Martha Stewart honored as the Foundation pledges $1B in support for women-led businesses
This morning, the Tory Burch Foundation hosted its first-ever Founders Breakfast, an annual fundraising event spotlighting remarkable women entrepreneurs and celebrating their contributions to business and society. Held in New York, the event honored the inimitable Martha Stewart and announced a bold new objective: unlocking $1 billion in economic power by women entrepreneurs by 2030.
“Women entrepreneurs are solving real problems, creating jobs, and helping their communities prosper,” said Tory Burch, founder of the Foundation, as she introduced the initiative.
Martha Stewart joined Burch on stage for a powerful conversation about her journey and legacy, sharing a message of resilience and hope. “There are countless opportunities for the entrepreneurial mind out there… We have to continue to do our good work and try to make people understand that there is a future. And I care about the future a lot,” said Stewart.
The event also honored three standout entrepreneurs from the Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program: Denise Woodard of Partake Foods, Christa Cotton of El Guapo, and Beau Wangtrakuldee of AmorSui. “It was the support of the Tory Burch Foundation and other women entrepreneurs that gave me the tools and inspiration I needed for this journey,” said Wangtrakuldee.
A posthumous tribute was given to Maggie L. Walker, the first Black woman to found a U.S. bank. Her great-great-granddaughter, Liza Mickens, accepted the award on her behalf.
The guest list reflected the influential nature of the initiative, with attendees including Anna Wintour, Misty Copeland, Pamela Anderson, Janicza Bravo, Sara Blakely, and many more.
The Foundation’s newly announced 2030 goal is backed by a decade of impact: its Fellows stay in business longer and surpass $1 million in revenue at 10 times the national average. Tiffany Dufu, president of the Foundation, emphasized the urgency of this mission in today’s economic climate. “If we want to keep one of the last vestiges of the American dream alive, we need to support entrepreneurs… and we should invest in women. Increasing women’s economic power is good for the world.”
