanne also serves as an advisory board member of Prosperity Catalyst, Children Mending Hearts, and A CALL TO MEN. She resides in Los Angeles, CA with her #feministpup @ms_simba.
LORI SOKOL
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Executive Director & Editor-in-Chief
ori Sokol, Ph.D., assumed the role of Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of Women’s eNews in July, 2016. She previously served as it’s Board Chair in 2012-2013. Dr. Sokol was the Founder and President of Sokol Media, LLC, publisher of magazines that advocate for diversity, inclusion and sustainability in the workplace. Striving to empower individuals to triumph over gender-related societal limits so they can reach their full potential unhindered, her articles have been published in such major market publications as the Baltimore Sun, The NY Times, Slate.com, and The Huffington Post. She has also been interviewed on a variety of television news programs including MSNBC, CNBC, WPIX, and Fox Five Live. As a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology, Dr. Sokol’s research specifically focused on the media’s influence in crafting gender roles, further seeking to expose how stereotypes are created and maintained. She has published academic articles on the intersection of psychology and the media, taught seminars on Media Psychology through the University of Beijing, China, and served as an Adjunct Professor in the Psychology Department at Montclair
State University where she taught the course, Psychology of Women. In 2009, Dr. Sokol was elected to the Asian Women Business Council’s Executive Committee as its U.S. representative to help Asian female business owners expand their reach into the United States. She has also served as a national keynote speaker for the Society of Marketing Professionals and the International Telework Association Council, and internationally at the Asian Women Entrepreneur Conference in Seoul, and the International Women in Commerce Summit in Kuala Lumpur. In December, 2018, Dr. Sokol was featured in The Femocrats, About Face portrait series at Art Basel in Miami, a dynamic art series created to effect profound social change by challenging concepts of gender, race, identity and nature (see portrait image above). Dr. Sokol is a member of the National Press Club and on the Advisory Council of Have Art Will Travel. Her book, The Agile Workforce and Workplace: The New Future of Work, was published by Working Mother Media/Bonnier Corporation in 2011. She is currently working on her second book, #SheIsMe: How Women Can Save The World, due out in the Spring, 2020.
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2019
GISSELLE ACEVEDO
Honoring
ANA OLIVEIRA
DANIELLE BELTON
STEPHANIE SANDBERG
SUSAN BLAUSTEIN
SEAN STRUB
CAROLYN A. BUTTS
ALICIA SYRETT
WENDY DAVIS
A CALL TO MEN
ROBYN HATCHER
CAMPAIGN FOR FEMALE EDUCATON (CAMFED)
MEIKA HOLLENDER KATJA IVERSEN CYNTHIA LÓPEZ ROSALIND McLYMONT BRETTE McSWEENEY Jd MICHAELS
MARC (MEN ADVOCATING REAL CHANGE) by CATALYST MARCH ON Teen Voices Honoree
JEWISH WOMEN’S ARCHIVE RISING VOICES FELLOWSHIP
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GISSELLE ACEVEDO President & CEO, Ackerman Institute for the Family
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s President and CEO, Gisselle Acevedo leads the Ackerman Institute for the Family to further its mission to improve the mental health of families in the New York area through the dynamic interaction of innovative treatment, state of the art training and cutting edge research. In her role, she uses her vision and voice to help Ackerman in moving families forward with the purpose to serve mental health care professionals and bring innovative perspectives to a broad array of community service agencies and other health care facilities. Appointed in 2018, she is the Institute’s fifth president and the first Hispanic woman to lead the organization.
