Dipo Olowookere
More than 55 years after Mary Kay Ash founded what is now one of the world’s leading corporate champions of women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, Mary Kay Inc. continues its support of female leadership as a presenting sponsor of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Cornerstone Conference.
The event, held April 10-12 in Barcelona, Spain, brings together thought leaders, innovators and trailblazers from around the world to explore global issues through a woman’s lens.
The IWF Cornerstone Conference provides a dynamic opportunity to support female leadership on a global and local level. IWF is a member-and-mission driven organization of more than 7,000 diverse and accomplished women from 33 nations on six continents. Participants come together to share knowledge, provide a network of support and exert influence.
Gema Aznar, General Manager of Mary Kay Spain, will introduce the “Fashion Forward” panel presented during the IWF Cornerstone Conference. Spain is a growing force in fashion, home to familiar brands including Zara, Mango and Desigual. This panel will explore the rapidly changing dynamics in this industry and examine some of the innovative ways designers and manufacturers are working to make fashion more sustainable.
“Mary Kay was founded by a woman, for women and our sponsorship of the International Women’s Forum further strengthens our efforts to empower women around the world,” said Gema. “Mary Kay Ash’s lifetime of achievements in empowering women made her a trailblazing entrepreneur and her lasting legacy made her an icon. We are proud to continue her work through this sponsorship and many others that provide a global platform to some of the most powerful and influential women of our time.”
Panel speakers at the Barcelona event include Misha Nonoo (UK), Designer and Creative Director of Misha Nonoo; Jennifer Fleiss (USA), Co-Founder of Rent the Runway and Head of Business Development, Co-Founder and CEO of Jetblack within Walmart’s Store No. 8 Incubator; Beatriz Bayo (Spain), Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at MANGO; and Moderator, Maria Eugenia Girón (Spain), Executive Director of IE Premium and Prestige Business Observatory, board director and member of IWF Spain.
“We’re excited to work with Mary Kay because the company’s mission of promoting female entrepreneurship and leadership aligns so well with our own,” said Stephanie O’Keefe, CEO of IWF. “It’s vital to have relationships with corporate leaders like Mary Kay as we continue to make an impact for women worldwide.”
Each year, IWF convenes two international conferences offering a unique opportunity for thought leaders to examine global issues within a local context and through a woman’s lens, including international progress, business, economics, enterprise and sustainability. Mary Kay is honoured to also be a presenting sponsor of the 2019 World Leadership Conference in Toronto, Canada, on November 13-15, where thought leaders will come together with “Open Minds” to look at new ways to create, collaborate and connect.
