Visionary Women hosted its International Women’s Day Summit on March 6 at Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. The event drew a sold-out audience of more than 500 attendees. Co-founded by Beverly Hills City Councilmember and three-times mayor Lili Bosse and Angella Nazarian a decade ago, Visionary Women brings together top women leaders across many sectors ranging from business, politics, and medicine to media and the arts, to drive social impact and effect change for pressing issues facing women and girls. Since its founding, the organization has awarded grants totaling $3 million to over 200 nonprofits benefiting those groups. Visionary Women selected Sharon Stone as the 2024 Changemaker of the Year for her ongoing philanthropy and leadership.
The program began with the Hon. Nicole Avant and Gwyneth Paltrow taking part in a “fireside chat” on the topic of mother/daughter legacies. Avant commemorated her birthday and that of her late mother, Jacqueline, the beloved Beverly Hills philanthropist.
All photos by Araya Doheny for Getty Images
She also bestowed the Visionary Women Changemaker Award to Stone. The award includes the sum of $40,000 to be donated to a charity of the recipient’s choice. Stone made the surprise announcement on stage that she would donate the funds to the Jacqueline Avant Children and Family Center. Visionary Women also made an additional donation of $10,000 to the Center, leaving those on stage (and in the audience) visibly moved.
Additional highlights included a conversation featuring 96-year-old Dr. Edith Eger, psychologist, Holocaust survivor and the best-selling author of “The Choice: Embrace the Possible,” with her daughter Audrey Thompson.
The event marked the announcement of a donation by Moll Anderson to the Visionary NextGen Scholarship Fund in the total sum of $100,000. Additional awards disbursed included The Visionary Prize for Women’s Economic Empowerment sponsored by Visionary Women and The Hostetler Wrigley Foundation ($100,000) to Fatima Graves from the National Women’s Law Center. The Visionary Catalyst Prize ($15,000) was awarded to Jane Vernon at The Acceleration Project and the Rising Visionary Award ($15,000) was given to Ashante Taylorcox of You Are More Than, Inc.
This year’s event sponsors included the Maurice and Paul Marciano Foundation, the Hostetler Wrigley Foundation, GEARYS Beverly Hills, JP Morgan and The Wall Street Journal.
