There are big years, and then there are BIG years, and 2024 was definitely a BIG year for Women Connect4Good. Staying true to our mission and commitment to achieving gender equality and empowering women to lead, we worked throughout the year to live up to our name, amplifying our partners’ voices and extending and expanding our reach—and theirs—to advance women’s equality.
From coast to coast, we met with leaders equally committed to the cause and focused on creating a world where women are able to realize their fullest potential. We created new friendships and partnerships—organizationally and personally—and, along the way, proved, once again, that together we can do anything. As Dr. Nancy says, each new relationship provides access to new ideas, resources, and expertise and expands opportunities for EVERYONE. Connections matter, and 2024 brought the best and brightest leaders of today and tomorrow center stage and into Women Connect4Good’s ecosystem of allies and friends.
In late 2023, Women Connect4Good partnered with the ERA Coalition, and we celebrated that in January with a podcast featuring Zakiya Thomas, president and CEO of the ERA Coalition and the Fund for Women’s Equality. This was followed by another podcast featuring Elisa Parker, founder of See Jane Do. Both episodes brought the historical fight for gender equality to the forefront, with the evolution of the Equal Rights Amendment central to the conversation.
In January, we amplified the call for fair and balanced representation and kicked off the 2024 election campaign cycle with a podcast interview with Crystal Quade, the Minority Leader in the Missouri House of Representatives, as she entered the race to become the state’s first female governor.
In January, the Lift Women Up campaign also celebrated its fifth year and made the transition from a year-long list to a spontaneous weekly action item to react to changing times, events, and the needs of women and men. As a result, the growing community of participants—dedicated to helping each other grow and evolve—continued to benefit from the support, resources, and guidance made available through our free weekly content.
We celebrated Black History Month in February by championing Black women and girls with a podcast interview with Brianna Baker, founder of Justice for Black Girls, and promoted Diversity Woman Media’s fourth annual Elite 100 Honoring Extraordinary Black Women Leaders Changing the Face of Corporate America.
Then, we helped kick off the “Unlock the Future Campaign” with the National Organization for Women (NOW). In her podcast interview, NOW’s president, Christian Nunes, described the initiatives to support a significant shift towards a more inclusive and intersectional approach to feminism and equal rights activism.
In March—Women’s History Month—Dr. Nancy spoke on “The Cost of Being a Woman” as part of the Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California™ event at Mount Saint Mary’s University. The event also led to connecting and/or deepening long-term partnerships with many women who attended the event, including artist Maggie O’Neil, founder of Vote for Your Daughter, whose initiative educates and spotlights the need to create an equal future for the next generation.
In April, we met with 175+ philanthropic and impact leaders from around the world who came together in Montecito, California, to share their unique experiences and perspectives on intersectional feminist philanthropy as part of the inaugural Doing it Differently Giving List Summit. The event, held by the Giving List Women, was created to inspire philanthropic giving to support women and girls beyond its current 2% and to 
“strengthen the narrative around the importance of women and girls being viewed as a lens, not a lane, in giving.” As part of the event, WC4G Team Leader Melissa Miller Young and Dr. Nancy’s daughter, Ragan O’Reilly Thomson, hosted a Doing It Differently Dinner at Dr. Nancy’s home and welcomed a number of philanthropic leaders and conference attendees.
Also in April, Mona Singha, Executive Director of Equality Now, shared her insights on the importance of women coming together to support one another and the power of collaboration on Dr. Nancy’s podcast. Their conversation also included how Equality Now focuses on promoting legal equality worldwide, addressing issues such as violence, sexual exploitation, and child marriage.
May was a huge month for women. We welcomed Frédérique Campagne Irwin, President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, to the podcast to discuss her plans for the Museum as a decentralized resource to complement the Smithsonian brick-and-mortar version that is in the works. We also applauded the ERA Coalition Forward and Still Working 9 to 5, LLC, during the Women’s Equality Trailblazer Awards, which 
honored Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton and featured a screening of the award-winning documentary Still Working 9 to 5. We reported and celebrated filmmaker and founder of the Wild Beauty Foundation, Ashley Avis’s success in scheduling a Washington, DC event with actress Diane Lane to gather the support of Congress for H.R. 3656, designed to limit government-financed mass helicopter roundups of tens of thousands of wild horses and the devastating impacts of the practice. Ashley’s award-winning documentary, WILD BEAUTY: Mustang Spirit of the West, helped tell the story that got Washington’s attention.
In June, we celebrated women and men changing the world, highlighting Jensine Larson passing the baton after 20 years leading World Pulse, the feminist social network connecting women and allies from 200+ countries and territories who report growing their initiatives and movements to impact the lives of tens of millions and expanding its reach for global gender justice further every day.
Filmmaker and storyteller Asha Dahya announced her new podcast series, Green Tide Rising with Monica Morales-Garcia. The eight-episode series showcased the work of Latin American feminists pushing for reproductive freedom and abortion access in arguably some of the most hostile areas for gender equality on earth.
In August, on Women’s Equality Day, Take the Lead presented its 10th PowerUp Conference in Washington, DC, presenting Wonder Woman’s Lynda Carter with its Leading Woman Award. The event featured a host of talented musicians and speakers to promote women’s rights, leadership, and equality in all things, once and for all.
As part of the Take The Lead Women PowerUp Conference, Dr. Nancy and Adam Torres, Co-Founder of Mission Matters, launched a new anthology—Mission Matters: Mission-Based Leaders Share Inspiring Stories on Power and Purpose. The book was written by a select group of women who shared their own inspiring stories and was built around the “women helping women” theme.
In September, Tiffany Shlain’s sculpture, Dendrofemonology: A Feminist History Tree Ring, was displayed in New York for “A Mobilization for Women’s Rights and the Planet” as an art and action event. Partners included Women Connect4Good, Project Dandelion, the ERA Coalition, the National Women’s History Museum, Vital Voices, and more, all in town kicking off Climate Week. Powerful speakers on gender equality and climate justice joined selected cast members from the Tony award-winning Broadway musical SUFFS.
Also in September, Maheen Kaleem, a human rights lawyer and Vice President of Programs and Operations at Grantmakers for Girls of Color, joined Dr. Nancy for a podcast discussion about the challenges girls of color face. The discussion included the stark disparity in funding—less than 0.5% of philanthropic giving—and the importance of visibility, investment, and support for these young leaders, who are essential drivers of social justice movements, providing hope and paving the way for a more equitable future.
Nancy welcomed Catherine Gray, powerhouse producer and founder of the She Angels Foundation, to her podcast to share insights from her groundbreaking documentary Show Her the Money, highlighting the transformative power of investing in women-led businesses. In her work through She Angel Investors and the She Angels Foundation, Catherine hopes to show women how easy and profitable venture capital is and pave the way for a new wave of financial empowerment and innovation.
As the election approached, with Kamala Harris, only the second candidate for a major party in contention for the presidency, we stepped up to amplify the need to vote. The Equal Rights Coalition launched its initiative, Equal Voice=Equal Vote, to illuminate the challenges and opportunities for achieving gender equity through inspiring stories, expert insights, and engaging discussions.
After the election, as women once again had to come to terms with not having a woman in the top leadership position in our country, we welcomed thought leaders to assess our feelings and strategize for the future. Frédérique Campagne Irwin, President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum; Maggie O’Neill, artist, designer, entrepreneur, activist, and creator of the Vote For Your Daughter project; and Tiffany Shlain, renowned 
artist, author, activist, and filmmaker, joined Dr. Nancy in one group exploring the repercussions of the election and its impact on gender equality. Immediately following, Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take the Lead, and Zakiya Thomas, president and CEO of the ERA Coalition, discussed ways to process the moment, find clarity in the chaos, and chart a path forward.
In November, Dr. Nancy and Melissa traveled to Washington, D.C., again to attend Diversity Woman Media’s 19th National Women’s Business Leadership Conference. The event attracted women business leaders of all races, cultures, and backgrounds from the world’s largest corporations and entrepreneurs heading a number of successful women-
owned businesses. Recognized as the premier women’s leadership conference for gender diversity, attendees listened and learned from some of the most influential thought leaders and executives across the nation and the world. Dr. Nancy, a previous Mosaic Award winner, was on hand to welcome Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the 52nd Speaker of the House of Representatives, as she received her Mosaic Award.
The ERA Coalition then stepped up its work to get the ERA 
published before President Biden’s term ends in January. Pointing out that the upcoming administration had blocked the ERA from being published, this seemed to be the last chance before having to work another hundred years for equality for all. Dr. Nancy and Melissa went back to D.C. to meet not only with Coalition President and CEO Zakiya Thomas, but also with Dr. Sophia Armen, Rosie Couture, and other young activists as they prepared to take their demands to the halls of Congress and later to the streets.
While 2024 was a BIG year, 2025 is shaping up to be even bigger, and we have spent the holidays making plans for next month, next year, and the next election cycle. As Gloria Feldt said, “We must amass our power for good, (and) stay true to our authentic values…our cause and our work are more important than ever.” We could not agree more.
As we step into the new year, it is important to say to our valuable partners and collaborators, our sisters, our daughters, and our friends—we see you, and our commitment to achieving gender equality and empowering women to lead has never been stronger. Whether it’s a school board seat, a local or statewide initiative, an educational opportunity, or another rung on the career ladder, we are focused on the advancement of women because we know that women are the solution.