Latest news with #AngelaWilliams
Forbes
30-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Meet The Judges For The 2025 50 Over 50 List
Photos, From Left: Photo By Brigitte Lacombe, Courtesy Of Kathy Ko Chin, Courtesy Alka Joshi, Photo ByO ne hard rule we have in compiling the annual 50 Over 50 list—aside from the ironclad age requirement that the women are age 50 or older—is 'no repeats.' Once someone has been included on the list, she is forever a part of this growing community, which stands at 1,000 women in the U.S. alone. This is both a blessing and a curse in the list production process. It means that a founder who raised a $60 million Series B round of funding for her company in 2024—like Midi Health cofounder and CEO Joanna Strober, a member of the 2023 50 Over 50—is out of contention when we're considering candidates in 2025. So too is someone who made the inaugural 50 Over 50 in 2021 for her work leading a large national organization but then took the reins of an even bigger, and global, charity in 2022—like United Way CEO Angela Williams. However, this 'no repeat' rule also means that an army of experts stands at the ready with insight and expertise to lend to the list creation process. And so, this year, after the thorough due diligence and fact-checking from the Forbes team, we asked a collection of list alumnae for a gut check. Which of our semi-finalists is achieving impact at scale? Is her current role her most powerful yet? Here, in alphabetical order and hailing from every list we've released since the franchise's inception, are the judges who helped us finalize the fifth annual 50 Over 50: Susan Armiger: Armiger took the reins of Catalight, a nonprofit working to make the world more accessible to those with disabilities, as president and CEO in 2011. In her role, Armiger oversees 900 employees and a network of 16,000 healthcare practitioners. In 2025, her focus has been on ending the wait for families who need to see a provider for a mental health or behavioral health disability. Suzy Batiz: Serial entrepreneur Batiz survived two bankruptcies before launching ~Pourri (originally called Poo-Pourri) in 2007. The before-you-go toilet spray took off during the pandemic and landed Batiz on Forbes' list of America's Richest Self-Made Women. In 2024, Batiz sat down with Forbes to talk about how she's retained a 97% stake in her buzzy brand. Carlotta Berry: With a mission to 'make STEM and robotics for the streets,' Berry founded the NoireSTEMinist educational consulting firm in 2020, expanding to workshops and educational products to promote diversity in STEM. The first Black woman to make tenure at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Berry is also an engineering professor who co-directs a multidisciplinary robotics program and plays a key role in organizing and judging FIRST Robotics competitions. In her spare time, Berry writes romance novels (under the pen name Carlotta Ardell) with Black characters in the STEM fields as protagonists. 50 Over 50: 2025 Our fifth annual list of 200 women who are redefining what's possible in life's second half. VIEW THE FULL LIST Taina Bien-Aimé: Bien-Aimé has dedicated her career to fighting for the safety of women and girls around the world. As the executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking In Women, she is in charge of one of the oldest global organizations working to end the sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of girls and women. In 2023, for her advocacy around strengthening laws that prevent gender-based violence, Bien-Aimé received the Knight of the Legion of Honor Medal, the highest civilian distinction given by the Government of France. Anne Finucane: Former vice chair of Bank of America, Finucane is now taking her financial acumen and applying it to the world of climate investing—and specifically seeking out investments that can help fight climate change. She is now chair of Rubicon Carbon and also a senior advisor to TPG Rise Climate Fund. 'I'm all for retirement. I just didn't feel like doing it,' Finucane told Know Your Value earlier this month. 'I'm not running the show, I'm sharing it, but… it's been enormously invigorating. I'm a lifelong learner.' Tracy Green & Nancey Harris: After losing a pair of glasses, Tracy Green called her friend Nancey Harris to talk about how hard it was to find glasses that fit their faces—and the conversation spawned a startup, Vontélle Eyewear. The pair pooled their finances and marketing skills to bootstrap the business, and in 2024, Vontélle became the first Black women-owned eyewear company to partner with National Vision, the nation's second-largest optical retailer. In 2025, Vontélle expanded to Sam's Club. Alka Joshi: In 2020, at 62, Joshi published her debut novel, The Henna Artist. She began writing the book in 2010, but the ten years of work paid off: It became a global phenomenon, hitting the New York Times bestseller list and translated into 29 languages. This year, Joshi published her fourth novel, Six Days in Bombay, a fictional take on Indian artist Amrita Sher-Gil, who died mysteriously at the age of 28. Joshi told Forbes in April that she hopes readers learn that Sher-Gil had 'something to say about the empowerment of women in the south of India who do not get a chance to make their own decisions in life.' Kathy Ko Chin: Chin has spent the last four decades working to improve the lives of Asian-Americans. As president and CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, a role she held from 2010 to 2020, Chin co-created and led an initiative that enrolled 1 million Asian Americans in Affordable Care Act coverage. In 2024, she was named to the board of the Ms. Foundation, a leading national social justice foundation founded by Gloria Steinem. Today, Chin is the founder and CEO of Jasper Inclusion Advisors, which provides strategic consulting to philanthropic and nonprofit organizations. Mally Roncal: Mally Beauty founder Roncal is over the age of 50 and feeling fabulous—an ideal she channeled into a QVC series ('Over 50 & Fabulous) in 2023. After starting her career at a Shiseido makeup counter and later becoming a go-to makeup artist for A-list stars like Celine Dion and Angelina Jolie, Roncal founded her beauty brand in 2005. She says her mission is to help women feel their best and be their authentic selves. More from Forbes Forbes 50 Over 50 Global: 2025 By Maggie McGrath Forbes Meet The Judges For The 2024 50 Over 50 List By Maggie McGrath Forbes The Age Of Disruption: Meet The 50 Over 50 2023 By Maggie McGrath
