You are exclusively invited to join us for the inaugural launch of Women's Entrepreneurship Day (WED) on Wednesday, November 19th, 2015 at the United Nations and livestreamed in 144 countries This monumental event is the world’s largest celebration of women innovators and job creators launching startups; bringing ideas to life, driving economic growth, and expanding human welfare.
WED is a once in a lifetime opportunity to listen to the ideas of world-class speakers, and be a part of a larger discussion to empower women in business worldwide. Major Fortune 500 companies and various female company founders, Philanthropists, CEO’s, Creatives, and business leaders that will be speaking and championing our event this year include: Adena T. Friedman (President of Global Capital Access, Technology & Insights for NASDAQ), Andrea Kerzner (Founder and CEO of Lalela Project), Craig Newmark (Founder of Craigslist and Craig Connects), Cynthia Cohen (Strategic Mindshare Founder and President, Director on the Board of Steiner Leisure (NASDAQ) & Equity One (NYSE), Erika Karp (CEO of Cornerstone Capital Inc.), Mamie Gummer (Actress and Ambassador Nomi Network), and Susan Stautberg (CEO, Global Co-Chair & Founder Women Corporate Directors (WCD), James Benedict (Principal with Kidd & Company, Consultant for the World Bank & Japanese Ministry of Finance), Milena Berry (Co-Founder/CEO Power To Fly) Sophia Swire (Founder of Aayenda & Future Brilliance and Learning for Life), Vicki Escarra (Global CEO of Opportunity International).
Martha “Muffy” Macmillan (Director of the Cargill Foundation), Heidi Messer (Co-Founder of Collective, World Evolved and LinkShare, and Leslie Blodgett (Executive Chairperson and Co-Principal Executive Officer of Bare Escentuals Inc. ), Ms. Loreen Arbus (Philanthropist) and many more to be announced.
We are proud to announce that New York State’s Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City’s Mayor Bill De Blasio proclaimed Women’s Entrepreneurship Day an official day on November 19. Our student ambassador global initiative is in full swing; engaged top colleges include Stanford, Duke, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, Babson and University of Oxford. Our global team of ambassadors from China to Saudi Arabia stand primed to activate their communities with the WED movement and #WomenWOW to make a significant impact this year.
Please view these two media links that covered our inaugural launch, Forbes and Marie Claire. Please take on minute to watch this inspirational video showing the WED 2014 around the world.
Your presence at this year’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Day will bring awareness to the 250 million girls living in poverty globally that deserve to be given a chance in life, while simultaneously inspiring and empowering the 4 billion women on the planet.
We hope you will accept this invitation to join us on November 19th, 2015 at the United Nations. Please let us know if you have any questions, and we look forward to your response.
-AGENDA-
Event: Women’s Entrepreneurship Day
Date: November 19, 2015
Location: United Nations, New York City, U.S.
7:30 am – 8:45 am
Check-in and Registration / Breakfast @ United Nations, NYC
8:45 am – 9:30 am
Welcoming Remarks -
WomenWOW: Women Entrepreneurs, A Powerful Force for Changing the World (Corporate Hosting Partner, Official Welcome Keynote to the Plenary)
9:30 am – 9:45 am
WE the People: Government Policies and Programs to Support Female Entrepreneurs
9:45 am – 10:00 am
A Strong Foundation: Small Business Entrepreneurs Inspire the World
10:00 am – 10:40 am
Gifts That Matter: Philanthropists Encouraging Female Entrepreneurship
10:40 am – 11:20 am
From STEM to STEAM: Inspiring a Generation of Girls to take the Lead in Innovation
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Lunch and Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Awards
12:45 pm – 1:25 pm
Healing the Planet: Entrepreneurial Women Revolutionizing Global Healthcare
1:25 pm – 2:05 pm
Oversight: The Importance of Placing More Women on Corporate Boards
2:05 pm – 2:45 pm
Investing Smart: Raising the Bar on Impact Investing Due Diligence
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Coffee Break
3:15 pm – 3:55 pm
He for She: Teaching Men to Invest in Women-Owned Businesses
4:00 pm – 4:10 pm
Meet our WED Fellows
4:15pm – 4:50 pm
In the Spotlight: Celebrity Entrepreneurs Giving Voice to the Voiceless
4:50 pm – 5:00 pm
#WomenWOW: Building a Worldwide Digital Movement
5:30pm –
Closing Remarks & Closing Reception
AGENDA
7:30 am – 8:45 am
Check-in and Registration / Breakfast:
Entrance between 45th and 46th Street & 1st Ave
Please allow adequate time to go through several security check points to enter the UN building.
