IWPR has always led the way when it comes to convening thoughtful women leaders to discuss the best way to make a difference on gender equity issues. So it was with IWPR’s awesomely successful Power+ Summit in April. And so it was with our recent “50+1 Event” at the Hamptons, where we brought together women leaders from key sectors to highlight gender inequities and inspire real change for future generations.

On a glorious summer afternoon and evening, IWPR convened an array of insightful and innovative speakers who challenged us to think out-of-the-box on the progress we want to see for women now and in the future. They shared the importance of electing women leaders to public office and corporate entities. We also heard about the critical role of philanthropy in accelerating women’s power and influence at the local, state, and national levels, and the importance of partnership across sectors.

The program for the event centered around three critical discussions and asked our panelists the basic question: How do we accelerate change and progress for women?

Event attendees were welcomed by the host Christine Prydatko, Co-Publisher – SVP of Business Development, James Lane Post, who teed up the packed agenda.

The first panel, “Infusing Movements, Making Change,” was helmed by Adeline Azrack, Managing Director, Fondation CHANEL US and Elizabeth Barajas-Román, President/CEO, Women’s Funding Network, who discussed the power of philanthropy and their giving strategies to accelerate change for women.

The second panel was led by one of our nation’s leading advocates for equal pay, Kate Kelley, Senior Vice President, Brand Partnerships for the LILLY Social Action Campaign, and Sophie Kelly, SVP of Whiskies, DIAGEO North America, who offered a private industry perspective on the role that corporate entities play in the fight for gender equity.

Lastly, the final panel, “The Power of this Moment: New Strategies for Winning Gender Equity and Building Women’s Power in the U.S.”, saw Errin Haines, Founder and Editor-at-Large, The 19th and IWPR’s own Dr. C. Nicole Mason, discussing innovative avenues for growing women’s influence and placing women in key positions of power.

Dr. Mason’s commentary showcased the path that IWPR is paving as we continue to grow and work to win women’s economic power across the country. She focused on the need for new and bold strategies to knock down barriers to women’s progress and to win big once and for all. She also called for a pro-active fifty-state strategy focused on the issues that make a difference for women including equal pay, paid sick and family, a robust care infrastructure, better wages and fairer treatment at work, and reproductive health and autonomy, among others.

This event was the inaugural edition of IWPR’s Power+ Salon Series following the Power+ Summit. It is part of our ongoing commitment to accelerate change for women by convening thought leaders and gender equity innovators to chart a common path forward for us all. IWPR plans to convene more events like this across the country in the coming months – make sure to follow us online and stay tuned to find out where we will be next!

A special thank you to our incredible sponsors for making this event possible: Fondation CHANEL, James Lane Post, LILLY Social Action Campaign and DIAGEO. We are thrilled to be able to partner with organizations so committed to fostering change for women across the country.