CBS News
23-07-2025
- CBS News
Teen arrested in 11-year-old's shooting death at Minneapolis park
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old at a Minneapolis park last month. The Minneapolis Police Department said the teenager was taken into custody in Apple Valley, Minnesota, Tuesday morning. Police said "gunfire erupted in the park" on June 23. Someone sitting on their porch nearby heard cries for help and found a boy, later identified as Amir Lamar Atkins, with a gunshot wound. He started driving the boy to the hospital and flagged down an officer near Penn and Dowling avenues. Despite efforts from first responders, the boy died at the scene. The teen is awaiting charges at the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center. After the shooting, community members and activists gathered to call for change. "We need to just really take accountability," said activist Angela Williams. "Come on, parents, that's not acceptable." An online fundraiser started by Atkins' family said he "was a beacon of light in our lives — a joyful, loving child whose laughter filled our hearts."
21-05-2025
A new award for 'civic bravery' recognizes everyday people who step up
NEW YORK -- United Way Worldwide and a group of foundations launched a new award Tuesday for 'civic bravery,' which includes grants of up to $50,000. The Courage Project, a partnership between United Way and funders like the Freedom Together Foundation, will grant $5 million in awards over at least a year to recognize nonprofits and individuals who stand up for their communities. The individual recipients won't receive a monetary award but can direct funds to a nonprofit of their choice. 'They don't do it because they want recognition. They aren't elected officials. It's not something where they are required to do this work. They do it out of a love of humanity,' said Angela Williams, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide, of the awardees. The first recipients include the United Way of South Sarasota County in Florida for providing legal services to older people and the working poor and Women of Welcome, a Colorado nonprofit that mobilizes evangelical women to advocate for asylum seekers and immigrants drawing on their faith. Bri Stensrud, the nonprofit's director, said it is a difficult time to raise money around immigration, especially for the long-term education and advocacy work her organization does. She received $25,000 as part of the award. 'I feel very honored to be recognized, to be known and to be invested in,' she said. 'That's another privilege to hold really humbly and I'm super thankful for it.' Educators from an upstate New York town were also recognized for their efforts to free three students and their mother who were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March. 'At the time, I didn't feel like we were exhibiting courage,' said Jennifer Gaffney, the superintendent of Sackets Harbor Central School District. 'We were just doing what we needed to do because it was the right thing to do.' The school's principal, Jaime Cook, and other teachers sprung into action when they learned of their students' arrest and contacted government officials to advocate for their release. Community members organized a rally and their protest gained national attention. 'Coming together as a community in the face of adversity, having hope and strength, I think that's an important message,' said Jonna St. Croix, a teacher at the school and award recipient. 'I'm a social studies teacher. Civic duty's important and I have to walk the walk.' The three educators were given $50,000 to donate to a nonprofit of their choice and picked the Northern New York Community Foundation. They said they hope the funds will benefit students and young people in their area. Jana Gallus, a professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management, who has studied awards, praised the decision to allow the individual recipients to decide where to give the grant funding. It creates a gift that keeps on giving with the recognition transferring from the awardee to the nonprofit, she said. 'People sometimes say recognition awards are this fluffy thing, they are soft. Recognition is not soft in that sense. It's actually very strategic,' Gallus said. 'It shapes who feels seen, who is seen, what actions then stand a chance of gaining traction.' The Courage Project is accepting nominations from the public for future recipients, as well as from United Way. Gallus said asking for public nominations is another way the awards can help democratize who is celebrated as American heroes. The foundations will select the recipients from the nominees. Deepak Bhargava, president of the Freedom Together Foundation, said the group of funders were thinking ahead to the 250th anniversary of the United States ' independence and asked themselves what role they could play as philanthropic foundations. They decided to recognize the courage and civic action of people who don't normally get attention. 'Most awards are designed for people who are occupying positions of power or to some degree are already famous," he said. 