8:45 am – 9:30 am
Welcoming Remarks: Women’s Entrepreneurship as a Single Powerful Force for Changing the World
• Wendy Diamond, Founder and CEO, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day; Founder, CEO, and CPO, Animal Fair
• Amir A. Dossal, Chairman, Global Partnerships Forum
9:30 am – 9:45 am
PwC: Leadership for the Future — Where We Are Now as Women in Business and Where We Must Go
• Carol Sawdye, Vice Chair and CFO, PwC
• Shannon Schuyler, US Corporate Responsibility Leader, PwC; President, PwC Charitable Foundation
9:45 am – 10:00 am
Launch of “WOW - Women on Wednesday”
• Wendy Diamond, Founder and CEO, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day; Founder, CEO, and CPO, Animal Fair
• Wendy Norman, Director of Social Good Program, Microsoft/Skype
10:00 am – 10:40 am
How Celebrity Entrepreneurs Can Advance Social Good
• Moderator: Amy Robach, Anchor, ABC News
• Quvenzhané Wallis, Oscar-Nominated Actress
• Rose Byrne, Actress & Activist
• Gabriela Isler, Miss Universe 2013
• Lesley Jane Seymour, Editor In Chief, More Magazine
10:40 am – 11:20 am
The Importance of Education for Entrepreneurs of the Future
• Moderator: Liz Murray, Inspirational Speaker & Best-Selling Author, Homeless to Harvard
• Mama Sarah Obama, Founder & CEO, Mama Sarah Obama Foundation
• Tom Nazario, Founder, Author, International Lawyer, The Forgotten International
• Bineta Mbacke, Public Affairs Manager, Nestle S.A.
• Eileen Buckley, Senior Manager, National Corporate Responsibility, PwC
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Lunch and Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Awards
• Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Education Pioneer Award: Mama Sarah Obama
• Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Business Pioneer Award: Lynn Tilton
• Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Technology Pioneer Award: Sandy Lerner
• Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Philanthropy Pioneer Award: Loreen Arbus
• Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Fashion Pioneer Award: Tamara Mellon
• Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Celebrity Pioneer Award: Surprise
12:45 pm – 1:25 pm
Health, Beauty, Fashion and the Arts and How Women Entrepreneurs are Changing These Industries with Innovation
• Moderator: Elizabeth Holmes | senior style reporter + columnist | The Wall Street Journal
• Tamara Mellon, Former Chief Creative Officer & Co-founder, Jimmy Choo Creative Director / Founder, TAMARA MELLON
• Jennifer Hymann, Co-Founder & CEO, Rent the Runway
• Elizabeth Scharpf, Founder & Chief Instigating Officer, SHE (Sustainable Health Enterprises) Innovates
• Julie Smolyansky, President, CEO & Director, Lifeway Foods, Inc.
1:25 pm – 2:05 pm
Governments’ Role in Empowering Girls and Women Entrepreneurs
• Moderator: Kathy Calvin, President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation
• Her Excellency Gertrude Mutharika, First Lady of The Republic of Malawi
• Her Excellency Penehupifo Pohamba, First Lady of Namibia
• Her Excellency Kim Simplis Barrows, First Lady of Belize & Founder, Lifeline Foundation
2:05 pm – 2:45 pm
How to Have a Successful Company While also Addressing the Issues of Sustainability, Health and Gender Equality
• Moderator: Lauren Young, Money Editor, Thomson Reuters
• Susan McPherson, Founder & CEO, McPherson Strategies
• Sandy Lerner, Cisco Systems, Urban Decay, Ayrshire Farm
• Karen Mahoney, Chief Human Resources Officer, BNP Paribas North America
• Radha Muthiah, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
• Marième Esther Dassanou, Sector Lead, IFC/ World Bank Group’s Gender Secretariat
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Coffee Break
3:15 pm – 3:55 pm
Technology for Good: Leading the Way for Women Entrepreneurs and the Next Big Idea
• Moderator: Sarah Robbins, Journalist, author, and editor-at-large, Consumer Reports
• Sana Odeh, Professor, New York University
• Lori Taylor, Founder & CEO, Rev Media Marketing
• Jennifer Tang, Creator, Eyenaemia, Winner of Microsoft’s Imagine Cup
• Lisa Kiese Miller, Chief Growth Officer, NFTE
• Andrea Lo, Founder & CEO, Piggybackr
4:00 pm – 4:10 pm
WED Fellows
• Chair: Kunal Sood, WED Fellows
• Co-Chair, Annette Richardson Senior Advisor UN Office of Partnerships
4:15pm – 4:50 pm
The Importance of Strategically Investing in Women and Micro-loan Financing for Women Entrepreneurs in the Developing World
• Moderator: Amanda Drury, CNBC Co-Anchor, “Street Signs”
• Lynn Tilton, Founder & CEO, Patriarch Partners
• Joy Marcus, CEO, Bloglovin’; Venture Partner, Gotham Ventures
• Peggy Wallace, Managing Partner & Portfolio Manager, Golden Seeds
• Dr. Ruta Aidis, Project Director, Gender-GEDI
• Ursula Wynhoven, Chief, Governance and Social Sustainability, & General Counsel, UN Global Impact
4:50 pm – 5:00 pm
Closing Remarks
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Closing Reception: Marta, The Martha Washington Hotel — 29 E 29th Street