“At the Ackerman Institute we provide family therapy through a social justice lens to help families understand how contextual factors such as racism, sexism and other forms of oppression impact how families experience themselves, their self-esteem and their knowledge of each other. We work to understand how these factors show up in family systems and the impact they have from generation to generation. The question is how can families use their experiences, struggles, triumphs, and their own cultural legacies to strengthen and repair relational strains. At Ackerman we are committed to working with families, as well as developing therapists who are committed to honest and intimate dialogues that strengthen individuals, families and our community.�
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DANIELLE BELTON Recipient, Rita Henley Jensen Excellence in Journalism Award Editor-in-Chief, The Root
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orn and raised St. Louis, Mo. on a healthy diet of news programming, pop culture, black history and “snark,” Danielle C. Belton examines the irreverent side of American life. She is currently editor-in-chief for The Root, the leading African American news site for news and commentary. Belton is best known as the editor/writer of her pop culture-meets-politics blog The Black Snob. The site has a readership spanning political junkies, journalists, fellow bloggers, political pundits, authors, academics, legislators and political strategists. Belton and her site has earned widespread critical acclaim, appearing in The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Observer (UK), The Daily Beast, NPR, and has also been a featured guest on CNN, ABC’s Nightline and Good Morning America, NBC’s Today Show, MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell and made regular appearances on PBS’s To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbe and NPR’s Tell Me More with Michel Martin. As a freelance journalist, Belton has contributed to: MSNBC, Essence Magazine, Mediaite, PBS’ To The Contrary, NPR’s Tell Me More, The American Prospect, The Root, The Grio, Jezebel.com, Essence.com, UPTOWN Magazine online, Black Enterprise Magazine Online, The Huffington Post and many more.
“We love our culture and our people. As a black site, The Root embraces who we are, no longer hiding.”
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SUSAN BLAUSTEIN Founder & Director, WomenStrong International
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r. Susan M. Blaustein is Founder and Executive Director of WomenStrong International, a global community of organizations working with women and girls to eradicate extreme urban poverty. WomenStrong finds, funds, nurtures, and shares women-driven solutions through a Learning Community focused on girls’ education and empowerment, women’s health and economic opportunity, and preventing violence against women and girls. Prior to starting WomenStrong, Dr. Blaustein co-founded and directed the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI), a project of the Earth Institute at Columbia University committed to sustainable urban development across sub-Saharan Africa. There, over the course of a decade, Dr. Blaustein repeatedly witnessed the effectiveness of local women and girls in the cities’ poorest communities, as they took the lead in effecting transformative change.
“I am honored and humbled every day by the strength, courage, and wisdom of the women, girls, and families with whom we work, and by their determination to improve our world, however they can. We can all learn by listening to women, who know best what they need, in order to thrive.”
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CAROLYN A. BUTTS Founder & Executive Director, African Voices
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arolyn A. Butts is the publisher/founder of African Voices, a leading arts magazine devoted to publishing fine art and literature by artists of color. Carolyn is also the founder of the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series (www.reelsisters.org), the first Academy Qualifying Film Festival for Shorts devoted to women filmmakers. Reel Sisters provides opportunities for women of color in the film industry. Carolyn was recently featured in Black Enterprise for her business acumen and spotlighting the importance of hiring women behind the camera in the film industry. A trailblazer, Carolyn has increased the visibility of Black and Latino artists in literature, film and art. The magazine continues to be an outlet for emerging artists to publish fiction, poetry and visual art. African Voices has published more than 4,270 writers
and artists since its inception in 1992. Carolyn’s work in publishing and the arts has earned her many distinguished honors including the Women In Media Award 2019, Total Faith Network Award 2018, National Writers Union’s Louis Reyes Rivera Excellence Award for Educators 2015, 2017 Proclamation from the NYC Council at City Hall, LIU’s Living History: A Tribute to Excellent Award 2013, Women in Media Award 2010 and Spirit of A Woman Firestarter Award 2013. Under Carolyn’s leadership, Reel Sisters has presented over 5,000 films since its inception 22 years ago and given more than $25,000 in scholarship money to aspiring filmmakers. Reel Sisters is on Film Daily’s top best 10 women centered festivals list. The festival will be held on Oct. 19-20, 2019 in New York City.
