THE THEME IS "MY SLIDING DOOR MOMENT"
Decisions: we make a bunch of 'em every day (gym or nap? seltzer or wine?). Most are small. Some are bigger. And over the course of a lifetime, some are quite literally life-changing. This month, we're exploring the one decision that changed our lives, forever.
Generation Women is a cross-generational storytelling night in NYC, created and hosted by yours truly. Each month, six women of note read an original piece on a theme. Of those women, one is in her 20s, her 30s, her 40s, her 50s, her 60s, and her 70s+. Generation Women celebrates and amplifies women's voices and creativity. We're a unique, intimate female literary salon that brings together women of all ages.
Team 20: Alyssa Coscarelli is Refinery29’s Senior Fashion Market Editor and is a style influencer in her own right. Constantly keeping the pulse on the market, Alyssa will try any trend at least once, covering fashion brands, styling tips, and overall industry happenings for Refinery29. She also shares her city-inspired outfits, inspirations, and adventures daily with her enthusiastic Instagram following.
Team 30: Azita Ardakani is a Canadian Iranian immigrant and a five year transplant to New York City. She founded Love Social, an award winning digital impact agency, and is now a partner at Honeycomb Portfolio, a female founded impact investment fund.
Team 40: Leyla Martinez is a senior at Columbia University, studying Human Rights. She is also the President/Founder of Beyond the Box Initiative, which is an organization that seeks to eliminate structural barriers to higher education, housing, employment and civic participation for people who have criminal convictions.
Team 50: Julie Klam has published several books, including The Stars in Our Eyes and You Had Me At Woof, and wrote for the VH1 television show Pop-up Video, where she earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Special Class Writing. Currently, she writes for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the magazines that haven’t folded.
Team 60: Marcia Butler was a professional oboist for twenty-eight years until her retirement in 2008. She is the author of the nationally acclaimed memoir, The Skin Above My Knee, which was listed in “35 OVER 35” as a notable debut author. Her first novel will be published in 2019.
Team 70: Rochelle Jewel Shapiro is the author of Miriam the Medium (Simon & Schuster, 2004) and indie Finalist, Kaylee’s Ghost. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, and more. She’s been nominated for a Pushcart Prize in poetry, and she teaches writing at UCLA Extension.