Where in the World is Women Employed?
What do we want? Equity! When do we want it? Now! How do we get? By sharing the importance of closing the wage gap and the wealth gap, creating safe spaces for Black and Latina/x entrepreneurs and mompreneurs, celebrating leaders and organizations making a difference in the community, and engaging in discussions on the recent election and where we go from here. This month, we did all of that, and took the time to connect and share what’s on the horizon with committed supporters.
Want to learn more about what we’ve been up to? Read this month’s edition of Where in the World is Women Employed.
Women’s March Chicago We Won’t Go Back Rally
On November 2nd, WE’s Chief of Staff, Mary Kay Devine attended Women’s March Chicago’s We Are Not Going Back Rally. Women in Chicago joined allies across the country as they knocked on doors, marched, rallied, celebrated their collective power, and sent a strong message to Americans everywhere: we won’t go back. Mary Kay’s delivered remarks to the crowd, focusing on the urgent need to close the wage gap and the wealth gap at the intersection of gender and race.
WE Hub’s SHESolidarity Event with Hustle Mommies
The Women’s Entrepreneurship Hub (WE Hub) co-hosted their second SHESolidarity event with Hustle Mommies on Friday November 8th. SHESolidarity events center Black and Latina/x women by creating spaces for women entrepreneurs and mompreneurs to come together to connect and learn, and build their business community. Special thank you to Marseil Jackson and The Care Center for sponsoring the event space and Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken for donating lunch! And a special thank you to Ariel DeNay Rainey and the Hustle Mommies team for being great partners in planning and hosting our event. Click here to view the sizzle reel.
CAN TV Chicago Politics — The Roundtable
WE’s Executive Vice President of Policy, Programs, and Research, Sharmili Majmudar, participated in The Roundtable segment of CAN TV’s special live post-election edition of Chicago Politics on Wednesday, November 13th. During the 12-minute segment, Sharmili joined co-host Andy Zopp and other panelists to analyze the results of the election, and discuss where we go from here. Click here to watch the episode.
Ladies of Virtue Annual Fundraiser
The Ladies of Virtue held their annual fundraiser on Wednesday, November 13th. There, WE’s President and CEO Cherita Ellens was honored, along with seven other leaders and organizations, with the “Leading With Virtue” award. The event celebrated Ladies of Virtue’s 13 years of serving Black girls in the Chicagoland area and raised funds to continue empowering them through leadership programs and community outreach initiatives.
Austin Coming Together
On Thursday, November 14th, WE’s Chief of Staff Mary Kay Devine and Director of Business Development Ibie Hart attended the Austin Coming Together (ACT) Membership Awards. There, they were updated on ACT’s progress while celebrating their members, partners, and trailblazing local leaders for their significant contributions to advancing their shared mission of continuing to build a prosperous Austin community.
Investors for Change Breakfast
Women Employed hosted our Investors for Change, generous donors who make gifts of $1,000 or more each year, at our Investors for Change Breakfast on Monday, November 18th. WE’s Board Chair Lynn Watkins-Asiyanbi, President and CEO Cherita Ellens, and Executive Vice President of Policy, Programs, and Research Sharmili Majmudar reflected on WE’s work and impact over the last five years, and looked ahead to what’s on the horizon.
We were also honored to welcome special guest Sunu Chandy, Senior Advisor at Democracy Forward, former Legal Director of the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), and author of the award-winning poetry collection, My Dear Comrades. Sunu offered key insights from Democracy Forward’s recently published report, One Year After the Supreme Court’s Rollback of Considerations of Race in College Admissions: Safeguarding and Strengthening Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives, highlighting the resilience of DEI initiatives in the face of legal and political challenges following the Supreme Court’s rollback on race considerations in college admissions.
A special thank you to Bernstein Private Wealth Management for generously hosting this breakfast at their offices.
