May 1, 2024
Girls Write Now Radical Gratitude Spring Awards
With radical gratitude to our champions for 25 years of transformative stories, we invest in radical growth to mentor the next generation of writers and leaders in publishing, media, and beyond.
Honoring Robert Hammer, Grace Bastidas, and Jon Yaged. With Special Guests Ellen Archer, Judith Curr, Steve Israel, Madeline McIntosh, Krishan Trotman, Angeline Boulley, Lisa Chai, and Alicia Menendez. Featuring Mentee Performers JoliAmour Dubose-Morris, Kaya Fraser, Kayah Hodge, and Najaya Royal.
Honoree
Robert Hammer
Founder of Hammer Ventures
Powered by his nearly 40 years as a chief executive and entrepreneur in the technology industry, Bob is a trusted advisor to corporate leaders.
He provides a clear perspective on growth opportunities and is known for his intuitive and decisive leadership. Through Hammer Ventures, he focuses on identifying and investing in companies who have unique, highly differentiated AI technology foundations with strong growth prospects and highly profitable business models. He is actively involved with several of the Hammer Ventures portfolio companies. He sits on the Board of IronYun, a leading AI video analytics platform company. He is a major investor and works closely with the team at Robo Global Ventures.
Honoree
Girls Write Now Mentor & Editor-In Chief of Parents Dotdash Meredith
Grace is a journalist and multimedia storyteller with a passion for amplifying underrepresented voices. She thrives on creating and developing authentic, relevant, multi-platform content—digital, podcasts, print, video—that deeply engages audiences and propels people to action. Most recently, she was appointed the editor in chief of Parents, a national media brand founded in 1926. Her innate understanding of women and families across different demographics is an invaluable asset that has also positioned her as a thought leader on a variety of stages. She has moderated and guested on panels, presented at conferences, and shared her opinion on live television. Most recently, she co-hosted and served as a producer on a podcast geared towards mothers that led to a guest-hosting opportunity at NPR. While she is passionate about creating immersive audio stories, she loves the written word and has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and New York magazine, among other publications. She lives in Brooklyn with my husband and young daughters. In her free time, she serves as an ambassador for the Good+ Foundation, a nonprofit working to break the cycle of family poverty.
Honoree
Jon Yaged
Chief Executive Officer of Macmillan Publishers
Jon Yaged is Chief Executive Officer of Macmillan Publishers. Jon previously served as President, Macmillan Publishers, and President & Publisher, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. During his tenure as CEO and President, the company has recorded the highest revenue and operating income in its history. Over the course of his 20-year career in children’s publishing, Jon oversaw the publication of many bestselling books and series while working with critically acclaimed, award-winning authors and illustrators, including Katherine Applegate, Leigh Bardugo, Angeline Boulley, Eoin Colfer, Taye Diggs, Shane W. Evans, Jimmy Fallon, Jules Feiffer, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Marissa Meyer, Rick Riordan, Mo Willems, and Gene Luen Yang. In addition to fostering publishing programs that are reflective of the communities in which we live, Jon is focused on leading a company that invests in its employees by creating a culture of collaboration, mentorship, and innovation.
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