“Storytelling is our greatest gift. Our stories endow us with unimaginable and infinite power to evolve as human beings. Our art and stories will save us. I have invested my life in creating platforms where people can share stories and become catalysts for positive changes in our world.”
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Keynote Speaker
WENDY DAVIS Founding Director, Deeds Not Words
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s the founding director of Deeds Not Words, a non-profit that seeks to empower and activate the voices of young women in public and political discourse, Wendy Davis is also a former Texas State Senator, 2014 Texas Democratic Gubernatorial nominee. While in the senate, Wendy sponsored bills on everything from cancer prevention to payday lending to protecting victims of sexual assault to government transparency. In 2011, she led the fight against a state budget that underfunded public schools by $5 billion, leading the Republican-led senate to strip her of her position on the education committee. It was not the only effort to silence her. She narrowly won her 2012 election only after an almost two-year battle in federal court, where she won a challenge to the Republican gerrymandered redistricting plan that attempted to redraw her district and doom her re-election chances. Wendy gained increased national prominence in 2013 when she strapped on a pair of pink sneakers and held a 13-hour filibuster to protect women’s reproductive freedoms in Texas. In 2016, Wendy founded Deeds Not Words to give women the tools needed to turn their passion into effective action – teaching civic engagement skills to young women who use what they learn to organize, advocate for policy change and increase voter participation.
“The mission of Deeds Not Words is to help activate the energy and the impact of young women in our state. They care very much about the issues impacting them positively and negatively, but need to learn how to activate and engage at the local and state level in order to make change. That’s where Deeds Not Words comes in.”
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ROBYN HATCHER Owner & CEO, SpeakEtc.
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obyn Hatcher is a keynote speaker, communication expert, author, thought leader and award winning “recovering” actor. Pretty astounding since her literal nickname growing up was SHY. Robyn inspires and educates individuals through corporate programs, private coaching, and interactive presentations. She has written for stage, film and two daytime dramas and last year appeared on Good Morning America speaking about the “Me Too” movement. Hatcher uses her 15 plus years in the entertainment industry and her experience as a certified Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner to create easy to implement communication and mindset techniques that empower individuals to be heard and recognized and companies and organizations to improve engagement, morale and performance. She works with both Fortune 500 companies like Lifetime Television, Jones New York, AXA, UBS, Hewlett Packard and PayPal as well as organizations like New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services and Girl Scouts.
““Far too many individuals feel they need permission to express their talent, value and ‘fabulosity.’ I’m on a mission to give those individuals the skills, the confidence and the courage to speak up and stand out and realize they don’t need permission – only to trust in their greatness.”
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MEIKA HOLLENDER CEO & Co-Founder, Sustain Natural Creator, GetOnTop
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eika Hollender is the Co-Founder and CEO at Sustain Natural, a leading brand of all natural, vagina-friendly products. She is also the creator of GetOnTop, a national campaign aimed at getting women to take control of their sexual health. Meika received her MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, where she was the President of the Social Enterprise Association. Through Sustain’s 10%4Women initiative, she is proud to work closely with Planned Parenthood and Women’s Voices for the Earth. Meika has been listed on Forbes 30 under 30, Fast Company’s Most Creative People and Inc. 30 under 30, and her second book Get On Top was just released in March 2018 by Touchstone. Meika also joined the board of the organization Net Impact in 2017. Meika Hollender has appeared on MSNBC, Fox & Friends, CNN’s Great Big Story, and been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, Teen Vogue and Cosmopolitan. Meika’s video feature on Now This went viral in 2017 earning over 12 million views.
“The 2016 election was an inflection point for our business. I was first made to feel like I was causing bad behavior by selling condoms. Now, the industry has burst wide open. I want to rewrite the rules around selling condoms, period cups, and tampons!”
