E M P O W H E
PRESENTED BY: JP MORGAN
CHASE
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PRESENTED BY: JP MORGAN CHASE
PROGRAM
OPENING PERFORMANCE | CIRQUE BERSERK
WELCOME REMARKS | GALA HOST COMMITTEE
DINNER SERVED
EMCEE | VANESSA ESTELLE WILLIAMS
FOUNDER WELCOME | BETTY LAMARR
PRESIDENT / CEO WELCOME | DAWN L. BROWN
EMPOWHER ANNIVERSARY VIDEO
LIVE AUCTION | AMY ASHTON
YOUTH TESTIMONIAL | JIANELLA BECERRIL
FUND THE NEED | AMY ASHTON & VANESSA ESTELLE WILLIAMS
CHAMPION OF GIRLS AWARD JP MORGAN CHASE
BETTY LAMARR PATHMAKER AWARD HONOREE FIRESIDE CHAT
KAMILIAH MOORE | SILVAS OLIVAS | LOUVENIA “KITTY” BLACK-PERKINS | AWKWAFINA
MODERATOR | CLAUDIA BOTERO, MODERATOR
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE | ERIC BENÉT
Today,wejoinyouinLosAngeles,toacknowledge andtohonortheoriginalstewardsofthelandon whichwegatherthatpreviouslywasknownbyits originalinhabitantsasChumash,TongvaandKich. Thelandisapartofeachofus.Itcarriessweat, tears,blood,andtheremainsofourNative ancestorsaswellasourAfricanancestorswhobuilt thiscountrywhileenslaved-thelandisus.Itiswith gratitudeandhopethatwemayliveinthespiritof communityasthetribes.Pleasejoinusina momentofsilenceinhonorofthelandonwhichwe celebratetonight.
HOST COMMITTEE
KAREN LOQUET
Retired Asst Auditor
Controller, LA County | WIT|LA
Dear Friends,
CECE
GUTIERREZ-SCOTT
RN BSN, Entrepreneur, VH1
Reality TV Starr
GLORIA DOMINGUEZ
Vice President, Branch Manager, City National Bank
DR JOSEPH BRYANT, JR
Executive Director, Rainbow PUSH/West Coast, Founder/CEO PROSPEAK
ANGEL JAMES HORACEK
Employment & Civil Rights Attorney, EmpowHer Board of Directors
We are proud to serve as the Host Committee for the 2023 PATHMAKER Awards Gala, presented by JP Morgan Chase. Thank you for joining us for such an important event and we extend to you a very warm welcome.
Can you believe it has been 20 years since EmpowHer began? We are so proud to see the multitude of accomplishments and the impact EmpowHer has had on the lives of thousands of girls. Our girls are the reasons that we are all here tonight. With your support, EmpowHer will be able to sustain and deepen that impact. So tonight, let's all bid BIG and donate BIG so we can continue to come together and celebrate the work of EmpowHer for the next 20 years and beyond!
Thank you to our sponsors, whose continued support makes the work possible We are proud to have JP Morgan Chase as our title sponsor and we are so grateful to recognize all of our 20 for 20 Sponsors: Edison International, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, NFL Foundation. Each of these companies made bold investments of $20K+ in honor of the 20th Anniversary Also, thank you to every sponsors--at every donor level, because your support makes a true difference There is no way to measure our gratitude
We hope you enjoy your evening!
HONORING DISRUPTORS OF THE STATUS QUO
We Salute Our Founding Board Members
E. Dali Pollard
E. Jean Gary
Patricia Bush and Betty LaMarr
Phyllis Jackson
Lorraine Loder (1953-2013)
Celebrating 20YEARS!
The Betty LaMarr PATHMAKER Award recognizes and honors three phenomenal women for their achievements, leadership, courage, and significant contribution to the lives of girls and women everywhere.
KAMILAH MOORE, ESQ. HONOREE
Chair, California Reparations Task Force
Kamilah Moore is a reparatory justice scholar and an attorney with a specialization in entertainment and intellectual property law. As a law student, Moore contributed to human rights reports related to domestic and international human rights issues, including, but not limited to racial inequality in Brazil, the human right to sanitation in Lowndes County, Alabama; and the human right to remedy for indigenous Black women affected by racialized gender violence in Papua New Guinea.
