Speakers Addressing Feminism, Equality, and Progress Included Tory Burch, Dolores Huerta, and Billie Jean King
The Tory Burch Foundation hosted its third Embrace Ambition Summit: Confronting Stereotypes and Creating New Norms in New York City on June 14th. The event was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall.
With inspiring presentations, conversations, personal storytelling, and performances by noted people in business, entertainment, culture, sports and politics, the daylong forum questioned and addressed the most pressing issues facing women and marginalized people today.
In her opening remarks, Tory Burch said: “When we clear the obstacles that stand between a woman and her dreams, we can change the world.”
In addition to Tory Burch, speakers included Dolores Huerta, civil rights activist, on her lifelong labor activism; Julianne Moore, actor and activist, on gun reform; Billie Jean King, tennis icon, on her career and advocacy for gender and pay equality; Eva Chen, vice president of fashion partnerships at Instagram, on bias against Asian Americans; and Heather Booth, social change organizer, on women’s rights.
Performances included Adrienne Warren, Tears for Fears’ Curt Smith & his daughter Diva Smith, Flor de Toloache, and Ian Manuel.
In March, the public was invited to submit an application to attend the Summit. Attendance was complimentary and represented a wide cross-section of community leaders. Six women who submitted applications to attend shared their personal stories on stage: Jacqueline Hackett, Mary Keegan, Jia Hurd, Yulia Gerbut, Aisha Khan, and Dr. Nevada Winrow.
The Tory Burch Foundation advances women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship in the United States by providing access to capital, education, and digital resources: the Fellows Program has provided over $1,200,000 in grants to help women grow their businesses; the Tory Burch Capital Program has distributed over $75 million dollars in loans to nearly 4,800 women entrepreneurs; and each month, the Foundation provides online tools and digital education to more than 500,000 women and more than 10,000 women have created their business plans via the foundation’s digital platform.
