Event photos by Erin Fortin
On May 1st, 170 girl champions joined us for a 15th Anniversary Breakfast Gala, held in WPP’s Sky Lounge in New York City. She’s the First launched a month-long celebration and campaign to invest in community-based organizations, that on the frontlines of educating and mentoring girls.
Here are 8 reasons why this was our favorite She’s the First fundraiser of all time!
1. Girls were at the center of the celebration:
As guests arrived, they passed through the Girl Activation Station on the way to their seats. Girls Advisory Council members and Girl Activist Fellows showcased their projects and dealt a hand of What Would You Do?, our card game in play around the world, to help mentors teach girls about healthy relationships.
2. Girls took center stage as co-emcees!
In addition, Allison Choong and Sania Hammad, two best friends who met through the first cohort of the Girl Activist Fellowship, opened and closed our program as co-emcees! They even improvised a piece of the program that everyone loved: passing the mic to audience members to share what they were the first to do.
3. Full circle moments with our Luminary Award honoree
Opal Vadhan, Special Assistant to the President and Personal Aide to Vice President Kamala Harris in the Biden-Harris administration, wowed everyone with her speech and origin story as one of the original She’s the First interns and volunteers (she helped us produce our 2011 Girls Who Rock concert fundraiser as a high school senior!)
Chelsea Clinton presented Opal’s award with powerful remarks — another full circle moment, as back in 2013, Chelsea recognized She’s the First on stage at CGI U!
“At She’s the First, for one of the first times in my life, I spent hours surrounded by brilliant women who believed deeply in one thing: that every girl deserves an education.
And more than that, they also believed in me. And that made all the difference.”
4. Spotlighting an Alumna, from a Long-term Partner
Elvira Roquel, a graduate of the MAIA Impact School in Guatemala, confidently took to the stage to tell her story. MAIA and She’s the First have partnered for over 15 years, to build a mentorship program that increases girls’ agency. In the past 15 years, She's the First has invested over $880,000 in MAIA’s education and mentorship programs, impacting 750 girls just like Elvira. Today, she’s a member of the She’s the First Girls Advisory Council, and the first girl from her Indigenous community to attend university in the U.S. (at Syracuse).
“At the start of my freshman year, I joined the STF Advisory Council. It has been a journey I’ve truly enjoyed. It’s given me the opportunity to expand my thinking and to gain new perspectives on women’s struggles around the world.
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5. Spotlighting a Girl Leader, from a Newer Partner
Christine, a 17-year-old girl who found safety and support in a newer partner organization, Msichana Empowerment Kuria, shared her story via video. Christina Katic, Vice President, Global Marketing, Bobbi Brown, introduced the video as an example of what the Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Fund stands for — it has donated over $1M to She’s the First. Christine narrowly escaped FGM and is able to pursue a dream of becoming a lawyer, with the support of her mentor Maggie.
6. Co-CEO Kate Kiama made her New York debut!
Kate Kiama joined Co-Founder/Co-CEO Tammy Tibbetts on stage for a “morning show”-style interview with the emcees for her first time in NYC since becoming Co-CEO. She also provided important context after Christine’s video, to help the audience understand the urgent need to end FGM, a distressing form of gender-based violence that is still prevalent in some African communities.
7. Generous Support
Board Chair Tara Abrahams invited the room to donate toward She’s the First ongoing investment in girls and community organizations. Our page quickly totaled $63,969 in donations, thanks to a generous $15,000 match from Diane von Furstenberg! This is on top of the $105,000 raised by our table sponsors (Gwen Greene, JP Morgan Wealth Management, VML, Muriel F. Siebert Foundation, Tara & Riad Abrahams, Edelman, and Ogilvy)!
This generosity jumpstarted our goal to raise at least $75,000 on the page before May 31st. We’re 90% of the way there! Can you take us all the way?
8. An Emotional Finale
Ally Bonino, who starred in the original cast of SUFFS on Broadway, closed us out with her stirring performance of “Keep Marching.”
You won't live to see the future that you fight for
Maybe no one gets to reach that perfect day
If the work is never over
Then how do you keep marching anyway?
Have you heard the song? It sums up exactly how we’re feeling. 💜
Yes, the world can be changed, we've done it before
So keep marching (keep marching on), keep marching
We're always behind you, so bang down the door
And keep marching (keep marching on), keep marching
And let history sound the alarm of how
The future demands that we fight for it now
It will only be ours if we keep marching
Keep marching on (keep marching on)
Cheers to 15 years!
With gratitude,
The She’s the First Team