While studying abroad at the University of Amsterdam, Moore wrote a master thesis exploring the intersections between international law and reparatory justice for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, chattel slavery, and their legacies She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School in New York City, a Master of Laws degree in International Criminal Law from the University of Amsterdam, and a Bachelor’s degree from the UCLA. Kamilah was appointed to Chair the California Reparations Task Force in 2021 and has since petitioned tirelessly for reparations due to the descendants of former slaves held captive here in the United States
HONORING DISRUPTORS OF THE STATUS QUO
SILVIA OLIVAS HONOREE
Award-Winning Writer
MANITAS nominated, and two-time Emmy® to win an Emmy for scripted writing. Silvia sitcoms, live-action, animation, and feature p g g ory sensibility have been the driving forces in her writing As Executive Producer and Head Writer on ELENA OF AVALOR, a series featuring Disney’s first princess inspired by diverse Latin cultures and folklore, she was chosen as VARIETY MAGAZINE’S TEN SCRIBES TO WATCH Currently, Silvia is under a term deal, writing and producing an animated project for a major animation studio.
HONORING DISRUPTORS OF THE STATUS QUO
AWKWAFINA HONOREE
Award-Winning Actress, Writer, Producer
AWKWAFINA is an award-winning actress, writer, and producer from Queens, New York. She grew up with her given name, Nora Lum, and has since used her trademark comedic style and signature flairtobecomeabreakouttalentintheentertainmentindustry.
Lum can be seen on a Hulu film “Quiz Lady” in which she produced and stars alongside Sandra Oh. Most recently, Lum can be heard as the voice of Scuttle in the live action remake of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and seen in the two seasons of her Comedy Central Show, "Awkwafina is Nora From Queens,. hit films such as, Disney's "Shang Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings", Universal's "The Bad Guys, Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon”, "Jumanji: The Next Level," and MGM’s “Breaking NewsinYubaCounty”.
She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for “The Farewell”. Lum brings an impressive range of talent to everything she does, most famously to Warner Bros' smash hit "Crazy Rich Asians," opposite Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, andKenJeonginwhichshestarredasPeikLin.
Lum hosted "Saturday Night Live" that same year as part of the show's 44th season. She starred in another Warner Bros feature, "Ocean's 8,". She made her feature film debut in the comedy "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising," with Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne and was heard as the voice of Quail in the animated adventure "Storks." Her first book, Awkwafina's NYC, a travel guide to NewYork,waspublishedbyPenguinRandomHousein2015.
HONORING DISRUPTORS OF THE STATUS QUO
LOUVENIA “KITTY” BLACK-PERKINS HONOREE
Chief Designer of the First Black Barbie
Louvenia Kitty BlackPerkins,avisionaryfashiondesigner,revolutionizedthefashiondollindustry by designing the first Black Barbie doll in 1980 Her groundbreaking work at Mattel paved the way for diversity and inclusivity in toys, inspiring young girls worldwide Her remarkable journey from aspiringdesignertoindustryiconexemplifiesherdetermination,talent,anddedication
Throughout her three-decade-long tenure as chief designer, Kitty created over 100 designs annually, from Diana Ross, the Astronaut Barbie, MC Hammer to the game-changing Brandy Barbie Dolls, as well as Mattel's First African American Princess Line. Today, Kitty's legacy lives on in the form of Black Barbie dolls, honoring real-life trailblazers like Olympic star Flo-Jo, Maya Angelou, Madam C.J. Walker, actress Yara Shahidi, and tennis phenom Naomi Osaka. Her creativity and fearlessness continue to inspire generations, making Kitty Perkins a true pioneer in theBarbieuniverse.