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KATJA IVERSEN President & CEO, Women Deliver
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atja Iversen is the President/CEO of Women Deliver – a leading global advocate for investment in gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women, with a specific focus on maternal, sexual and reproductive health and rights. Iversen, an internationally recognized expert on development, advocacy and communications, has more than 25 years of experience working in NGOs, corporates and United Nation agencies. Previously, she held the position as Chief of Strategic Communication and Public Advocacy with UNICEF, a position she came to after almost six years of leading the team responsible for advocacy and communication on reproductive health with UNFPA. She holds a master’s degree in communications, bachelor’s
degree in public administration and certificates in management, conflict resolution, and international development. Iversen has worked in global development for more than 20 years and has an extensive network within the UN, development communities, and global media. She has counseled and trained multiple Fortune 500 executives on cross cultural management and cross cultural communication. She is a member of President Marcon’s G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council, the Unilever Sustainability Advisory Council, the MIT Women & Technology Solve Leadership Group, and an International Gender Champion. Iversen was recently named 2018 Dane of the Year and included in the top 10 of Apolitical’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy. She is also a sought lecturer and speaker.
“Gender equality is not a women’s issue – it is a societal issue. If we want a gender equal world, men must be a part of the solution. Whether we talk about the uneven burden of unpaid work, preventing gender-based violence, enhancing women’s leadership, or shattering harmful gender norms, we have to get boys and men involved – at all levels and all ages.”
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CYNTHIA LÓPEZ Executive Director, New York Women in Film & Television
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ynthia López leads the preeminent professional association for women in film, television and digital media in New York City, NYWFT. She is an award-winning media strategist, and former Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where she implemented strategies to support film and TV production throughout the five boroughs. Prior to working as Commissioner, López was Executive Vice President and co-Executive Producer of the award-winning PBS documentary series American Documentary | POV, and is the recipient of many coveted industry awards including: 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, a Special Emmy Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking, three Peabody Awards, two duPont-Columbia Awards, and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Award for Commitment to Corporate Diversity.
“Women have repeatedly earned their rightful place in our society, government, media, and the economy. Their recent electoral victories in Congress serve as an inspiration to women in all areas of the film and television industry who are standing up for gender equity, equal pay, and safer work environments. I am primed for the challenges that lay ahead of us, while also galvanized by the secured victories, and look forward to developing new initiatives in support of women working in media.”
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ROSALIND McLYMONT Executive Editor, The Network Journal
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s the Executive Editor of The Network Journal, a New York-based business magazine that targets an audience of black professionals and entrepreneurs, Rosalind McLymont is also chief executive officer of an online publication, africastrictlybusiness.com, and the author of two fiction and one non-fiction titles. Rosalind has more than 25 years’ experience as a journalist and speaker on global business. She was an international trade reporter and the first Black managing editor at The Journal of Commerce, at the time an Economist Group-owned shipping and global trade newspaper. Born in Guyana, McLymont is a past fellow of the European Community Visitors Program, was named a “Woman History Maker” by the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a “Phenomenal Woman in Media” by Our Time Press and Herbert Von King Park Cultural Arts Center.
She has also received awards from the New York Association of Black Journalists; International Black Women’s Congress; CEJJES Institute; National Minority Business Council; New York Regional Chapter of the National Association of Health Services Executives; Office of the Comptroller of New York City; National Association of Kawaida Organizations–New York Chapter; and the Guyana Cultural Association. MEA Magazine in Washington, D.C., named her one of its 2012 “50 Powerful Women in Business,” and African American Women in Cinema named her a “Woman of Excellence” in 2015. A former two-term member of the Sub-Saharan Advisory Committee of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, she currently serves as a board member of the Journalism Department at York College, City University of New York, and a founding Advisory Board member of The School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation at The University of Guyana.
