
Tory Burch and Upworthy have partnered to honor incredible women making an impact this year.
"There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.” — Malala Yousafzai
When women are encouraged to nurture their gifts and empowered to embrace their ambitions, they can truly change the world for the better. Upworthy and Tory Burch partnered this year to help women do just that by honoring amazing women for their contributions and giving them $5,000 on behalf of the Tory Burch Foundation to donate to a non-profit of their choice.
Meet the 14 women who have been honored in 2021 for their diverse commitments to making the world a more hopeful, healthy, and just place.
Shalini Samtani: Transforming Pediatric Hospital Experiences
Shalini Samtani founded The Spread the Joy Foundation and Open the Joy in 2019, after her baby daughter was diagnosed with a rare disorder that had her in and out of pediatric hospitals. Her organization delivers free activity kits — ”Joy Boxes” — to pediatric patients all around the country. “I knew at the time that there had to be a better solution, or even just a balm, to soothe the bleeding hearts of all mothers sitting in my seat,” she says, “and I was determined to find it for my own family, as well as for others.
Samtani will use her $5,000 to provide even more Joy Boxes to kids in hospitals around the country.
Though 2021 has been a tough year for many, these impressive women and their organizations are giving back to their community in incredible ways. Empowered women inspire others, and if we want to see greater progress in our world, we need to empower more women.
Thankfully, that’s something we can all help with. Tory Burch and Upworthy are looking for more extraordinary women to honor, so if you know an empowered woman, nominate her here. Learn more about Tory Burch and Upworthy's Empowered Women program here.
Let’s all celebrate the amazing women in our lives and give them the gift of recognition they deserve.