KANSAS CITY, MO – September 30, 2021 – Through a uniquely hybrid in-person and online format, United WE presented We Work for Change 2021, a celebration of equity, diversity, and 30 years of empowering women on September 29.
Hosted at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and through a virtual livestream, attendees included political leaders from across state and party lines like Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Missouri United States Senator Roy Blunt.
“Congratulations to United WE for 30 years of empowering women and working for change across Kansas and Missouri. Your research and policy solutions have made a lasting difference for thousands of women,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “United WE has been an important partner for my administration on women’s issues, and a voice and resource for women across Kansas and beyond.”
The event program featured virtual speaker Mellody Hobson, a nationally-recognized voice on financial literacy. Named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world, Hobson serves as Chair of Starbucks, the only Black woman to lead the board of directors for an S&P 500 company. She is also the co-founder of Ariel Investments.
“I’m focused on women – particularly people of color – being brave. I think that fear keeps us from realizing our potential,” said Mellody Hobson. “So many people are held back by fear, and life is not living with an absence of fear, but courage is overcoming it.”
Attendees also heard from in-person speaker Tiffany Dufu, Founder & CEO of The Cru, a peer coaching platform for women. Dufu’s book, Drop the Ball, provides a manifesto for women to learn to let go. Dufu spoke with United We’s President & CEO Wendy Doyle and event chair Mary Jane Judy in a fireside chat, with some questions asked by local youth attendees.
“I think it’s important for us to recognize that there are many different ways to add to the ecosystem of empowering women. It wouldn’t be feasible for all of us to be on a Fortune 500 board or to have seats in Congress,” said Tiffany Dufu. “What’s important is we all need to support one another. We all need each other.”
Formerly known as the Women’s Foundation, this year’s event was particularly impactful for the organization as it marked the celebration of 30 years of empowering women. Formerly known as the Women’s Foundation, United WE was incorporated in 1991 to help address the unmet needs of women and girls in Kansas City. Today, the organization’s strategic investments and passionate work have resulted in work across seven states, including 20 impactful research studies, 39 meaningful policy actions, and 162 women appointed to civic leadership positions through the Appointments Project®.
United WE unveiled a 30th anniversary video encapsulating milestones from the past three decades, celebrating the women —and men— who said yes to creating meaningful change in their communities. Several of those bold and trailblazing leaders were at the event and featured in the video, available here.
In addition to celebration, the signature We Work for Change Event raised more than $670,000 to support the United WE mission and programs, including the commission of transformative research, support for barrier-removing policy reforms, advocating for the legacies of women, and more.
Join United WE in creating meaningful change for all women and learn more at www.united-we.org.