“In the early 1970s, as a teacher at a boarding high school in rural Uganda, I also served as House Mistress for the girls’ dormitory. More than my travels with women in Western Europe, and in Russia, Asia, and the rest of Africa, this initially frightening responsibility taught me much about myself as a woman, and about the women and girls in our emerging world. I have vowed, therefore, to never forget the spirit and voice of women and girls when I write.” WOMEN’S ENEWS | 21
BRETTE McSWEENEY President, Eleanor’s Legacy
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rette McSweeney leads Eleanor’s Legacy, the only statewide organization in New York focused on recruiting, training, and funding pro-choice Democratic women candidates at the state and local level. The Eleanor’s Legacy community welcomes all self-identifying women ready to build a new generation of New York leaders. Founded in 2001 by Judith Hope, the first woman to chair the New York State Democratic Committee, the organization is inspired by the dynamic legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt. As Mrs. Roosevelt said, “Democracy is not about words, but action.” In 2018 the Baker Project, a special initiative of Eleanor’s Legacy, was vital to the wave of victories by women candidates for the New York State Senate, electing a record-high number of women Senators and making history with Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the first Africa-American woman (and first woman, ever) to serve as Senate Majority Leader. Brette served as a member of the New York Leadership Council for Hillary for America in 2016 and the deputy New York State director for women’s outreach in 2008.
“Eleanor’s Legacy is building a new generation of pro-choice Democratic women leaders in New York State. State and local office is where our government has the most impact on our day-to-day life.”
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The Loreen Arbus Champion for Disabilities Award
Jd MICHAELS michaels.adams.
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d Michaels is a native of Kansas City, a graduate of Yale University, and, by trade, a bit of a mad scientist. He is also the older and distinguished-grey half of michaels.adams., where Jd and his creative teammate Casey Adams head an international collective of creative professionals who combine technology, traditional craft, high art, and a great big bowl of DIY to create innovative projects focused in art, education, science, and community service. Every project holds at its core the harmony generated when our common human passions, experiences, and choices blend together. Because real diversity is about everybody - not about everybody else. This summer michaels.adams. will premiere Season One of their StoriesAboutUs initiative; a collection of fantasy fiction books from the imagination of writers and artists within the American disability and deaf communities. These love stories, detective dramas, thrillers, and comedies are focused on charac-
ter, with disability displayed as one organic element of the hero’s reality. Physical and e-books will be available on Amazon and other online retailers with accompanying audio versions; the goal is to provide these talented writers with a fast track to being published authors and provide education for those choosing content for the hundreds of series pilots generated each year. During his 25 years as a New York City advertising executive he earned gold Clios, ADD Cubes, One Show Pencils, Cannes Lions, and ADCOLOR awards; but his key career moments centered on his projects celebrating culture and dignity; his MARVEL partnership resulted in an original comic about character and diversity “Avengers: Heroes Welcome”, which Jd and Casey hand distributed to over 500 children in all five boroughs at their traveling creative seminar through PAL New York and Big Brothers / Big Sisters Washington DC. At home, Jd writes classical music, seeks to amuse his wife and daughter, and feeds the cat.
“Real diversity is about everybody. It is not about everybody else.”
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ANA OLIVEIRA President & CEO, The New York Women’s Foundation
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nder Ana’s leadership, The New York Women’s Foundation has increased The Foundation’s grantmaking from $1.7M in 2006 to $9M today. Ana previously held key roles as a CEO of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, VP of Programs at Osborne Association, and Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center Substance Abuse Clinic. Ana attained her M.A. in Medical Anthropology and a PhD. (hon) from the New School for Social Research. She was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and resides in Manhattan.
“The NYWF fights for all women’s rights and protections, standing up for immigrants, communities of color, and LGBTQ communities. We do this by increasing and accelerating our investment in women leaders in communities. Additionally, we will protect the gains we have made, and not let our ability to live safe, economically secure lives be put at risk. Fortunately, we know how to do this because we have been working to build justice and economic security for women and families for nearly three decades. Our job may now be harder, but we are ready.”
