Girl Up Michigan is hosting our third annual gala, Starlight Gala: Starring Women Who Light The Way to highlight and celebrate female social entrepreneurs who are leading the way for our local Michigan communities. Our featured panelists include Bridget Clark Whitney, Alison Vaughn, Joanne Ewald, and Catherine Hadley who are widely recognized for their work across a variety of dimensions, from food insecurity to maternal justice. Our gala will be taking place on April 2nd from 6-9 pm in the Rogell Ballroom at the Michigan Union. Tickets are now on sale for $12 and can be purchased here. (https://forms.gle/FQj52gEmesWCPWxe7) Once you purchase a ticket, dinner is on us and you'll have the chance to enter in raffles to win different gifts like handmade jewelry from a local artist, gift cards from the MDen or merch from Pinball Pete's. Learn more about our speakers here:Bridget Clark Whitney: President and Founding CEO of Kids’ Food Basket (KFB), a children’s food equity organization that nourishes thousands of children and families in West Michigan facing food insecurity and poverty with daily, healthy evening meals. In 2020, Clark Whitney was appointed to Governor Whitmer’s Michigan Community Service Commission to represent an individual with expertise in the educational, training, and developmental needs of youth, particularly disadvantaged youth. In addition, she was named one of Grand Rapids Business Journal’s “50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan.” For two consecutive years Clark Whitney was honored as a “Top 200 Business Leaders” from Grand Rapids Business Journal in 2020 and 2021.
Alison Vaughn: Founder and CEO of Jackets for Jobs, Inc., an award winning nonprofit organization that provides employment etiquette, career skills training, and professional clothing to low-income individuals. Since opening its doors in 2000, Jackets for Jobs has assisted more than 28,000 individuals in their pursuit of employment. This high profile organization has been recognized by ABC’s “The View,” NBC’s “Today Show” and Oprah’s O Magazine. Vaughn is also the author of the award-winning book, Ms. Goal Digger, Success is Sexy!- a tell-all guide for today’s businesswoman who wants to get what she wants for herself, by herself. Joanne Ewald: Owner and Founder at Mend on the Move, a non-profit social enterprise that employs survivors of abuse in Metro Detroit to create jewelry that provides them with an income while in recovery. Their jewelry is crafted from salvaged auto parts and car seat leather, symbolic of the company's commitment to serving women locally in the Motor City.Catherine Hadley: A Truman Scholar studying Sociology who founded BirthSafe.org, a maternal health-specific review website to support people through their pregnancy and birthing experience. Catherine has lobbied for maternal health bills in Michigan and Washington, D.C.