The Big RE Awards: Take The Lead Honors Excellence In Equity Leadership, Philanthropy, Business
Suzanne Lerner accepting the Wear The Shirt Award at the recent Power Up Concert. (Photo by Karianne Munstedt.)
It is the first of many.
Suzanne Lerner, co-founder of Michael Stars, was awarded the first-ever Wear The Shirt Award at Take The Lead’s 2022 Power Up Concert & Conference, the Big RE: Rethink, Rewire and Recreate held recently virtually and in person in Phoenix, AZ.
“@Suzanne_Lerner, co-founder of @MichaelStarsInc, was awarded the first-ever Wear The Shirt Award at @Takeleadwomen ‘s 2022 #PowerUpConcert & Conference, the Big RE: Rethink, Rewire and Recreate held recently virtually and in person in Phoenix, AZ. ”
Alyson Palmer, a member of the band BETTY, that opened the Power Up Concert with a multi-media version of the song, “Rise,” introduced Lerner to the hybrid audience.
Lerner earns the award for more than 35 years of “standing by your convictions and standing up proudly making a difference,” Palmer said. Lerner has a “commitment to equality and the assurance of fair wages,” and is “the first in a long line of women and companies honored for wearing the shirt.”
“Wear the shirt,” is one of the 9 Leadership Power Tools introduced by Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead. It signifies standing by your convictions with intention, integrity and action.
““Wear the shirt,” is one of the 9 #LeadershipPowerTools introduced by @GloriaFeldt, co-founder and president of @Takeleadwomen. It signifies standing by your convictions with #intention, integrity and action. ”
“I wear my values on my sleeve,” said Lerner. “It is not easy to live your values in business. But they are not values if you only practice them when they are convenient. You have to do it when it’s tough.”
Read more in Take The Lead on Suzanne Lerner
At Michael Stars, a retail fashion brand, Lerner says 85 percent of their workforce are women, in all levels of leadership.
Lerner explained that she first met Feldt at a seminar in 2013 where Feldt explained the power tools and what it means to be centered in your convictions.
“Keep using your power, even if you fail,” Lerner said. “Keep rising up and failing up to that next venture.”
For the last 15 years the Michael Stars Foundation has “been finding pathways to gender and racial equity” in programs around the world focusing on organizations that cater to women and girls.
“For the last 15 years the @MichaelStarsInc has “been finding pathways to gender and racial equity” in programs around the world focusing on organizations that cater to women and girls. #genderequity ”
One aspect of Michael Stars philanthropy is the fundraiser of the Women t-shirt created two years ago to honor the mission of Take The Lead. “We give the proceeds of the t-shirt to Take The Lead because it so clearly names the challenges we face as women in an organization that helps us all.”
At the start of the awards ceremony the following day at the conference, Feldt acknowledged all the honorees, saying “It is a such a pleasure to say thank you to the people who say yes when we are asking them to do things.”
The first Leading Man Award winner was to Leon Silver in 2020 at the first Power Up Conference. Silver, co-managing partner of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani's Phoenix office and the law firm’s National Practice Group leader for the Retail & Hospitality and Government Regulatory & Administrative Law practice groups, was on hand to honor the 2022 recipient.
Read more in Take The Lead on Leon Silver
Silver delivered the award named after Alex Barbanell, Feldt’s late husband, to Vada Manager, founder and CEO of Manager Global Holdings.
“I am delighted to receive the inaugural Alex Barbanell Leading Man award,” Manager said. “I met Alex as a student at Arizona State University and his visual, factual and impactful role as partner to Gloria informed me about how couples work together.”
““I am delighted to receive the inaugural Alex Barbanell Leading Man award,” @VadaManager said. “I met Alex as a student at @ASU and his visual, factual and impactful role as partner to @GloriaFeldt informed me about how couples work together.””
With his wife, Charlotte and five children, Manager said, “I tried to model his example most of my life.” He added that from the role models of his great grandmother to grandmother to mother, “Support of women is part of my DNA.”
Manager, who pointed in the audience to his son, Trent, “I wanted him to see the importance of equity, trying to bring people up and create gender balance.”
Read more in Take The Lead on Vada Manager
“One of the things Gloria taught me is you have to be intentional,” said Manager, who set out to add more women to the board of Valvoline, and where three women have taken board positions recently. “You have to be intentional to create that kind of equity,” he said.
““One of the things @GloriaFeldt taught me is you have to be intentional,” said @VadaManager, who set out to add more women to the board of @Valvoline, and where three women have taken board positions recently. “You have to be intentional to create that kind of #equity,” he said. ”
Heather Mattisson, Manager, People Rotation Program, and member of Take The Lead’s board of directors, introduced Michelle Reaux, director of diversity, leadership and OD at Insight Enterprises, winner of the Leading Business Award at the Big RE conference.
Insight, a global technology provider and Fortune 500 company, is No. 59 on Forbes’ Best Employers For Diversity List and No. 83 on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies list, among many international awards in recognition of its efforts in DEI. Insight earned a perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation corporate equality index.
With initiatives such as the allies in Action Group, Mattison said Insight is committed to fairness and workplace equity.
“Thirty percent of senior management are women, 34% of positions of vice president and aboce are women and 80% of the C-suite positions are women,” Mattison said. At the start of 2022, Joyce Mullen was named as President and Chief Executive Officer of Insight.
Insight worked with Take The Lead to offer the 9 Leadership Power Tools trainings to more than 100 women globally, said Reaux. “As a Fortune 400 tech company, we are continuing to grow a female presence in leadership.” She added, “We are working tirelessly every day to continue to change the world.”
“@InsightEnt worked with @Takeleadwomen to offer the 9 Leadership Power Tools trainings to more than 100 women globally, said @michellereaux. “As a Fortune 400 tech company, we are continuing to grow a female presence in leadership.” #femaleleaders”
Kim Tarnopolski, chair of the Power Up Conference, introduced the Leading Philanthropy Award to Vince and Jane Roig of the Helios Education Foundation.
Read more in Take The Lead on Kim Tarnopolski
With a steep commitment to “diversity, equity and inclusion in post-secondary attainment for under-represented communities in Arizona and Florida,” Tarnopolski said, the Roigs are “dedicated to improve student access.”
Both Vince and Jane Roig, who founded the Helios Education Foundation in 2004, “have one key grounding belief that education should be considered an investment, not an expense as it transforms lives,” Tarnopolski said. This is why they are aligned with the mission of Take The Lead.
“Both Vince and Jane Roig, who founded the @HeliosFoundatio in 2004, “have one key grounding belief that education should be considered an investment, not an expense as it transforms lives,” @KimTarnopolski said. This is why they are aligned with the mission of @Takeleadwomen.”
“This event is testament to inspiration and empowerment,” Jane Roig said as she accepted the award. “Equity is one of four core values at Helios, in addition to partnership, community and investment.”
With STEM initiatives and programs partnering with Arizona Science Center aimed at women and girls, Roig said, “We are empowering young girls to have equal access to quality education in order to become full participants in the workforce.”
Investing more than $300 million in educational initiatives and scholarships since 2004, Roig said, “We know STEM education is a gateway to opening significant opportunities and STEM learning is a key strategy for career options for young women.”
Roig added, “We are about success, access and opportunity for education for everyone. This award is a shot of energy in the arm to the team. We will double down on our efforts.”
