Meet the Honoree
James Rhee
James Rhee designs and funds systems that give us permission to be human. His national bestselling book, red helicopter – a parable for our times: lead change with kindness (plus a little math), presents an alternative operating system for life and work through a true story that bridged the values of his immigrant parents and those of his predominantly Black female colleagues at Ashley Stewart. James is an acclaimed CEO and private equity investor, and a former high school teacher who now holds appointments at MIT Sloan and Howard University, where he serves as the Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship. He is working on related music, film, and television projects. See full biography
Presented By
Mikki Taylor
Mikki Taylor is an award-winning journalist, author, cultural storyteller, and trusted authority on inner and outer beauty for women of color. Taylor, who served as the groundbreaking Beauty & Cover Director at ESSENCE Magazine for over 30 years, has made depicting the stories of women of color her life’s work because of her strong desire to bring the beauty, strengths, and phenomenal achievements of womanhood to life. At ESSENCE Taylor casted and produced over 400 covers as well as its signature beauty pages to affirm and inspire the culture’s definition of beauty. As an advocate for honesty in beauty, her work gave birth to product lines, industry studies, the realization of diversity and inclusion in advertising and retail initiatives directed to women of color. See full biography
Honor James by Supporting Girls Write Now
If you can write, you can do anything
“Are we willing to embrace the bittersweet beauty of our collective humanity by listening to the voices of our younger selves? Here & Now poignantly captures the sentiment of some of our most observant and silenced. Girls Write Now has gifted us an anthology that will compel you to listen and take action by inspiring you to remember what is truly at stake.”
JAMES RHEE
2024 Girls Write Now Honoree,
author of the bestseller red helicopter, acclaimed entrepreneur, TED speaker, and Howard University Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship
Feature on Life@GWN
Parables, Kindness, & Speaking Through Action
At Girls Write Now, we know the power of words. But as 2024 Honoree, James C. Rhee, reminds us, sometimes actions speak louder. Reflecting on the lessons learned from his mother, and the modest wisdom of his father, Rhee shares the forces that pushed him to make change in the world, and gave him the power to put pen to paper about his own lessons learned along the way.
Celebrating the release of his first book, red helicopter: a parable for our times out today on HarperOne, Rhee’s words are filled with the power of life-long practice. He shares what it means to act with kindness, embrace confusion and make the world you want to live in.