The Stuart Weitzman x Vital Voices Bold Movers Cohort

Stuart Weitzman is proud to continue our partnership
with Vital Voices to invest in women advancing inclusive workplace
initiatives for working mothers and caregivers.

As such, we selected a cohort of 10 women leaders to participate in
our Bold Movers: Investing in Women Working Towards Gender Equity
program, each dedicated to empowering working mothers
and caregivers in their communities and beyond.

As part of the program, the Bold Movers cohort completed
leadership training, including a visit to our headquarters in
New York City for a day of learning, collaborating and networking.

Learn more about the 10 Bold Movers participants
and their respective initiatives below!

Elizabeth Virkina
Swanson Andi

President, Iyarina Center for Learning

Iyarina Center for Learning is an organization dedicated to preserving Indigenous languages and culture while exploring equitable and sustainable solutions for the future of the Amazon Rainforest. As President of the organization, Elizabeth provides education and training to help Indigenous mothers and caregivers advance in the workplace.

Fereshteh
Ganjavi

Director, Elena’s Light

Elena’s Light is a non-profit organization that provides educational and support services to women in low-income immigrant communities, particularly working mothers and caregivers. By offering ESL support, health programs and legal advocacy services, the organization prepares immigrant and refugee women with essential skills for professional success and personal advancement.

Janitza
Vasquez

Founder & Executive Director,
One Happy Mama

One Happy Mama is a non-profit organization that aims to support young mothers in their journey to become career-driven, financially independent, happy and healthy mothers. Through Janitza’s work with One Happy Mama, she is committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive environment for working parents and caregivers.

Kealoha
Fox

President,
Institute for Climate and Peace

For the last five years, Dr. Kealoha Fox has helped co-convene Nā Lau A Hina, a Native Hawaiian women's collective aimed at healing, educating, elevating and revitalizing their connections to the physical, spiritual and emotional pilina with other celebrated wāhine in business. Each year, Kealoha mentors dozens of young women inside and outside of the academy.

Kioshana Lacount
Burrell

Associate Director, Advancement Marketing & Communication, The Ohio State University

Serving on the President and Provost's Council on Women at The Ohio State University, Kioshana makes space for conversations about care work, including flexible working hours and pay equity. She also conducts workshops on salary negotiation for women, crafting work-life balance plans and re-entering the workforce for those who have taken a career break within the university.

Laneceya
Russ-Martin

Executive Director, March for Moms

March for Moms is an organization that partners with national and grassroots organizations to urge American leaders and policymakers to help ensure moms, birthing people and families get the support and care they deserve through advocacy, technical assistance and capacity-building. Laneceya’s work also includes free programs for families and advocacy for legislation to improve maternal health.

Liane
Ma

Talent & Workforce Development Program
Manager, Aspiranet

Aspiranet is a non-profit organization with the mission of providing children, youth and families with a foundation of support so they can thrive at home, at school and in their communities. In her role, Liane actively implements agency-wide capacity-building initiatives, enhances retention, employee engagement and recruitment efforts and ultimately serves Aspiranet’s employees, most of whom are women and caregivers dedicated to providing superior care to underserved children and families.

Makenzie
Peterson

Organizational Wellbeing & Strategy Consultant

As an organizational well-being and strategy consultant, Dr. Makenzie Peterson provides subject-matter expertise on preventative, systems-based well-being initiatives that positively impact people's lives. She consults on strategic organizational change initiatives to improve the overall satisfaction of workplaces and academic communities. Her focus includes improving well-being in workplaces and education and training.

Michaela
Ayers

Facilitator, Black Her Stories

Black Her Stories is a dynamic project that celebrates the leadership and contributions of Black women throughout history and in modern times. With the mission of shaping Black History through empowering stories of women, Black Her Stories elevates the impact of leaders who make bold moves and shift culture. Through digital content and in-person events, Michaela delivers interactive events and intimate interviews that humanize the experience of motherhood while highlighting ways to be inclusive of and advocate for caregivers.

Shivani
Parikh

Executive Director,
South Asian Legal Defense Fund

The South Asian Legal Defense Fund is an organization that supports the rights of South Asian women, including caregivers and working mothers. It also supports the intersectional ways in which South Asian caregivers and working mothers are adversely affected by unequal pay, poor maternity leave policies and the nature of their work.