Pressroom

MATRIX AWARDS Honor ‘Women Who Connect the World’

Presented by New York Women in Communications

NEW YORK, NY (April 23, 2018)— Nearly 1,000 people gathered today at the Matrix Awards, presented by New York Women in Communications (NYWICI), to honor ten extraordinary female leaders in the communications industry, as ‘Women Who Connect the World.’ The awards were emceed by Savannah Guthrie, Co-Anchor of “TODAY” and NBC News Chief Legal Correspondent, and hosted by Interpublic Group.

NYWICI presented it’s first-ever, Matrix “Incite Award” to the three Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporters, who through their writing and body of work, incited action and change for their coverage on sexual misconduct in the workplace.

Today, NYWICI also launched #WomenHeard — a new platform and opportunity for women to share their voices about their career struggles and advice, to help women get what they need in the workplace to succeed, to break down the glass ceiling. Women are invited to use the hashtag #WomenHeard to share their experiences, thoughts and advice on: Career advancement, equality in the workplace, compensation and work-life balance.

2018 Matrix Award Honorees & Presenters

• Halle Berry — Academy Award-Winning Actress; presented by Michael I. Roth, Chairman and CEO, Interpublic Group
• Mika Brzezinski — Co-Host, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Founder, Know Your Value; presented by Joe Scarborough, Co-Host, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”
• Kim Kelleher  — Chief Business Officer, GQ, Golf Digest, Pitchfork, WIRED, Ars Technica, Condé Nast; presented by Wendy Clark, Global President & CEO, DDB Worldwide
• Betsy Kenny Lack — Head of Global Brand Strategy, Snap Inc.; presented by Evan Spiegel, CEO and Co-Founder, Snap Inc.
• Dia Simms — President, Combs Enterprises; presented by Sarah Hemminger, Founder & CEO, THREAD
• Alexandra Trower — Executive Vice President, Global Communications, The Estée Lauder Companies; presented by William P. Lauder, Executive Chairman, The Estée Lauder Companies
• Shelley Zalis – CEO, The Female Quotient; presented by Bridge2Rwanda Scholar, Amen Mugisha

2018 Matrix Incite Award Honorees

Jodi Kantor, Emily Steel, Megan Twohey, The New York Times; presented by A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times

QUOTES:

Words of Advice from the 2018 Matrix Honorees:

• Halle Berry – “Walk right into the fear. Follow your intuition. It’s your guide. Your compass. Don’t opt-out of someone else’s fear for you. Listen to your gut and go do it.”
• Mika Brzezinski – “It’s all about being a woman. It’s all about being exactly who you are, knowing who that is. Knowing what that value is, and getting it across. Know your value.”
• Kim Kelleher – “Find your tribe and be part of somebody else’s tribe, and go out there and lead.”
• Betsy Kenny Lack – “I’ve learned to take risks and always ask, why not?”
• Dia Simms – “Studies shows that women CEOs outperform their peers 3:1 so if you don’t do it for your hearts, do it for your wallets.”
• Alexandra Trower – “I’ve tried to pass this along to every woman I mentor: it’s so important to ask for help.”
• Shelley Zalis – “One moment of mentorship can lead to a lifetime of impact, for your mentee and for you. It’s not about passing down the torch—it’s about sharing the torch.”
• Jodi Kantor – “We now understand that harassment and abuse is not a private shame, it’s a shared problem and a gigantic hurdle in our struggle for equality.”
• Emily Steel – “The chorus of women’s voices grew louder and louder and the world finally listened.”
• Megan Twohey – “Confront bullies head on.”

“Today, we recognized these remarkable women for their accomplishments and contributions not only to our industry, but to our culture,” said Meredith Long, president, New York Women in Communications and CRO, N.A. Quantcast. “And to our Incite Award recipients, whose work helped to inspire a day of reckoning in the workplace, where sexual misconduct is not tolerated, we honor you.”

Proceeds from the Matrix Awards go towards a full range of scholarships and educational programs for women, whether they are just beginning or are embarking on a career transition. To date, New York Women in Communications, the largest foundation for communications scholarships for women in the country, has given more than $1.6 million dollars in scholarship support.

Bid now on exciting lots like a ‘Mentoring Lunch with Alexandra Trower, EVP, Global Communications, The Estée Lauder Companies & Tour of Ms. Estée Lauder’s Original Office’ and ‘Attend a Live Broadcast of MSNBC’s Morning Joe at Rockefeller Plaza in NYC!’ Lots benefit the NYWICI scholarship program through Charitybuzz!

Follow Us on Twitter:  twitter.com/NYWICI

Matrix hashtag: #matrix18

#womenheard

# # #

About New York Women in Communications

New York Women in Communications helps women to stay ahead of the ever changing landscape of communications and supports the advancement of women at every stage of her career through scholarships, grants and educational programming.

Media Contact:

Kristen Kurtz
kkurtz@kellencompany.com
T: 917-561-2406