GLASSBREAKER CELEBRATION

Thursday, October 23rd, 6pm-8pm, Museum of the City of New York

Maya Wiley

Opening Remarks

Maya Wiley is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund. A nationally respected civil rights attorney, she has been a litigator and a program creator and policy advocate in philanthropy, non-profits, government, and higher education. Prior to taking the helm of the Leadership Conference, Ms. Wiley ran for Mayor in 2021, garnering the second highest number of first choice votes in a rank choice vote election. In 2014, she became the first Black woman to be Counsel to a New York City Mayor, Bill deBlasio where she worked to protect and expand civil rights, Minority and Women-Owned Business contracts and broadband access. Wiley became a Senior Vice President for Social Justice at the New School University, where she also founded the Digital Equity Laboratory. While there, she chaired the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). As chair, she led the release of the “hold” on proceedings against Daniel Pantaleo whose illegal chokehold killed Eric Garner, and also Co-Chaired the Mayor’s School Diversity Advisory Group that authored two major reports on integrating New York City public schools.

Wiley has been a litigator at the ACLU, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Inc, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. She helped create a criminal justice program for a major foundation in South Africa. Wiley co-founded and led a national policy advocacy organization, the Center for Social Inclusion, now a part of Race Forward, a national policy strategy organization working to end structural racism. Wiley has received numerous awards, and has been a public voice for rights, justice and democracy, through written opinion editorials and as a former legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Wiley is the author of the memoir, “Remember You Are A Wiley.”

AI-Jen Poo

GlassBreaker Honoree

Ai-jen Poo is a next-generation labor leader, award-winning organizer, best-selling author, and a nationally recognized expert on elder and family care, the future of work, gender equality, immigration, narrative change, and grassroots organizing. She is the co-founder and president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the co-founder and executive director of Caring Across Generations.

The National Domestic Workers Alliance is a nonprofit working to bring dignity and fairness to the growing numbers of workers who care and clean in our homes. Since its founding in 2007, NDWA has grown to include nearly 70 affiliate organizations and chapters and now reaches over 400,000 domestic workers across the country. Under Poo’s leadership, NDWA has led successful campaigns to pass domestic worker bills of rights in 12 states, two cities, and the District of Columbia, extending rights and protections to domestic workers for the first time, including paid overtime, safe and healthy working conditions, and freedom from sexual harassment. In 2020, NDWA launched the Coronavirus Care Fund, raising $20 million in emergency assistance for domestic workers in just the first month.

Aamina Awan-Khan

Aamina Awan-Khan is a Senior Advisor and Chief Partnerships Officer at the Global Engagement Center at the U.S. Department of State. With more than 15 years of experience in cross-functional stakeholder partnerships, project development, and management, Aamina has created and led programs in the areas of education, technology, and community engagement. She brings a multi-sectoral perspective, leveraging prior experience working with governments, corporations, academic institutions, and civil partners in the U.S. and abroad. Prior to joining the government, Aamina began her tri-sectoral career at Credit Suisse. She has also held management roles at the Clinton Foundation and the United Nations. A 2022 Presidential Leadership Scholar, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a former U.S. Fulbright to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Aamina holds a BA degree in International Relations and Political Science from Fairfield University and a MSc degree in Gender and International Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Nikita Desai

Nikita Desai is a Senior Philanthropic Strategist dedicated to building the first Women’s Collective at the Robin Hood Foundation. In this pioneering role, Nikita focuses on engaging and mobilizing women philanthropists to drive transformative solutions addressing poverty and social inequality in New York City. She brings a deep commitment to empowering women and girls, combined with expertise in crafting impactful initiatives that promote gender equality and advance social development. In addition to her role at Robin Hood, Nikita serves on the Leadership Network of Amplify Her Foundation, where she supports innovative grantmaking and advocacy efforts that uplift women and girls globally. Previously, Nikita served as Associate Director of East Coast Philanthropy for The Asia Foundation, leading private fundraising strategies and overseeing donor cultivation efforts. Her earlier roles include six years as Director of Policy and Corporate Programs at the Korea Society and positions at the Asia Society and the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. Nikita has consulted for organizations such as The Asia Foundation, World Bank, USAID, Femmes Africa Solidarité, Alliance for International Women’s Rights, and the Office of New York Mayor Bloomberg. Her work has consistently focused on advancing gender equality and creating opportunities for marginalized communities. Nikita holds a master’s degree in International Policy Studies with a specialization in Gender and International Development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. She also earned an International MBA as a Fulbright Scholar at Spain’s IE Business School. A polyglot, she speaks Gujarati, Hindi, Spanish, Mongolian, and English.

Chirlie Felix

Chirlie Felix is a Managing Director at FSG, a global nonprofit consulting firm that partners with foundations and corporations to create equitable systems of change. At FSG, Chirlie supports corporate and philanthropic clients on educational equity, corporate social responsibility, strategic planning, organizational development, and community engagement. Prior to joining FSG, Chirlie was a Senior Strategic Advisor at Teach For All, and an Education Pioneers Fellow as a consultant for the Newark Legacy Charter School. Chirlie has been an equity advocate since her youth, first as a student board member of the Aspira Association of New York and as a U.S. Fulbright scholar undertaking research on racial equity in education in Brazil. While there she worked for the Steve Biko Cultural Institute, a nonprofit organization with the goal of growing educational opportunities for Afro-Brazilian students. Chirlie received her BA in Sociology and International Relations from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and her MPA from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.