The Women’s Forum of New York will present The 4th Annual Elly Awards Luncheon benefiting The Education Fund of the Women’s Forum on Monday, November 17 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.
The awards, named for the Women’s Forum founder Elinor Guggenheimer, will honor outstanding women leaders.
The Elly Award Recipients (both in attendance) will be:
● Billie Jean King, 39-time Grand Slam winning tennis player and champion of social change and equality.
● Sallie Krawcheck, Chair, Ellevate Network and Ellevate Asset Management and staunch supporter of women in the financial industry.
The Elly Award Celebrity Presenters (both in attendance) will be:
• The Honorable David N. Dinkins, 106th Mayor of the City of New York, scholar and author.
• Karen Finerman, CEO of Metropolitan Capital Advisors, author, and panelist on CNBC’s Fast Money.
Rikki Klieman, attorney, best-selling author, television anchor, and CBS News Legal Analyst, will lead a conversation on leadership with the honorees following the presentation of the awards.
Billie Jean King, longtime champion for social change and equality, created new inroads for men and women in sports and beyond during her legendary tennis career. Growing up playing tennis in California public parks, she won her first of a record 20 Wimbledon titles in 1961 and went on to win 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles. She empowered women and educated men with her 1973 defeat of Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes, which has been regarded as one of the greatest moments in sports history. Ms. King was named one of the ‘100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century’ by Life Magazine and, in 2009, President Obama awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. She founded the Women’s Tennis Association (1973), the Women’s Sports Foundation (1974) and co-founded World Team Tennis (1974). Ms. King sits on the boards of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Andy Roddick Foundation and was appointed to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. In 2014 she will launch the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, which will address inclusion and diversity in the workplace and beyond.
Sallie Krawcheck, recently named number 9 on Fast Company’s list of the “100 Most Creative People 2014,” has built a successful career as a senior corporate executive, as a research analyst and now as an entrepreneur. From her turnaround and subsequent nurturing of troubled wealth management businesses, to eliminating Wall Street conflicts of interest and advocating a true client-centered business model, Ms. Krawcheck has been referred to as one of the most successful and influential executives in financial services, having spent years as the guardian of such brands at Smith Barney, Merrill Lynch and US Trust. She often notes that “Investing in women is simply smart business” and is expressing this view through her ownership in the Ellevate companies. The Ellevate network, a global professional women’s network of over 34,000 members, is the most expansive and diverse of its kind. Ellevate Asset Management has partnered with Pax World to recently launch the Pax Ellevate Global Woman’s Index Fund, which invests in the highest-rated 400 companies in the world for advancing women, the first and only fund of its kind. She continues to advise start-up companies, focuses on education-oriented philanthropy and serves on a variety of boards.
“The Women’s Forum is a leadership organization of New York’s preeminent female leaders in every professional sector, from finance to fine arts,” said Ami Kaplan, President of the Women’s Forum of New York. "Appreciating that education is the key to success in every industry, we pride ourselves in helping high potential women over the age of 35, return to college after their education has been disrupted by life’s adversities. Giving these women a second chance to realize their potential is our way of giving back and building new leaders.
“The change that Education Fund grants have on women and their families is truly inspirational,” said Beverly Beaudoin, President, The Education Fund of the Women’s Forum. “Our awardees redefine for themselves what’s possible and become great role models for their daughters. We believe if you educate a woman you impact generations. Twenty-seven years ago we started out small but now, because of the Elly Awards, our education grants are significant and make a real difference. They can truly help high potential women who have overcome serious hardships realize their dreams.”
The Elly Awards will begin at 11:30 a.m. at The Plaza Hotel with a reception & VIP arrivals. The Luncheon and Presentation will be from 12:15 to 2:00 p.m.
Find out more here.
