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Of The Moment: DVF x IWD Event Day 4
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DVF celebrates International Women's Day...Everything you need to know about day 4 of our events.

March 10th, 2018

Of The Moment: DVF x IWD Event Day 4
8:30am: Vital Voices NYC Global Mentoring Walk on The High Line

Rise and shine! This morning, 150 Vital Voices Mentoring Walks took place around the world, from New York to Guatemala, Nigeria to Singapore. Celebrating the power of mentoring, and women’s leadership, the yearly Walks bring together thousands of established and emerging women leaders around the world, with mentors guiding, advising, and supporting their mentees as they walk.

Of The Moment: DVF x IWD Event Day 4

On the High Line in New York, 194 people convened at 8:30am—a gathering of inspiring mentors and mentees, wrapped up against the chilly spring morning wearing our #INCHARGE beanies.

The walk began on 30th street and 10th Avenue, at the north end of the High Line, and with an inspirational speech by Vital Voices founder Alyse Nelson and Diane.

Of The Moment: DVF x IWD Event Day 4
“We’re going to be joined by thousands of women, 150 walks, all over the world,” Alyse said. Afterwards, Diane spoke about her neighborhood. “The High Line is proof that dreams do come true,” she said. “When I first moved to this neighborhood, they wanted to tear this over ground railroad down. Now it’s the number one tourist attraction in the city.” And that take-charge attitude is just one of the countless reasons so many people showed up today.
Of The Moment: DVF x IWD Event Day 4
Among the throngs of women and girls was mentee Larissa Muehleder, founder and head designer of her own brand, which she built entirely herself, and Jackie Cleary, a managing director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and one of the mentors at today’s Walk. Like most working moms, being in charge isn’t so much a choice for Jackie as it is the only choice. “I have two little kids, so I don’t have the option to not feel like I’m in charge,” she said.
Of The Moment: DVF x IWD Event Day 4
Mariam Rauf, training and communications manager at Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project, works to end gender violence primarily among immigrant women, and recognizes the responsibility that comes with being a mentor and a leader in her field. “Leaders are in a place of privilege,” she said. “So using that privilege to do good and help others, rather than just keeping that privilege for ourselves, is really important.”
Of The Moment: DVF x IWD Event Day 4
9:30am: Diane, Ariela, and Alyse Discuss Mentorship and Vital Voices

30 minutes later, we arrived at the DVF Meatpacking location, where guests enjoyed coffee and breakfast, and then sat down for a motivational talk with Diane and Ariela Suster, led by Vital Voices president CEO Alyse Nelson. “Everybody is talking about how it’s the year of the woman and how we’ve finally found our voice,” Alyse said, starting the panel off on a strong note. “I’m here to tell you that we’ve had our voice the whole time. People are just starting to take notice.”

Of The Moment: DVF x IWD Event Day 4
A recipient of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Award for Economic Empowerment, Ariela Suster is, in Diane’s words, “the prototype of what Vital Voices woman is.” Ariela founded Sequence, a line of accessories and jewelry that employs men in El Salvador who might otherwise end up in gangs, with the ultimate goal of curbing violence. Having grown up in El Salvador and experienced violence firsthand, it’s a company and a cause that’s particularly close to Ariela’s heart.
Of The Moment: DVF x IWD Event Day 4

And as a survivor who refuses to be a victim, and who has successfully channeled her pain into helping others, she is the true embodiment of what it means to be #INCHARGE.

The ladies were joined on stage by Heineken’s Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Julie Kinch, a long time partner of Vital Voices, who rightly said, “First steps are not always big and meaningful—they don’t have to be. They can come out of necessity or fear or bravery, they can be big or they can be small, but it all starts with that first step. And what I love about today is that we’re taking those first steps together.”

A powerful summary to our DVF x IWD panels. Meanwhile, the house of DVF remains open until Sunday March 11th at 6pm for customizations, shopping, and more.