Events — Girls Inc. of Los Angeles

Thank you for celebrating
International Day of the Girl with us!
10.11.2023

Once again, we gathered over 150+ women leaders across a variety of sectors to network, support and celebrate International Day of the Girl with an inspiring discussion moderated by Melissa Magsaysay, Journalist/Author and Co-Founder of Duster.

We are especially grateful to our panel of changemakers who candidly shared their journeys. Thank you to our sponsors and all of you who joined us. We had an inspiring morning surrounded by an incredible community of women (and men!) who are helping us transform the world!

Huge appreciation to our host Chief for making it possible for all proceeds from the event to go back into our community to provide programs to girls in under-resourced schools to tap into their strengths and amplify their talents.

Together we are building community and coming together to support girls- the leaders of today and tomorrow!

Event photos

FEATURED PANELISTS

Jesse Draper
General Partner, Halogen Ventures

Jesse Draper is a mother of 3 boys and founding partner of Halogen Ventures. Halogen Ventures is a Los Angeles based Venture Capital firm focused on early stage investing in consumer technology and strategic B2B software companies with a female in the founding team. Draper, the first solo female GP in Los Angeles, is also a 4th generation venture capitalist, the creator and host of Emmy nominated television series, The Valley Girl Show, and host of the MOMumental Podcast. She is a fierce advocate for investing in women and the opportunity for using technology and innovation to solve some of the biggest issues facing women and families today. Among her 70+ portfolio companies, are theSkimm, Babylist, ThirdLove, HopSkipDrive, The Flex Company, Squad (acquired by Twitter), Eloquii (sold to Walmart) and This is L (sold to P&G).

Selected as one of the top 10 early stage female investors by Business Insider, Draper was also listed by Marie Claire magazine as one of the ‘50 Most Connected Women in America’, nominated by the NRF as a DealMakeHers, Variety’s Holly’s New Leaders, and Refinery29 30 Rising Stars.” Draper has been a contributor to Marie Claire, Forbes, and is a regular investor and tech personality showcased on Cheddar, CNBC, CNN. Following Jesse’s viral Medium piece, Investing in Women Isn’t a F*cking Charity, she’s become a leading voice of women in technology. Draper is also a Kauffman Fellow.

She proudly sits on the board of directors of Trust & Will, Carbon38, Preemadonna (creator of the Nailbot) and the non-profit board Bizworld and Project Glimmer. Draper supports the Parkinson’s Institute and is very involved with growing UCLA’s female entrepreneurship community. She and her team also created the ‘Halogen Fellowship in Venture Capital’ to increase diversity and inclusion in the industry.

Kwanza Jones
Co-Founder and CEO of Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative

Kwanza Jones is a catalyst. Her life’s work lives at the intersection of culture, community, and capital. Whether producing motivational media through her company SUPERCHARGED by Kwanza Jones, or sharing an action-inspiring message from the stage or in the boardroom, Jones uses her art and access to amplify voices and issues that may otherwise not be heard. Jones has many titles, including: recording artist, leader, motivational speaker, impact investor, and philanthropist. Ask her about them and she’ll tell you, she may have many titles but she only has one job — to boost humans and humanity.

As a music artist, Jones’ performances and songs leave audiences uplifted and energized. Her music celebrates the power and strength of the human spirit, while also acknowledging challenges and obstacles. Whether she’s writing and recording songs that address women’s rights or gun violence, her message-driven music addresses social issues and makes a positive impact.

Jones, along with her life and business partner, founded the Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative (Jones+Feliciano), a philanthropic grant-making and investment organization that strategically partners with non-profits and for-profits to ensure maximum impact. Jones+Feliciano focuses on four pillars - education, entrepreneurship, equity, and empowerment - as providing access to capital in these areas leads to greater and more equitable advances and societal progress. Jones+Feliciano has committed more than $150 million to these efforts.

Christy Haubegger
Former EVP of Communications and Chief Inclusion Officer for WarnerMedia

Christy Haubegger served as EVP of Communications and Chief Inclusion Officer for WarnerMedia, which was owned by AT&T Inc. In that role, she reported to CEO Jason Kilar and led an organization of 450 executives, spanning Communications, Corporate Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility, as well as Equity & Inclusion. As the company’s top communications executive, Haubegger oversaw all corporate communications and marketing for WarnerMedia as well as the communications teams for the company including Warner Bros., HBO and HBO Max, CNN, TBS, and TNT. She built and led a groundbreaking DEI team and effort across the company that led to the most diverse and inclusive workforce, content and storytellers in the organization’s 100-year history.

Prior to WarnerMedia, Haubegger spent 15 years as an Agent at leading entertainment and sports agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) where she also served on the Operations Committee. At CAA, she worked closely with clients such as Eva Longoria, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek, America Ferrera, among others and led the drive to increase the representation of women and people of color in the content business. USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative estimated that CAA grew the diversity of its roster by more than 1400% in her tenure.

