Over 100 Women of Color Executives at Inaugural Nonprofit “Leading and Succeeding” Forum

by Kathy Grear 06/23/2023

A Day of Empowerment and Capacity Building for Women of Color in the Nonprofit Sector, Laying the Foundation for Ongoing Support and Development

New York, NY (June 21, 2023) — Just days before Juneteenth, more than 100 women of color in c-suite and executive leadership roles from across the nonprofit sector gathered at FPWA, a leading anti-poverty nonprofit in New York, for a groundbreaking forum and luncheon titled “Women of Color: Leading and Succeeding”. The event, held June 14^th at FPWA’s Conference Center at 40 Broad Street, brought together leaders in human services, arts and culture, and philanthropy.

The day-long event featured panel discussions, storytelling sessions, and an award luncheon recognizing the profound impact of Dr. Megan E. McLaughlin, an exemplar of leadership who without compromise sat at the leadership table in our city on issues of social justice in social work and ensured the voices and issues of those made vulnerable were heard in the late 90’s.

The morning session was enriched by powerful storytelling from Kimberly Davis, EVP of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislative Affairs, National Hockey League; Daisey Auger-Dominguez, Global Chief Officer, Vice Media Group; and Dr. Danielle Moss Cox, CEO, The Oliver Scholars Program. The afternoon featured select panels exploring topics including “A Seat At The Table Does Not Equal A Voice At The Table”, “Leading to Succeed: Knowing How and When to Play ‘the Game'” and “Show Me The Money: Navigating Philanthropy.”

The inaugural event was inspired by the significant rise in executive leadership in nonprofits of women of African, Hispanic, and Asian origin over the last three years, and the unique challenges they face in leadership, management, funding, and board engagement. The host committee shared, “Our goal with the forum is to create a nurturing environment for women of color leaders to reflect, refuel, and reenergize; to grow in knowledge; and to expand their networks of sisterCEOs. All of this is aimed at strengthening and sustaining them as they lead in the service of others.”

The forum is not just a one-off event. Instead, it is the beginning of a long-term initiative to foster the growth and development of women of color in leadership. The discussions and insights gathered during the forum will be used to inform the development of on-going capacity building efforts to support the continuous learning, development, and self-care of women of color across the nonprofit sector.The host committee for the Women of Color in Nonprofit Leadership forum included:

• Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO & Executive Director of FPWA
• Dr. Denise Brown-Allen, Executive Director of the TEAK fellowship
• Dr. Danielle Moss Cox, The Oliver Scholars Program
• Denora Getachew, CEO of DoSomething.org
• Dominique R. Jones, Global Kids
• Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson, President of Auburn Theological Seminary
• Sabrina Lamb, Founder & CEO of WorldofMoney.org
• Traci Lester, Co-Chair of the Board of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable
• Ngozi Okaro, Founder of Custom Collaborative
• Deborah Martin Owens, CEO of DMO Strategies LLC
• Benita Miller, Executive Director of Powerful Families/Powerful Communities
• Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, President & CEO of the Brooklyn Community Foundation
• Arva Rice, President & CEO of the New York Urban League

The forum was made possible through the generous sponsorship of FPWA, Spectrum/Charter Communications, M&T Bank, Goldman Sachs – Sandra Shubert, and TD Bank. For more details, and photos of the event, visit: https://www.fpwa.org/women-of-color-leading-and-succeeding-2023/.

About FPWA

FPWA is an anti-poverty policy and advocacy organization committed to advancing economic opportunity, justice, and upward mobility for New Yorkers with low incomes. Since 1922, FPWA has driven groundbreaking policy reforms to better serve those in need. We work to dismantle the systemic barriers that impede economic security and well-being, and strengthen the capacity of human services agencies and faith organizations so New Yorkers with lower incomes can thrive and live with dignity.

Find out more at fpwa.org, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.