Washington, DC, Oct. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vital Voices, the leading nonprofit that invests in women leaders who are solving the world’s greatest challenges, has partnered with NowThis, the no.1 most-watched mobile news brand globally [Tubular Labs, June 2020], for their inaugural event franchise “NowThis NEXT.” Hosted by Late Night’s Seth Meyers and Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John and NowThis Host and Correspondent Zinhle Essamuah, the event will shine a spotlight on the critical role women leaders play in creating a more equitable and just world for us all. It will highlight Vital Voices’ 2020 Awardees, changemakers who are transforming their communities in the United States and around the world as well as celebrities and thought leaders.
This year’s virtual event will feature Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Diane von Furstenberg, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate and Founder of Fair Fight Action, Stacey Abrams, Actress, Producer and CEO Tracee Ellis Ross, Academy Award winning actor and producer Charlize Theron and additional high-profile leaders to be announced. Actresses Elizabeth Banks, Kate Bosworth and 2020 Emmy Winner and Hamilton star Jasmine Cephas-Jones will also join this inspiring event, as will Donna Langley, Chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, social justice activist Jamira Burley and National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. It will also include a musical performance by Milck and acclaimed R&B/Pop singer, JoJo, will be closing out the event by performing her anthemic new song “The Change” in an exclusive digital performance.
Vital Voices’ 2020 Awardees include Algorithmic Justice League founder Joy Buolamwini, Nigerian political activist and economic expert Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Social Entrepreneur and Co-founder of 412 Food Rescue Leah Lizarondo and Honduras’ first group of feminist graffiti artists Suam Fonseca & Mayki Graff.
NowThis NEXT, in partnership with Vital Voices, will take place on Sunday, October 18th at 12PM ET via www.nowthisnews.com/next and across the outlet’s social media channels, with P&G serving as the event’s presenting sponsor. Additional lead partners include Bank of America, Olay, Dawn, Swiffer, Pantene, My Black Is Beautiful, Aussie, Hair Biology and more.
Vital Voices, with its network of 18,000 women across 182 countries, has invested in women on the frontlines of change in their communities for the last 23 years, and provided them a platform to build awareness around the critical role women and girls play in positively impacting their communities. Leveraging NowThis’ wide-reaching platform and billions of monthly views will bring visibility to the urgent need for women’s leadership. In addition to featuring speakers on issues like the climate crisis, racial equity, social justice, civic engagement and gender equality, this one-of-a-kind interactive virtual event will encourage viewers to participate in donating to Vital Voices and social calls to action in addition to creating positive change in their own communities. The event will run exclusively on NowThis channels.
“The need for women’s leadership has never been more urgent than it is right now, in this unprecedented moment. Vital Voices’ investment in women leaders is critical to the progress we need to make in expanding the rights, opportunities, and full participation of women and girls,” said Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. “When platforms like NowThis amplify the stories of women leaders, we can accelerate that progress.”
“2020 has made it unequivocally clear that critical societal issues -- from theb climate crisis to racial justice and gender equality -- are all interconnected,” said Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. “We are excited to partner with NowThis to illuminate the critical role women from diverse backgrounds must play in reimagining and rebuilding our world.”
“This year has shown us that it’s critical we put women’s voices at the center when building a future that works for everyone. That’s what our work with Vital Voices is focused on: advancing women leaders who are solving many of the greatest challenges in our world,” said Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, P&G, and member of Vital Voices’ Board of Directors. “Through our work with Vital Voices we have seen firsthand the power of supporting and investing in women. We are honored to have played a part in bringing NowThis and Vital Voices together to mobilize the next generation of leaders to make a difference.”
“If we want to make real, sustainable change, we must make space for those who are experts of their own experiences, who know what it takes to reimagine a more equitable society, says Jamira Burley, social justice advocate and social impact strategist. “I am proud to be part of the Vital Voices network, a network of women leaders who are tireless in their fight to demand progress in communities across the globe, and to lend my voice to an event that elevates those voices.”
“We are proud to join in this event as we celebrate ten years of the Global Ambassadors Program with Vital Voices. In honor of the hundreds of women who have participated in the Global Ambassadors Program, Bank of America will match $250,000 of funds raised during the event,” said Anne Finucane, Vice Chairman, Bank of America.
“Equality and Women in Leadership are important topics to the passionate and socially engaged NowThis audience,” said NowThis’ Chief Content Officer, Tina Exarhos. “We are excited to partner with Vital Voices to shine a light on women making real change in their communities, and to introduce our audience to opportunities for greater participation with this groundbreaking virtual event.”
About Vital Voices:
Vital Voices Global Partnership invests in women leaders who are solving the world’s greatest challenges. We are “venture catalysts,” identifying those with a daring vision for change and partnering with them to make that vision a reality. We scale and accelerate impact through long term investments to expand skills, connections, capacity and visibility. Over the last 22 years, we have built a network of 18,000 change makers across 182 countries who are collectively daring to reimagine a more equitable world for all.
About NowThis:
NowThis is the #1 mobile news brand in the U.S. [Nielsen DCR, June 2020]. They have a singular mission: to make news engaging and relevant for young adults by humanizing our complicated world. By providing insightful context from a youth perspective, NowThis has revolutionized how news is consumed today. Launched in 2012, NowThis’ entertaining, inspiring and informative videos are created for a mobile generation and receive over 2.6 billion monthly views [platform analytics, June 2020]. In December 2016, NowThis joined forces with Thrillist, The Dodo and Seeker to form Group Nine Media -- the #1 video publisher on mobile in the U.S. [Nielsen DCR, June 2020].
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