Prior to that, Haubegger founded and served as CEO of Latina Magazine which launched in 1996 and quickly became the leading media platform for U.S. Hispanic women. Considered a pioneer for Latinas, Haubegger is a popular speaker and the recipient of media recognition for her achievements. Newsweek named her one of the “Women of the New Century;” and Advertising Age has called her a “Woman to Watch;” Haubegger was the youngest woman to be inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement, in recognition of her success in raising the profile of the Hispanic market.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Haubegger is the Mexican-American daughter of adoptive parents. She received her B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Stanford Law School where she was elected president of her class. Haubegger is a board member of non-profit Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and a Founder of Poderistas, a non-profit that seeks to grow the voting and civic engagement of Latinas. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Commission on White House Fellows and served all eight years of his presidency. Haubegger currently serves on the boards of Hudson Pacific Properties (NYSE: HPP) and Liberty Trip Advisor Holdings (NASDAQ: LTRPA).

Caroline Styne
President and Wine Director of The Lucques Group

Caroline Styne, president and wine director of The Lucques Group, is a James Beard Foundation award-winning restaurateur. She runs two outposts of the acclaimed A.O.C., restaurants Caldo Verde, Cara Cara and the new Dahlia cocktail bar. She also oversees the beverage programs for the historic Hollywood Bowl and The Ford, both concert venues in Los Angeles. As Wine Director, Caroline is nationally recognized for her expertise in the restaurants’ much-admired wine programs. Food & Wine named A.O.C. Best New Wine List of 2003. The restaurant also received the esteemed Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator three times and was named among the 100 Best Wine Restaurants 2015 by Wine Enthusiast. When she introduced an entirely new list at A.O.C. in 2013, that included only wines produced from biodynamic, sustainable or organic farming practices, the restaurant was praised by The Los Angeles Times. In 2016, A.O.C. was named among best Wine Bars in Los Angeles by Thrillist and Eater LA. In 2019, Caroline’s wine list was honored by Wine & Spirits as number three among 50 best restaurants best places to eat and drink in Los Angeles. A.O.C. is consistently applauded for their imaginative craft cocktails that mirror the farmers’ market influence of Suzanne Goin’s seasonal menus.

Caroline’s hospitality philosophy and keen business acumen has been a major contribution to the growth of The Lucques Group since the opening of their first restaurant. Today, she oversees business affairs at the company’s operations in Los Angeles, all of which are considered among the best in the city. In 2014, Caroline was one of a distinguished panel of jurors for the James Beard Foundation that served as the judging authority for the year’s Restaurant Design Awards. She also shared other nominations with partner Suzanne Goin when Lucques was honored for Best Service and A.O.C. was acknowledged for Outstanding Wine Program by the James Beard Foundation. After five years of nominations for the James Beard Awards, Caroline received the coveted award for Restaurateur of Year 2018 in recognition for her achievements with The Lucques Group. Caroline and Suzanne, along with David Lentz–Suzanne’s husband and owner of The Hungry Cat–are co-founders of L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade, their fundraiser benefiting research for childhood cancer which has raised over $ 8 million since its inception in 2010.

Hillary Super
CEO, Savage X Fenty

Hillary is the CEO of Savage X Fenty and the former CEO of Anthropologie Group. She is a 30-year veteran of the fashion industry and has served in senior leadership roles with other global brands such as Old Navy, American Eagle Outfitters, and Guess. She is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and for providing opportunities to future generations of women and girls. She privately coaches several young entrepreneurs and serves on the board of the Point Foundation which is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ+ students of merit.  As an introvert in a senior role, she believes her superpower is her ability to listen, observe, and really see people.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Hillary holds a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies. In 2017, she was named one of Forbes 40 over 40 women to watch.

Hillary currently lives with her wife and French bulldog in Santa Monica, California.

Nichol Whiteman
CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation

With a relentless dedication to improving the lives of others, Nichol Whiteman is the Chief Executive Officer of the award-winning Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF). Under Nichol’s leadership, LADF tackles the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos.

With a degree in Economics from Spelman College, Nichol was the first in her family to graduate from college and has a passion for education, equity, and diversity. Her unwavering dedication resulted in positions in investment management and publishing before beginning a philanthropic career as VP, Western Region of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. As a child of Jamaican immigrants “in search of a dream," she frequently highlights the power of diversity in advocating for resources and opportunities for marginalized populations.

Appointed to the State of California’s Commission on the Status of women and Girls, Nichol now extends her impact beyond Los Angeles as she fights for the opportunities and support that all communities deserve.

Nichol is a member of Women in Sports and Entertainment and LA Community Leaders and holds positions on the advisory and regional boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Covington Capital Management, the Women’s Leadership Council, A Better Chance, Inc., New Teacher Center, Davinci Schools Board Fund, the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Positive Results Corporation, and Portal Schools board of trustees. Additionally, she sits on the board of the Los Angeles chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance and serves on the YMCA of Metro LA’s Sports and Impact Panel. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband Timothy and two sons, Timothy Jr. and Nicholas.