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STEPHANIE SANDBERG Executive Director, LPAC
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tephanie Sandberg is the Executive Director of LPAC, the only political organization for LGBTQ woven; and Project LPAC, a charitable organization that conducts original research on LGBTQ women and civic engagement. Prior to her appointment in 2018, Stephanie was Director of OutWOMEN and Managing Director at Out Leadership, a B Corp that seeks to provide businesses ‘return on equality’ through LGBTQ inclusion. She spent her earlier professional career in media, where she had business roles at The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, The New Yorker and The New Republic, where she served as president and publisher.
“LPAC’s sole and unique focus is on creating a place at the table for LGBTQ women.”
WOMEN’S ENEWS | 25
SEAN STRUB Recipient, 2019 Gordon Gray Award* Executive Director, Sero Project
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ean Strub is a long-time human rights activist, feminist and writer who has been living with HIV his entire adult life. He founded POZ Magazine, the leading independent, community-driven global source of information about HIV and served as its executive editor from 1994 to 2004. In 1990, he was the first openly HIV-positive person to run for the U.S. Congress. Today Sean serves as the executive director of the Sero Project, an advocacy network of people living with HIV and allies. Sero is particularly focused on ending inappropriate criminal prosecutions of people living with HIV, including for non-disclosure of one’s HIV status and for perceived or potential exposure to or transmission of HIV. Sean co-founded the U.S. PLHIV Caucus, the Positive Justice Network and HIV Justice Worldwide, and served on the board of the Global Network of People Living with HIV. He credits his feminist worldview to the women on his paper route in Iowa City, Iowa, in the 1970s, who included him in their consciousness-raising endeavors. He is the author of Body Counts: A Memoir of Politics, Sex, AIDS and Survival (Scribner 2014), and co-authored two books on corporate social responsibility. He is the mayor of Milford, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his partner, Xavier Morales.
“I organize people living with HIV to enable us to define our own agendas, promote, and hold accountable leadership of our own choosing and to enable us to speak with collective voices.”
*named after Women’s eNews founding board member
26 | 21 LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
ALICIA SYRETT Founder & CEO, Pantegrion Capital
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licia Syrett is the Founder and CEO of Pantegrion Capital, an angel investment vehicle focused on seed and early stage investments. She is a recurring panelist on CNBC and MSNBC, a Contributor for Inc., a 2019 Fellow at the Economic Club of New York, and an Instructor at Columbia University. She is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), Women’s Forum of NY, and WomenCorporateDirectors. She currently serves on the Board of the NY Tech Alliance, several company and advisory boards and has served on the Board of Directors of New York Angels and as a Managing Director of Golden Seeds. Ms. Syrett was named as one of LinkedIn’s 2018 “Top Voices in Startups and Entrepreneurship,” one of the “30 Women in Venture Capital to Watch in 2018” by Business Insider, one of the “25 Angel Investors in New York You Need to Know” by AlleyWatch, one of Wharton’s “40 Under 40” by Wharton Magazine, and one of Virgin’s “Five Next Generation Leaders Emerging from Tech.” She has been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, Inc., The Huffington Post, Mashable, Entrepreneur, NPR’s Marketplace, and USA Today. She has also appeared on CNBC’s Make Me a Millionaire Inventor and Cash Crowd, Nightly Business Report (NBR) on PBS, and Fox Business’s Risk & Reward. She founded The Point 25 Initiative and also wrote a Guide for Entrepreneurs for #MentHERnyc, an event she co-founded.
“Women starting and running businesses today are building different organizations than before. Their Boards are diverse from the start; they care about flex time and paid leave; and they are using their economic power to advocate for causes they care about. By empowering women entrepreneurs, we are changing the system from the ground up.”
WOMEN’S ENEWS | 27
Leading National Organization
A CALL TO MEN
Tony Porter Chief Executive Officer
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CALL TO MEN educates men all over the world on healthy, respectful manhood. By embracing and promoting a healthy, respectful manhood, men and boys prevent violence against women, sexual assault and harassment, bullying and many other social ills. As a violence prevention organization and respected leader on issues of manhood, male socialization and its intersection with violence, A CALL TO MEN is internationally recognized for training and educating men and boys to embrace and promote a healthy, respectful manhood. The organization’s approach is grounded in the social ecological model, advocated
Ted Bunch Chief Development Officer
by the Centers for Disease Control, as a framework for primary prevention of gender-based violence, and supports the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Goal 5: Gender Equality). The organization has 20+ years of experience working with and training men and boys, including the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, National Hockey League, the United States Military, the Department of Justice, the United Nations, corporations, organizations, and educational institutions across the United States and abroad.
