Emerging Leaders

On Tuesday, members of United Way’s Emerging Leaders and Women Leaders presented their second annual Career Day at El Sereno Middle School in Los Angeles.

Representing organizations such as Anthem Blue Cross, the Culver City Police Department, Dreamworks, KPMG and PwC, professionals from the public, private and nonprofit sectors shared with hundreds of eager young students their tips for launching successful and rewarding careers.

Click here to see photos from the event! 

On Tuesday May 14^th, almost 30 United Way volunteers convened at El Sereno Middle School’s campus to talk to students about their careers and the paths they took to arrive where they are today. Mostly made up of United Way’s Women Leaders & Emerging Leaders affinity group donors, the volunteers came from a variety of professional sectors- from acting to accounting- and took time to answer questions about education, jobs, and personal passions. Thanks so much to our volunteers!

Nearly 100 of Los Angeles’ best and brightest young professionals recently gathered at the Edison Lounge downtown for United Way’s Emerging Leaders Spring Social to network and learn how they can help break the cycle of poverty in our community.

Last Saturday, nearly 50 of United Way’s Emerging Leaders gathered at El Sereno Middle School in East Los Angeles to paint inspirational murals throughout the campus and provide hundreds of young students with an enhanced learning environment.

El Sereno is one of seven LAUSD schools participating in UWGLA’s Leadership Matters pilot program, which offers principals and their leadership teams increased resources and technical assistance in preparing economically-disadvantaged students for success in high school, college and beyond.

A very special thank you to Deloitte for sponsoring Saturday’s event!

For more info on how you can make a difference by becoming an Emerging Leader, please click here.

On Tuesday night, United Way’s Emerging Leaders hosted its latest CEO Spotlight Event at The W Hotel in Westwood for more than 100 of Los Angeles’ best and brightest young professionals.

Employees representing major corporations including Target, SunAmerica, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and ExxonMobil gathered for an evening of networking as well as a fascinating roundtable discussion entitled, “Managing Through Change: Seizing Opportunities for Growth and Success in Challenging Times.”

Special guest Jay Wintrob, President and CEO of AIG Life and Retirement, spoke candidly about the pressures of being at the helm of a multi-billion dollar corporation and the importance of taking the occasional risk.

“Being a leader,” Wintrob said, “is both a privilege and a massive responsibility. And if you aren’t making any mistakes, at least once in a while, it means that you aren’t being aggressive enough, innovative enough or brave enough.”

For more info on how to attend exclusive events such as this while also building a brighter future for our community, please contact Walen Ngo at wngo@unitedwayla.org.

Several of United Way’s most avid supporters were recently honored at the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 20^th annual “Women Making a Difference” awards luncheon which recognizes the contributions of top L.A. businesswomen who are dedicated to bettering the community.

Among the day’s nominees: Emerging Leaders Councilmembers Meredith Esarey and Lisa O’Rourke (both nominated for the Rising Star of the Year award), Chair of the Women Leaders Cabinet Jan Cloyde (Volunteer of the Year) and Chair of United Way’s Corporate Board of Directors Caroline Nahas (Philanthropist of the Year).

Deloitte’s Michelle Kerrick and Marion Anderson of the Marion & John E. Anderson Foundation, both longtime advocates of UWGLA’s mission to create pathways out of poverty, were the proud winners of LABJ’s Executive of the Year and Philanthropist of the Year awards, respectively.

United Way of Greater L.A. would like to extend our warmest congratulations to the recipients of these prestigious awards and to express our gratitude for your attendance as well as for your relentless commitment to improving the overall quality of life for the residents of Los Angeles County!

Last Thursday, more than two dozen members of United Way’s Emerging Leaders and Women Leaders presented their first annual Career Day at El Sereno Middle School in Los Angeles.

Representing organizations such as the Culver City Police Department, Bank of America, JPL, Anthem Blue Cross and the ACLU of Southern California, professionals from the public, private and nonprofit sectors shared with hundreds of eager young students their tips for launching successful and rewarding careers.

For Woman Leader Maria Audero, a partner at Paul Hastings LLP, the half-day event really struck an emotional chord as it became apparent that volunteers and children alike were being left equally inspired.

“I’ve had the good fortune of being able to contribute to causes I believe in but when I have the chance to actually draw on my professional skills and assist in a leadership capacity, the experience resonates on a very different level,” she said. “Spending time with the people and the communities United Way is helping offers the kind of satisfaction you can only get through direct human contact.”

For Emerging Leader Abraham Carons of the United Nations Association of the USA, United Way’s inaugural Career Day served as a poignant reminder of the organization’s continuing battle against poverty – one which can only be won by working together.

“I choose to support United Way of Greater L.A. because of the social and economic impact it’s making on our communities,” he said. “It tackles real problems like poverty, homelessness and a failing educational system head-on. The hands-on work that United Way and its local partners are doing can only be buoyed by our willingness to donate our time as well as our dollars.”

Click here to see more photos from the event!

On April 24, United Way’s Emerging Leaders hosted its latest CEO Spotlight Event at L.A. Live’s Conga Room for more than one hundred rising young professionals.

Employees representing dozens of major corporations including HSBC, ExxonMobil, PwC, UPS and NBC Universal were treated to an evening of networking and a roundtable discussion entitled, “Rising to the Challenge: The Key to Overcoming Adversity and Promoting Positive Change” featuring Paula Madison, Chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management.

Madison, who is also the current Chairman of the Los Angeles Sparks, spoke openly about her humble beginnings, her rise to the top and her lifelong connection to United Way and its core mission.

“I was one of those children who grew up with very little and who benefited a great deal from the assistance of United Way. It was a safe harbor from the storm,” she said.

“As a result, I’ve been involved with this organization in every city where I’ve ever lived – it was a way to ground myself in the community. And I know that United Way of Greater L.A., in particular, has narrowed its focus on closing the poverty gap which speaks, in more ways than I can say, to what I believe in.”

To find out how you can help build a brighter future for our community by joining United Way’s Emerging Leaders, please contact Walen Ngo at wngo@unitedwayla.org.

On February 4, 2012 more than 4o volunteers lent their time and talents to paint several murals on the campus of  El Sereno Middle School. The event was the first half of a two Saturday project. El Sereno is one of eight LAUSD schools that are  a part of United Way’s Leadership Matters Middle School Pilot. Through the program, middle school principals and their leadership teams receive increased resources and technical assistance to prepare students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds for success in high school, college and beyond.