Donate Today in Honor of Women's History Month!

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With your generous contribution we can continue to share the awareness and value of our work providing opportunities for women to be inspired, motivated and educated by connecting to themselves, each other and the world around them.

Please scroll down or click the button below for an easy way to make a special $50 renewal/donation in honor of Women's History Month!

(Also, we still have 2 trips left for anyone who is able to donate at the $250 level or higher, scroll down or contact us for more info! And remember, you can always renew or donate in any amount, every bit helps!)

Thank you for your support - we are a member funded organization and wouldn't exist without you!

Notable Women of TWM.. are YOU one of them?

 

Have a TWM story to share?  Be a guest blogger and tell us all about it!

Contact us for more info :)

 

Women's History Month 2013   At the beginning of March we sent this blast celebrating International Women's Day. There have been hundreds of women with stories of how TWM has impacted and empowered them over the years - whether they were inspired, motivated or educated by an event they attended, a person they met, or the exposure and skills they were able to develop as a volunteer or intern with us. So before the month is over we thought we'd share with you 12 notable ladies (+1 for good luck!) who got their start, shared a unique milestone, or have been connected to TWM over the 12 years we've been around. Please be sure to check out their links and support them in all the relevant ways! :) Regina Calcaterra - A panelist at our 2004 Politics Schmolitics event who shared her very personal story for the first time that night, and went on to run for State Senator and just published her memoir Sandra Endo - Was an anchor for NY1 News at the time she moderated our Politics Schmolitics event and is now a correspondent with CNN Galia Gichon - One of TWM's first official members, spoke at our inaugural ESP Conference at the start of her business and is now a nationally recognized personal finance expert Kirsten Gillibrand - Was a fan and friend of TWM as a lawyer, and was planning on speaking to our group as a Congresswoman in Spring of 2008 before she was catapulted into the national spotlight replacing Hillary Clinton as New York's Senator Sarah Jones - Gave her first private 'talk back' to our group after performing her highly acclaimed one-woman show Bridge & Tunnel Daisy Khan - A panelist for our 2002 My Life as a Muslim Woman event while she was still working in corporate America, she has gone on to become a recognized and sought-after voice for the Muslim community on the national stage Kekla Magoon - Came to us as a volunteer right out of college and contributed greatly to TWM in numerous ways before becoming an award-winning YA author on the rise Lindsey Pollak - A friend and early member of TWM has become a nationally recognized Gen Y Workplace expert and LinkedIn Spokesperson Bridgette Raes - Gave one of her first presentations as a personal style expert at our 2004 Be Your Best Self event and went on to publish a book and make several TV appearances Terrie Williams - This well-known author, mentor, and businesswoman moderated 2006's My Life as a Black Woman event and has always been a supporter of TWM's work Adaora Udoji - A friend of TWM, this award-winning journalist moderated 2008's My Life as a Female Soldier in Iraq event Alisa Vitti - One of her earliest speaking engagements was a TWM ESP Conference in 2006; she just came out with a book and made her national debut on Dr.Oz Randi Zuckerberg - Was a volunteer with TWM in 2005, helping to organize our Spotlight on Sri Lanka event and One Hot Havana Night fundraiser and then went on to work with her brother when Facebook took the world by storm... And here are just some of the other fabulous women we've met in person along the way who are proud owners of a CHICKS ROCK! button, TWM key chain or INSPIRER Newsletter: Hillary Clinton, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Madeline Albright, Pat Mitchell, Geena Davis, Brooke Shields, Helen Gurley Brown, Kathy Griffin, Soledad O'Brien, Martha Beck, Eve Ensler, Arianna Huffington, Elizabeth Gilbert, Candace Bushnell, Erica Jong, Marie Wilson, Maria Shriver, Donna Karan, Elizabeth Lesser, Rosario Dawson, Marlee Matlin, Sherri Shepherd, Barbara Walters, Phylicia Rashad, Ivanka Trump, Rachel Ray Who did we forget? Do YOU have an experience, success story or ah-ha moment to share because of your connection with TWM? Email us or post it on Facebook so we can send another blast with more stories! The Women's Mosaic® (TWM) is proud to be a part of the women's empowerment movement for over a decade. Since January 2001 we have offered more than 100 unique opportunities for women of every background to connect to themselves, each other and the world around them. Please show your support for TWM by becoming a member or renewing at the $50 level today! Use the button above for the special $50 TWM Women's History Month Membership. You can always become a member or donate any amount by visiting our website. (Scroll down for a great opportunity to take a discounted luxury Caribbean vacation when you support TWM at the $250 level or higher!) TWM Top 10 Fun Facts & Highlights Upcoming Mosaic and Non-Mosaic Events Click here for all Past Events Become a Member Donate Thank you to all our past, present and future members and donors for your support

Happy Birthday Gloria!

Happy Birthday to Gloria Steinem who we have been honored to meet several times over the years (and is a proud owner of a CHICKS ROCK! button and TWM key chain). But the first time is always the most thrilling...which was Omega's 2004 Women & Power Conference where TWM was an exhibitor, and where we also met the amazing Jane Fonda and Sally Field among others. It was a big moment for us all around! Your can read Gloria's keynote from that event here: http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/leaps.html

Remember Your Roots

CHICKS ROCK! is happy to welcome back Giovanna as a guest blogger:

Giovanna lives in New York City. Through her work experiences and
most recently through her studies, she has developed a passion for the
dynamic of work; the psychology behind it.