'These awards are designed to support people who do the invisible but essential work to make our communities healthy and to sustain our freedoms.' The other funders of The Courage Project are CFLeads, The James Irvine Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, The Skillman Foundation and the Surdna Foundation. Separately, another nonprofit, The Heritage Foundation, which organized Project 2025 and focuses on building the conservative movement, will also award prizes to encourage the celebration of the country's independence. The foundation usually does not make grants but started to award Innovation Prizes in 2022 in part to put its endowment to work, said Bridgett Wagner, executive director of the Edwin J. Feulner Institute at the foundation. 'We want to encourage with this. We want to spark innovation. We want people to do something that's different,' she said of the prizes, which total around $1 million each year. She said the awards are more than grants because they communicate the foundation's support of the organization and raise their profile with other donors. The Heritage Foundation will announce the recipients of the America's 250th prizes in June. ____
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
A new award for 'civic bravery' recognizes everyday people who step up
NEW YORK (AP) — United Way Worldwide and a group of foundations launched a new award Tuesday for 'civic bravery,' which includes grants of up to $50,000. The Courage Project, a partnership between United Way and funders like the Freedom Together Foundation, will grant $5 million in awards over at least a year to recognize nonprofits and individuals who stand up for their communities. The individual recipients won't receive a monetary award but can direct funds to a nonprofit of their choice. 'They don't do it because they want recognition. They aren't elected officials. It's not something where they are required to do this work. They do it out of a love of humanity,' said Angela Williams, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide, of the awardees. The first recipients include the United Way of South Sarasota County in Florida for providing legal services to older people and the working poor and Women of Welcome, a Colorado nonprofit that mobilizes evangelical women to advocate for asylum seekers and immigrants drawing on their faith. Bri Stensrud, the nonprofit's director, said it is a difficult time to raise money around immigration, especially for the long-term education and advocacy work her organization does. She received $25,000 as part of the award. 'I feel very honored to be recognized, to be known and to be invested in,' she said. 'That's another privilege to hold really humbly and I'm super thankful for it.' Educators from an upstate New York town were also recognized for their efforts to free three students and their mother who were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March. 'At the time, I didn't feel like we were exhibiting courage,' said Jennifer Gaffney, the superintendent of Sackets Harbor Central School District. 'We were just doing what we needed to do because it was the right thing to do.' The school's principal, Jaime Cook, and other teachers sprung into action when they learned of their students' arrest and contacted government officials to advocate for their release. Community members organized a rally and their protest gained national attention. 'Coming together as a community in the face of adversity, having hope and strength, I think that's an important message,' said Jonna St. Croix, a teacher at the school and award recipient. 'I'm a social studies teacher. Civic duty's important and I have to walk the walk.' The three educators were given $50,000 to donate to a nonprofit of their choice and picked the Northern New York Community Foundation. They said they hope the funds will benefit students and young people in their area. Jana Gallus, a professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management, who has studied awards, praised the decision to allow the individual recipients to decide where to give the grant funding. It creates a gift that keeps on giving with the recognition transferring from the awardee to the nonprofit, she said. 'People sometimes say recognition awards are this fluffy thing, they are soft. Recognition is not soft in that sense. It's actually very strategic,' Gallus said. 'It shapes who feels seen, who is seen, what actions then stand a chance of gaining traction.' The Courage Project is accepting nominations from the public for future recipients, as well as from United Way. Gallus said asking for public nominations is another way the awards can help democratize who is celebrated as American heroes. The foundations will select the recipients from the nominees. Deepak Bhargava, president of the Freedom Together Foundation, said the group of funders were thinking ahead to the 250th anniversary of the United States ' independence and asked themselves what role they could play as philanthropic foundations. They decided to recognize the courage and civic action of people who don't normally get attention. 'Most awards are designed for people who are occupying positions of power or to some degree are already famous," he said. 'These awards are designed to support people who do the invisible but essential work to make our communities healthy and to sustain our freedoms.' The other funders of The Courage Project are CFLeads, The James Irvine Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, The Skillman Foundation and the Surdna Foundation. Separately, another nonprofit, The Heritage Foundation, which organized Project 2025 and focuses on building the conservative movement, will also award prizes to encourage the celebration of the country's independence. The foundation usually does not make grants but started to award Innovation Prizes in 2022 in part to put its endowment to work, said Bridgett Wagner, executive director of the Edwin J. Feulner Institute at the foundation. 'We want to encourage with this. We want to spark innovation. We want people to do something that's different,' she said of the prizes, which total around $1 million each year. She said the awards are more than grants because they communicate the foundation's support of the organization and raise their profile with other donors. The Heritage Foundation will announce the recipients of the America's 250th prizes in June. ____ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit
The Hill
21-05-2025
- The Hill
A new award for ‘civic bravery' recognizes everyday people who step up
NEW YORK (AP) — United Way Worldwide and a group of foundations launched a new award Tuesday for 'civic bravery,' which includes grants of up to $50,000. The Courage Project, a partnership between United Way and funders like the Freedom Together Foundation, will grant $5 million in awards over at least a year to recognize nonprofits and individuals who stand up for their communities. The individual recipients won't receive a monetary award but can direct funds to a nonprofit of their choice. 'They don't do it because they want recognition. They aren't elected officials. It's not something where they are required to do this work. They do it out of a love of humanity,' said Angela Williams, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide, of the awardees. The first recipients include the United Way of South Sarasota County in Florida for providing legal services to older people and the working poor and Women of Welcome, a Colorado nonprofit that mobilizes evangelical women to advocate for asylum seekers and immigrants drawing on their faith. Bri Stensrud, the nonprofit's director, said it is a difficult time to raise money around immigration, especially for the long-term education and advocacy work her organization does. She received $25,000 as part of the award. 'I feel very honored to be recognized, to be known and to be invested in,' she said. 'That's another privilege to hold really humbly and I'm super thankful for it.' Educators from an upstate New York town were also recognized for their efforts to free three students and their mother who were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March. 'At the time, I didn't feel like we were exhibiting courage,' said Jennifer Gaffney, the superintendent of Sackets Harbor Central School District. 'We were just doing what we needed to do because it was the right thing to do.' The school's principal, Jaime Cook, and other teachers sprung into action when they learned of their students' arrest and contacted government officials to advocate for their release. Community members organized a rally and their protest gained national attention. 'Coming together as a community in the face of adversity, having hope and strength, I think that's an important message,' said Jonna St. Croix, a teacher at the school and award recipient. 'I'm a social studies teacher. Civic duty's important and I have to walk the walk.' The three educators were given $50,000 to donate to a nonprofit of their choice and picked the Northern New York Community Foundation. They said they hope the funds will benefit students and young people in their area. Jana Gallus, a professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management, who has studied awards, praised the decision to allow the individual recipients to decide where to give the grant funding. It creates a gift that keeps on giving with the recognition transferring from the awardee to the nonprofit, she said. 'People sometimes say recognition awards are this fluffy thing, they are soft. Recognition is not soft in that sense. It's actually very strategic,' Gallus said. 'It shapes who feels seen, who is seen, what actions then stand a chance of gaining traction.' The Courage Project is accepting nominations from the public for future recipients, as well as from United Way. Gallus said asking for public nominations is another way the awards can help democratize who is celebrated as American heroes. The foundations will select the recipients from the nominees. Deepak Bhargava, president of the Freedom Together Foundation, said the group of funders were thinking ahead to the 250th anniversary of the United States ' independence and asked themselves what role they could play as philanthropic foundations. They decided to recognize the courage and civic action of people who don't normally get attention. 'Most awards are designed for people who are occupying positions of power or to some degree are already famous,' he said. 'These awards are designed to support people who do the invisible but essential work to make our communities healthy and to sustain our freedoms.' The other funders of The Courage Project are CFLeads, The James Irvine Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, The Skillman Foundation and the Surdna Foundation. Separately, another nonprofit, The Heritage Foundation, which organized Project 2025 and focuses on building the conservative movement, will also award prizes to encourage the celebration of the country's independence. The foundation usually does not make grants but started to award Innovation Prizes in 2022 in part to put its endowment to work, said Bridgett Wagner, executive director of the Edwin J. Feulner Institute at the foundation. 'We want to encourage with this. We want to spark innovation. We want people to do something that's different,' she said of the prizes, which total around $1 million each year. She said the awards are more than grants because they communicate the foundation's support of the organization and raise their profile with other donors. The Heritage Foundation will announce the recipients of the America's 250th prizes in June. ____ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit
