On September 27, 2006 over 400 of the city's most powerful women attended our inaugural (Em)Power Breakfast at the Pierre Hotel to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of our first school, The Young Women's Leadership School of East Harlem (TYWLS)! Guests networked while sipping fruit smoothies, enjoyed a delicious gourmet menu created by Per Se’s Thomas Keller and learned about the groundbreaking history of this one small school in our film, “Because of Us”.  Since TYWLS opened in September of 1996, the school has had a 100% graduation rate and 100% rate of college acceptance. The Young Women’s Leadership Foundation, helped to create a network of all-girls schools in NYC (in addition to East Harlem, now in the Bronx and Astoria, Queens), Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas. In total, over 2400 girls are enrolled in the schools each year.

Our (Em)Power Breakfast also paid tribute to three powerful women who were supporters from the beginning: Thelma Golden, Director of the Studio Museum of Harlem; The Starr Foundation (Florence Davis - President and Gladys Thomas, Vice President); Nancy Peretsman, Managing Director of Allen and Company and "the man we love" — NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.  But the biggest highlight of the morning for everyone was meeting and talking to our girls. Students ranging in age from 11-21 welcomed guests at 7:30 am, graciously thanked them as they left at 9 am and in between entertained, motivated and inspired everyone with their messages of hope, determination and plans for a brighter future. The event raised nearly $700,000 and we would like to sincerely thank our generous sponsors and patrons, as well as everyone in attendance, for their support:

Head of the Class: JPMorgan Chase (sponsor of 10th Anniversary film “Because of Us”)
The Starr Foundation, The Tisch Family

Best Friends Forever: Richard Cohen and Paula Zahn, Nancy Peretsman and Robert Scully, The Joan H. Tisch family, Tishman Speyer

Most Likely to Succeed: CBS, Inc., Maria Cuomo Cole, The Gruber Family Foundation, Hearst Magazines, Lee and Sally Posey, PepsiCo, Inc.

In-kind supporters: Thomas Keller and Bouchon Bakery, Estee Lauder Inc., Hearst Magazines, Print Icon, Robert Rothschild Farms, Salon Francky L’Official, Lin Beauty and Arts Spa, Ellen Weldon Design and Avrett Free Ginsberg.

To view photographs from the (Em)Power Breakfast on September 27th, please click on this link.