“Our mission is not so much intervention as it is prevention. An investment in A CALL TO MEN is an investment in safety and equality for women and girls. We’ve been physically in front of a one million people, from middle school to high school...from the barbershop to the boardroom. We believe healthy manhood is the solution.”
28 | 21 LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Leading International Organization
CAMPAIGN FOR FEMALE EDUCATON (CAMFED)
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he Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) is an international non-profit organization tackling poverty and inequality by supporting girls to go to school and succeed, and empowering young women to step up as leaders of change. CAMFED invests in girls and women in the poorest rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, where girls face acute disadvantage, and where their education has transformative potential. Since 1993, the organization’s innovative community-led education programs have supported more than 2.6 million children to go to school in Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe at more than 5,745 partner schools. When a girl is educated in Africa, she’ll be three times less likely to get HIV/AIDS, earn 25% more income and have a smaller, healthier family. She’ll also be more likely to invest in her children’s education and support their studies, as well as strengthen her ability to resist gender-based violence and discrimination, and change her community from within.
“When you educate a girl, everything changes. All of our programs begin with an individual girl in rural Africa. We look at the world from her perspective, and work with communities to dismantle the barriers to her education, and to a life of independence and leadership through the CAMFED Alumnae (CAMA) network. These initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa also have global implications, since how CAMFED has worked on the ground with communities since 1993 has furthered the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.” – Brooke Hutchinson, Executive Director - USA, Campaign for Female Education
WOMEN’S ENEWS | 29
Leading National Organization
MARC
MEN ADVOCATING REAL CHANGE by CATALYST
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ARC (Men Advocating Real Change) empowers men to engage in workplace inclusion through research-based programming and an online community to continue the conversation. MARC, which was launched in 2012, was the brainchild of Catalyst, a global nonprofit organization that works with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to build workplaces that work for women. A key component of MARC is the powerful MARC Leaders workshop, an immersive 1.5-day program that engages men as change agents who lead efforts to improve workplace diversity and inclusion. After this transformational experience, participants leave with intentional next steps and the support to stay engaged in the months to come. MARC Teams is a group-learning strategy for creating inclusive workplaces on a grassroots level. Small groups of men and women facilitate their own discussions, developing their ability to practice having dialogues across differences, and advance skills to support a climate of inclusion regardless of level. The MARC Community is an online hub for men committed to addressing gender inequality in the workplace. In addition to tips for taking action and webinars on best practices, it offers an exclusive forum for Catalyst Supporters and MARC Leaders participants to ask questions, learn from one another, and challenge outdated thinking.
“MARC gives men an opportunity to discuss gender diversity in a meaningful, supportive way. It creates a community of leaders committed to gender partnership who then become role models for creating workplaces that work for everyone.” – Lorraine Hariton, President & CEO, Catalyst
30 | 21 LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Leading National Organization
MARCH ON
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ARCH ON is the nation’s largest network of women-led, grassroots political and activist groups. It seeks to engage women and their allies in the democratic process, advocate for policies that impact marginalized communities, and make our government more representative of its people. It achieves this by supporting a network of hundreds of local affiliates and organizers, and mobilizing women voters through national campaigns. Born out of the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, MARCH ON has activated the leadership of thousands of women and young people and provided them the training, infrastructure, and resources necessary to effect change. MARCH ON strives to build an organization defined by its values: To be radically inclusive, genuinely committed to a bottom-up approach, and focused on uplifting and amplifying the voices of local organizers and leaders.