At a book reading for one of my favorite new novels, an audience member confessed that she had a tough time reading the book. She criticized the author’s constant use of “Spanglish” and cultural anecdotes, indicating that they made her reading experience unpleasant as she constantly had to look things up in order to understand the story. To which I felt a sudden urge to scream: “So what! I have been doing that my entire life!!”. As an avid reader from a young age, you could often find me with a book in one hand and a dictionary in the other. English is not my first language; thus I was not always familiar with the prose used by some of my favorite authors, from the old English of “The Scarlet Letter” to the colloquial speech of Holden in “Catcher in the Rye”. This particular author however, a Dominican immigrant like myself, allowed me to finally see my own voice on paper. While reading his works, I often find myself nodding in agreement, "yes… I get this." That is because his story, his characters’ stories, although individual, are my story as well.

So I wondered: does the author know that he is doing this? Does anyone with a public voice, for that matter, realize what they are doing? Do they know that they speak for a culture? A people? A generation? Are they O.K. with that? Then more intently, would I be O.K. with that? As a young professional attempting to make a voice for herself, to be successful, would I be able to carry the trials and tribulations of MY own people, a group so misunderstood, everywhere I go? A culture of people so proud yet often self-deprecating? And I am ashamed to admit that I also wondered, would it be too much of a cross to bear?

You see we all have an agenda, an individual mission if you will. Yet there is often a struggle between perfecting that personal brand and not leaving certain aspects of yourself behind. Aspects that you may not love, but are an integral part of who you are. Whether it be the influence of your family, a thick accent that is heard before even your words are, or uncertainty between adopting the collective focus many of our cultures are based on, versus the individualistic approach that we have come to favor - how do you find a happy medium?

As I pondered this, I remembered that I was still at the book reading. I listened to the author talk and thought about all the other public figures I admire, all whom share that same innate awareness of self, a communal “This is who I am, take it or leave it” kind of attitude, and I realized that all you need to do is believe. Believe in yourself. Believe in your art. Do it with character. Do it the way that feels right to you. Put every inch of you in it: your culture, your identity, where you come from, because that is who you are and you cannot hide who you are. I, for one, have no desire to.

Reality Check

This is an edited version of a post that originally appeared on my personal blog:


This post is not a reality check for me, instead it's for all the people who have an incredibly warped idea of my life in Paris. I'm starting to get really sick of people commenting on me living the "nice" life or "luxurious" life in Paris, and even the people who say, "must be nice to up and move to Paris."

For starters, my life is in no way "luxurious" and even "nice" is a bit of a stretch. It's comfortable, sure, just as it is in NYC. At least, as comfortable as it can be for a person who spent the first half worried about a place to stay and will spend the second half worried about money. Yes, I indulged in some things I've always wanted to do, like a bread-making class, but I often eat nothing but a demi baguette and pre-packaged pasta from Monoprix all day because it only costs me 3 euros. I'm not dining at fancy restaurants. I avoid museums and attractions I have to pay for. I skip more meals than I'm comfortable admitting to my best friends. Trust me, life is not luxurious.

Now, as to the question of how I got to Paris in the first place. I freelanced a lot last year, which allowed me to save a good chunk of money. Almost half of that money was supposed to go to paying taxes, which I will now have to file an extension for and pay interest on because that money is long gone. I had no choice but to do that because I'm jobless and not eligible for unemployment.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a pity parade. I've chosen this. It was my decision to quit my job, a job that was turning me into somebody I didn't recognize. I decided I would rather be broke in Paris and know that I gave it a try than be miserable in NYC, wondering "what if?" And of course there's the fact that I'm single and childless, so I don't have to consider anybody else when I make decisions like this.

I'm just tired of the looks and comments and general misunderstanding of what my life is like here. Every time somebody says something like, "can I have your life?" I want to answer "of course you can! Save up some money, quit your job, book a ticket." It's as easy as that. I didn't have a place lined up before getting here. My only "friend" was a person I had met exactly three times. I had no plan whatsoever and spent the first two months incapable of thinking past the end of the next week (a habit which will continue, I'm sure). I've made it this far by luck and not caring.

And since I'm being completely open at this point, I'll admit that I have no idea what's next, so there's also that. I've blown through my savings and am totally winging it. I have just enough money to pay rent and credit card bills through the end of my trip and that is it. I now have to think of creative ways to eat and live for the next two months. I also have to figure out how to pay rent and credit card bills once I'm back in New York because I don't have money for that either. Hell, I don't even have money to get back to New York but I'm lucky enough to have a friend who can lend me some until I figure it out. (Now, that's a luxury.)

That's your reality check for the day, folks. Basically save some money and have faith that it'll all work out beyond that. There's your key to living my life. If you choose to follow in my footsteps, let me know and HAVE FUN!

Happy International Women's Day!

It's International Women's Day! Take some time to thank an inspiring woman in your life and check out the International Women's Day site to find events, resources, and more.

Women of the World Unite for Peace

Join others on March 8th, the International Women's Day to stand up for women's rights! Visit www.unwomenforpeace.org for more info.

 

The United Nations Women for Peace.

UN Women for Peace, founded in 2008, under the patronage of H.E. Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, wife of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, aims at promoting and advancing the goals of charitable organizations whose missions are to provide opportunities for women through social, cultural, educational and women empowerment programs. Our goal is to help women and to partake in a global peace building process.

Join us to End Violence Against Women

Friday March 8th, 2013
Starting at 12:30pm
United Nations Headquarters, NY
Visitor Entrance: 1st Avenue at 46th Street
Celebrity and Dignitary Speakers at 1:00pm
Dag Hammarskjold Park, 833 First Ave