News & Events

Tory Burch Foundation Newsletter | May 2013

HATS OFF TO THE GRADUATES

We celebrated graduation early this year. At the beginning of April, 18 women entrepreneurs received a diploma after participating in our customized small business program, a collaboration with the Tory Burch Foundation, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Babson College and LaGuardia Community College.

We were honored to have Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama and chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, give the ceremony’s keynote speech on how small businesses — like our graduates’ — create jobs and inspire our country. A panel discussion followed, with moderator Mika Brzezinski, co-host of Morning Joe, and speakers Tory Burch; Arianna Huffington, president and editor in chief of The Huffington Post; Gary Cohn, chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs; and Malene Barnett, graduate and owner of Malene B., a Brooklyn-based custom, handmade carpet company. They discussed everything from how to make a sales pitch to why women need to embrace ambition.

And they truly should — our pilot MBA-like course was designed specifically for early-stage, women-owned businesses with the passion and potential for growth. There are so many incredible companies, from custom lighting designs to a Brooklyn-based taco restaurant. One of the students, Jordan Salcito of Bellus Wines, kept a log of her experience during the nine-week class. In it she shares everything from the power of thinking big to the importance of peer mentorship.

In the spirit of learning, our website has several new Great Advice features, from Glamour’s Cindi Leive to Buzz Marketing Group’s Tina Wells, as well as business guidance from our latest Tory Burch Foundation mentors. Because as any successful entrepreneur knows, the education never stops.