“The 2017 March on Washington was a turning point for women: We saw that we had the power to change our country. At MARCH ON we’re committed to growing that power every day. We empower local activists and organizers, uplift their voices, and maximize their potential to effect change.” – Vanessa Wruble, Founder, March On
WOMEN’S ENEWS | 31
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Teen Voices Honoree
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JEWISH WOMEN’S ARCHIVE RISING VOICES FELLOWSHIP
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ounded in 2013, the Jewish Women’s Archive’s Rising Voices Fellowship (RVF) is a ten-month program for female-identified Jewish teens in 10th-12th grades who have a passion for writing, demonstrated interest in social justice issues, and strong connections to Judaism and feminism. Through the program, participants develop authentic voices, strengthen their leadership through writing, and begin to influence the important conversations of the Jewish and feminist communities. Fellows write blog posts which are published on jwa.org; and, during monthly webinars and in-person retreats in the Boston area, explore their Jewish feminist identities in a pluralistic environment—learning from inspiring guest teachers and mentors. As Fellows graduate from the program and move on to college and careers, they are invited to join the RVF alumnae network, where they continue to build and strengthen their connections with each other and broaden their impact on the world around them. Rising Voices syndication partners include Teen Voices @ Women’s eNews, Fresh Ink for Teens, and Lilith Magazine, which share Fellows’ writing with new and diverse audiences.
“All communities can benefit from the leadership of women who speak up, initiate important conversations, and advocate for their own rights and the rights of others – and the Jewish community is no exception. Jewish girls are as vulnerable to the pressures and dangers of growing up female as their peers in other ethnic, racial, and religious groups. The confluence of these pressures and needs reinforces RVF’s work: to develop and support female leaders to help them shape Jewish life and community for a more just future.” 32 | 21 LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Congratulations to NYWIFT Executive Director
Cynthia López
and all the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century honorees. Thank you for your leadership & vision! With Love, The NYWIFT Board of Directors & Staff
At WomenStrong International, we believe in the power of women and girls to end extreme urban poverty. We are proud to celebrate tonight with Women’s eNews and its 21 Leaders for the 21st Century – including our Founder, Dr. Susan M. Blaustein.
@NYWIFT / #NYWIFT Learn more at www.nywift.org
Learn more: womenstrong.org
For over 17 years Charise Isis has been empowering women with her camera.
The Grace Project
A Portrait Series by Eva Mueller
The Grace Project is an ongoing series of portraits capturing the courage, beauty and grace of women who have had mastectomy surgery as a result of breast cancer.
WomenStrong International
PHOTO SESSION
May 2017
WOMENSTRONG INTERNATIONAL
Goddess Portrait Gift Certificates
No matter what shape, size, or age you are, the resulting photographs will allow you to see your sparkling inner Goddess reflected back at you. Support Women’s eNews and The Grace Project by purchasing a gift certificate for yourself or a friend. www.the-grace-project.org • isisimages@yahoo.com • (914) 466-4347
Receive a portrait session with acclaimed portrait and fine art photographer Eva Mueller in her Bushwick studio. The sitter provides an original quote which will be overlaid on top of the photograph and converted into a lenticular print in 11”x14”, framed in either black or white.
Brand Guidelines 1.0
SEEN & HEARD
BRAND GUIDELINES 1.0
The continuation of a project Eva Mueller presented at Art Basel in Miami in December, 2018, it consists of 16 portraits of women and nonbinary individuals with their favorite quotes, chosen for their grounded contributions to modern-day feminism. The photos are presented on lenticular prints that allow the quotes to appear and disappear as the viewer passes by.
Eva Mueller’s work has appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Surface, Zink, Scene, and 125 Magazine, and most major record labels (Sony, Warner, BMG, Universal, and Atlantic Records).
www.evamueller-art.com | @evamueller | info@evamueller
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ABIGAIL E. DISNEY would like to Congratulate all of the 2019
21 LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
WOMEN’S ENEWS | 35
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