Louvenia "Kitty" Black Perkins is a true pioneer and inspiration. Her legacy transcends the boundaries of fashion, extending to the realm of cultural impact. Her dedication to diversity and inclusivity has transformed the toy industry, empowering young girls to dream big and embrace their unique identities Her story is a testament to the power of creativity, resilience, and the unwaveringbeliefinmakingadifferenceintheworld
HONORING DISRUPTORS OF THE STATUS QUO
MODERATOR
CLAUDIA BOTERO
Anchor-Investigative Journalist
Claudia Botero is an Anchor-Investigative Journalist with over 26 years of experience. She is currently Press Secretary for the Speaker of the State Assembly, Anthony Rendón. During her journalistic career, she worked for Univision 34 KMEX-TV, the number one Spanish language television station in the nation
A Peabody and ten-time Emmy Award winning journalist, Claudia was chosen in October 2013 by the White House to have a one-on-one with President Barack Obama regarding the federal government shutdown and where he exclusively outlined his plan for immigration reform During her career, Claudia has had many exclusive interviews with local, state, and national leaders. She worked closely with now HHS Chief Xavier Becerra on special investigations on scams such as salary theft, Ponzi schemes, and most recently the mistreatment and lack of protection during Covid-19 for Amazon workers. She also worked with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla to inform the Latino community on their voting rights and the importance of participating in the 2020 Census.
HONORING DISRUPTORS OF THE STATUS QUO
NURTURING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS. CHANGEMAKERS. DISRUPTORS.
VANESSA ESTELLE WILLIAMS
Award-Winning Television & Film Actor
"Thriller,""Singleholic,"and"Candyman,"amongothers Vanessaearnedan Emmynominationfor"OurAmerica"andwonthe2003NAACPImage Awardfor"SoulFood."Herworkin"RaisingIzzie"garneredacclaimanda NAACPImageAwardnomination.
BeyondfilmandTV,VanessashinesonBroadwayandintheater productions Herbook"SHINE"inspiredthesoloshow"FEETONTHE CEILING!"She'saformerViceChairofTheBlackAIDSInstitute'sBoardof DirectorsandafoundingmemberofArtistsandActivistsforHealthEquity.
Aninternationallyrecognizedstar,Vanessa'sappealisauthenticand relatable,blendingpassionwithtimelesscharm.Asanartist,activist,and mother,shedeeplyconnectswithaudiencesandisatalentadmiredand trustedworldwide VanessaEstelleWilliamsisatrueicon
HONORING DISRUPTORS OF THE STATUS QUO
PRESENTED BY: JP MORGAN CHASE
ENT RT INM NT
HONORING DISRUPTORS OF THE STATUS QUO
DJ SAMMI G
AMY ASHTON Live Auctioneer
"Transformingmorethanjusthair-LanzaHairCare proudlysupportsEmpowHerInstitute,because empowermentstartswithconfidenceandselfexpression.Together,we'rehelpingyounggirls bloomintotomorrow'sleaders.
HAPPYANNIVERSARY!
At PROSPEAK, we're proud to stand with EmpowHer Institute as they pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive world.
EmpowHer Institute expresses our deepest gratitude to our volunteer leadership and staff who tirelessly support our mission
BoardofDirectors
DAWNL.BROWN President/CEO
CECILIAOWENS Chair
JOSLYNOSBORN InterimTreasurer EmeritusBoardChair
CLAUDIAALLEYNE,MD Secretary
RUTHSIMEON EmeritusBoardChair
TONYBAYLIS Director
GLORIADOMINQUEZ Director
ANGELJAMESHORACEK Director
DIEDRAPORCHE’ Director
Advisory Board Members
ROSA CARRILLO
MARTHA DANIEL
NIKKOLE DENSON-RANDOLPH
JULIA EVANS
LORI HEFFELFINGER
INAMARIE JOHNSON
TENIEL JONES
HELEN NORRIS
RENE’ NOURSE
JASON PARK
MARY SADEGHI, MD
Staff
ALEJANDRA VIDES-AUSTIN
DAWN L. BROWN
KENDRA BURKS
SHAWNIQUA BUSH
DR. DIJANNA FIGUEROA
JESSICA GUILLAME
MEGAN HOBZA
STACI JANISSE
KEYONNA KEITH
HODA MARCUS
ANGIE NGO
JAZMIN ROMERO
MAYA STEHLE
TITLE SPONSOR
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