LEARN MOREHistoryMiami MuseumNational Women’s History Museum[/cs_text][/cs_column]Julia DeForest Tuttle, the “Mother of Miami” is the only female founder of a major American city. The visionary widow from Ohio bought hundreds of acres at what is now Downtown Miami, moved down on a barge, and eventually convinced railroad man Henry Flagler to extend his new railway to the Miami River by sending …
GET INVOLVED TO FIGHT AGAINST SEX TRAFFICKINGWebsiteFacebook FOLLOW SANDYWebsiteTwitterLinkedIn[/cs_text][/cs_column]Sandy Skelaney is a CHANGEMAKER, SOCIAL Venture Consultant and ANTI-TRAFFICKING LEADER who spearheaded Florida’s response to sexually trafficked minors with the creation of Project GOLD in Kristi House in 2007. She is currently Program Director for Florida International University’s Initiative for Gender Violence Prevention with the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies …
Marleine has tirelessly worked on many policy initiatives for the Haitian community and immigrants in her work at FANM, including, but not limited to the renewal and expansion of TPS; Comprehensive Immigration Reform—under her leadership, she has organized forums, rallies and demonstrations in South Florida to urge the Obama administration to stop deportations for all immigrants who qualify under Comprehensive …
LEARN MOREWebsiteTwitter CONNECTFacebook[/cs_text][/cs_column]As the longest-serving president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) from 1991 to 2001, Patricia Ireland used her dozen years’ experience as a lawyer to help move NOW to the forefront of the political scene, build a strong, effective women’s movement and establish herself as a groundbreaking activist. Patricia emerged as one of the most influential feminist …
Sherry Thompson Giordano began her career in the High Tech industry and in 1999 served as the CEO and co-founder of S.F.T.G. Associates, Int’l., a business consulting firm, committed to assisting nonprofit organizations and commercial companies in realizing their goals of growth and organizational strength. Sherry’s expertise is in strategic and tactical business planning, new program development and program assessment, …
Maureen O’Brien is a Founding Partner of SVP Miami. Social Venture Partners (SVP) is a global network of 3,500+ venture philanthropists in 40 cities, who have collectively contributed more than $56 million to 770+ social ventures since 1997. SVP Partners leverage their funds, expertise and connections to strengthen social ventures and solve the biggest challenges facing their local communities. LEARN …
Cherie Cancio is a Miami native whose commitment to service has led her to a career in education equity, community building, and developing transformative partnerships in Louisiana and Florida. She has served with volunteer organizations throughout the South where she was an AmeriCorps member at City Year Baton Rouge and is an active alum, where she serves as co-chair on …
Dr. Elizabeth King is the founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Suits, Stilettos and Lipstick and the Lipstick Foundation. Her mission is to make a difference by empowering women and children through education. Dr. King is an internationally recognized wellness expert, holistic psychotherapist,hypnotherapist, radio-TV personality, motivational speaker, professor, author, feminist, philanthropist and polio survivor. LEARN MOREWebsiteInstagramTwitterFacebook CONNECTFacebookTwitterLinkedInInstagram [/cs_text][/cs_column]WHY MIAMI?I came …
Casey Bruce joined the ACLU of Florida in June 2016 as the Digital Communications Associate. In this role, she manages the ACLU of Florida’s social media strategy and provides communications support to the ACLU of Florida’s volunteer chapters. Prior to this position, she worked at the American Council of Young Political Leaders in Washington D.C., focusing on streamlining the organization’s …
LEARN MOREWebsiteTwitter CONNECTFacebook[/cs_text][/cs_column]JCS LGBT Senior Program seeks to enhance the quality of life of LGBT elders through programs that gather the community, offer counseling and case management services, and provide SAGE-certified training in cultural sensitivity to those in organizations that care for LGBT elders. PROBLEMThe need for this program is critical. LGBT seniors find themselves confronting traditional challenges of aging, …
LEARN MOREMomsRising.orgStop Parenting AloneFacebookTwitterInstagram CONNECTLinkedInFacebook[/cs_text][/cs_column]Lina Acosta Sandaal, MA, began her career at Vista del Mar in Los Angeles. There, she developed expertise in child and adolescent development and infant and early childhood mental health, while strengthening her resolve to support families. She has trained and participated in research studies with Yale’s Minding the Baby, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and …
Janet Solitt grew up in Miami, Florida. She graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1985 and received a Juris Doctor degree from the American University Washington College of Law in 1988. Janet practiced law in Tampa before returning home to South Florida in 1992. Since then she has divided her time between …
Wanda Finnie has a career of over 30 years that reflects a passionate commitment to supporting and advocating on behalf of youth and other often voiceless populations. As an attorney, executive leader, educator and mentor, she has been fearless in her efforts to ensure protection, fairness and opportunity for our most vulnerable members of society. She is a woman of …
Stephanie Myers is a Miami leader behind Women’s Rally in South Florida. She was the visionary and lead organization process of the non-partisan Women’s Rally in South Florida that gave a platform for women to talk about the issues of their communities. Stephanie’s goal is to continue unite women across different platforms and together come up with solutions that would …
Susan Windmiller is the President of League of Women Voters, Miami-Dade County. The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. LEARN MORE WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagram CONNECTFacebook[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row]PROBLEMOur American democracy works when we, citizens, have the …
