Women of Influence (U)

<p>Maureen Dowd, winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary on Bill Clinton's impeachment woes, became a columnist on <i>The New York Times </i>Op-Ed page in 1995 after having served for a decade as a correspondent in the paper's Washington bureau.</p>

<p>Aly Raisman, team captain of the gold medal winning U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics teams in 2012 and 2016, is the second most decorated American gymnast of all-time with six total Olympic medals. </p><p>The most decorated U.S. gymnast at the 2012 Games, Raisman captured the hearts of millions as she became the first American gymnast to win gold in the floor exercise. One of only two U.S.

<p>As a social activist, Monica Lewinsky’s passion is to advocate for a safer social media environment. As a public speaker, writer, producer and contributor to Vanity Fair she addresses such topics as survival, resilience, digital reputation and equality.  </p><p>Lewinsky became known to the public in 1998, when it was revealed as part of a federal investigation that she had had an intimate relationship with then President Bill Clinton.

<p>LaTosha is a contributor to <i>The New York Times</i> op-ed page and a Senior Practice Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. As co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund organization, LaTosha is dedicated to increasing the political power of Black people.</p><p>The Black Voters Matter Fund was credited with energizing and turning out voters in Alabama’s Black Belt and playing a decisive role in Doug Jones’ election to the U.S.

<p>Majora Carter is a real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, and a MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award winning broadcaster.

<p>After her incredible story went viral, Cara Brookins became a renowned thought leader in the science of motivation, empowering corporate audiences to overcome obstacles and thrive in any situation. </p><p>Cara Brookins is best known as the mom who built her own house with her kids using YouTube Tutorials. As a software analyst with no construction experience, Cara was the least likely person to build anything—let alone a house.

<p><span style="color: rgb(124, 131, 137);">Sohaila Abdulali was sexually assaulted as a teenager in India, promised to remain silent in return for her life, and has not stopped talking since. Her work as an activist, a counselor, and an author has taken her around the world. </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(124, 131, 137);">Drawing from her own experiences and those of thousands of other survivors, Abdulali inspires audiences to reconsider the way we talk about sexual assault and gender roles in society.

<p>Vizyon, is the Haitian Creole word for “vision”, Kenyette Tisha “Tish” Barnes, is the “vision” for the inception of The Nia Vizyon Project. </p><p>In 2012 Nia Vizyon, LLC, a modest, boutique social justice lobbying firm in the Georgia General Assembly, was incorporated by Barnes because she recognized that there was a marked lack of diversity among lobbyists and political strategists, in the legislative space.

<p>Rachel Elizabeth Cargle is an Ohio born writer and lecturer. Her activist and academic work are rooted in providing intellectual discourse, tools, and resources that explore the intersection of race and womanhood. </p><p>Her content continues to launch meaningful conversation amongst her community of over 230k followers on IG. In addition to her talk on the TEDx stage, her public lecture Unpacking White Feminism has been featured on campuses around the country including American University, Yale, and Harvard.

<p>Rita Moreno remains one of the busiest stars in show business. Rita recently starred in the critically-acclaimed Latino remake of Norman Lear’s classic sitcom, <i>One Day at a Time</i> on Netflix. Prior to that, Rita has also appeared in guest-starring roles in primetime TV series such as <i>Getting On</i>, <i>Jane The Virgin</i>, <i>Grey’s Anatomy</i>, and<i> Grace and Frankie</i>.</p><p>In 2015 Rita received the Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime Contributions to American culture.