Knellee Bisram is a Trinidad and Tobago native with a passion for language and culture, and a mission to be an agent for positive community transformation in the Americas. She is a Social Sciences Professor and a Consultant, who has designed and implemented innovative economic development, educational, and social investment initiatives, as well as organizational capacity building grounded in emotional …
Barbara Reese grew up in Miami spending her entire life doing what she finds most rewarding, volunteering and serving her community. She is an opera enthusiast and is a former Past President of Young Patronesses of the Opera. YPO is a non-profit organization founded in 18955 whose mission is to promote opera in the community. YPO’s Mission is to cultivate, …
LEARN MOREWebsiteInstagramFacebookCONNECTLinkedIn[/cs_text][/cs_column]Alexia Gonzalez works is the financial services arena helping grow and protect their money. She is a motivational speaker on financial matters and founder of IAMP. WHY MIAMI?Miami is my home. I’m not one to engage in talking about the problems that women are facing but rather working together to bring a solution. PROBLEMFlorida leads the nation with an …
Sarah Stumbar is a primary care physician committed to the public health and to her individual patients. She believes that health care is a human right, and a societal need. Sarah went into medicine with the belief that high-quality, equitable healthcare can change not only lives but also entire communities. She is particularly dedicated to the health of women and …
WHY MIAMI?I lived and worked for 39 years in The Netherlands, until I retired. During those years I obtained a Dutch law degree from Leiden University and worked in the field of international arbitration in the Peace Palace. Miami attracted me because of the wonderful weather, but also because it was an international environment, with a mix of cultures that …
“Many of us are working-class individuals, many of us are immigrants, many of us have more than one job, but all of us have the potential to build the future we want to see.”
Laura Hernandez is a #MiamiLeader and #Activist She stands for affordable and reproductive healthcare services and wants to ensure that sex education is inclusive and accessible.
Hana Abdulla is a Kuwaiti Colombian #MiamiLeader. She grew up in Kuwait, survived the Gulf War by escaping through the desert into Saudi Arabia. Her family came to Miami only to then be hit by Hurricane Andrew.
Living in Miami Hana discovered community service and the healing power of giving back. She volunteered for different organizations and discovered that her personal experiences of struggle often presented answers for young kids trapped in a similar situation.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DEBBIE’S WORK IN MIAMI AND GET INVOLVEDWebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagram CONNECTLinkedInTwitter[/cs_text][/cs_column]WHY MIAMI?I relocated to Miami in 1988 and immediately became a volunteer as I feel the best way to learn about a community is to become involved with it. The more I became involved, the more I realized I had move to a vibrant, energetic city that had a lot …
LEARN MORE ABOUT JASMEN’S WORK AND GET INVOLVEDWebsiteInstagram CONNECTInstagramFacebook[/cs_text][/cs_column]WHY MIAMI?My parents are Caribbean immigrants that chose Miami-Dade County as their home. My mother lived in Liberty City and my father lived in Miami Gardens, formally Carol City. I attended pre-school and my early years of elementary school in Miami Gardens. It was at Crestview Elementary that I was given the …
LEARN MOREMiami Is Kind provides employment, placement and work skills education for young adults with autism / disabilities by creating partnerships with local bakeries & schools. WebsiteInstagramFacebookTwitter CONNECTLinkedInFacebook[/cs_text][/cs_column]Silvia Planas Prats is an advocate for families with children with disabilities and a co-founder of the Miami EmployABILITY Movement. She moved to Miami from Spain in 2012 with her husband Xavier and …
WHY MIAMI?I love Miami! Growing up in the Midwest, I never quite felt like I fit in. I think I fit here. I love the diversity of the people and the wealth of opportunities we enjoy here, including the arts, outdoors activities, sports and more. But, like any big city, there is room for improvement. I want to see Miami …
LEARN MOREWebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitter CONNECTLinkedIn[/cs_text][/cs_column]Carla Pena has dedicated her professional and personal life to social advocacy. As a graduate of NYU, her background is in healthcare and social services. She is also a former Public Allies AmeriCorps member and City Year program manager. With experience in youth work as the former program assistant for the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, no enterprise has …
WHY MIAMI?To me, Miami — the Magic City– embodies a place of opportunity. Not only is it rich with cultural diversity, but the existing institutional landscape is open towards newcomers and receptive to those with an entrepreneurial endeavours. I chose to invest my energy and other resources in helping shape Miami’s growing startup and innovation community because we have all …
The WIN Lab® invests in women, empowering them to disrupt, experiment, and build successful businesses on their own terms.WebsiteTwitter CONNECTLinkedInTwitter[/cs_text][/cs_column]Originally from Venezuela, Carolina is an activist on important causes related to her home country, women’s empowerment and equality. Carolina is a connector, an arts & culture enthusiast and a philanthropist. She is a Trustee at the New World Symphony, a …
GET INSPIREDWebsiteInstagramFacebook CONNECTLinkedIn[/cs_text][/cs_column]Graduate school left me with an overwhelming mountain of student loans that I was afraid would stifle my pursuit of becoming a filmmaker and artist. I had a decision to make: find a way to pay off my debt or follow my dreams to become an artist. I did both. In two years, I paid off my student …