Photo credit: Getty Images for Elle
“ELLE’S DC Women’s Power list that comes out every year is not just a list,” said Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), “it’s much more than that. It’s a group of women from business, from politics to communications to social justice.
It’s an example of when women come together and a magazine like ELLE highlights the work we’re doing, then we can set an example and be sure that we use the power of women to make the world a better place and to use the networking opportunities it creates; to enhance the roles that each one of us plays individually by helping to make sure we can move forward together.”
“ELLE’s power list has really created a sisterhood,” she added. We have women that have been on the list before and come back for this dinner every year who have really kind of been there for each other. So, it allows us to lean on one another when we need help or when we need advice, we have this ever growing network – something that we have created and are really very proud of. Our focus is on making sure we can lift up each other, making other women more successful. It’s pretty cool being a woman leader and being part of this network. It’s pretty awesome!”
ELLE Editor-in-Chief Robie Meyers and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
The occasion was the annual private dinner celebrating ten Washington luminaries hosted at Villa Firenze by H.E. The Ambassador if Italy and Laura Denise Bisogniero…..which of course means an elegant setting, amazing old school impeccable service and fabulous food and wines.
The Power List:
Power List: Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers (C), and Mrs. Laura Denise Bisogniero (R), wife of the Italian Ambassador, (L to R) Cheryl Mills, Ambassador Capricia Marshall, Dana Bash, Sen. Susan Collins, Sec. Penny Pritzker, Neera Tanden, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Ilyse Hogue, Kim Kingsley, and Chief Cathy Lanier (not pictured)
“I think it’s so exciting to celebrate ten special women and to see how in very different fields they are successful.” said Laura Denise Bisogniero. “I admire their courage, their commitment and what they believe in. I really enjoy that and the attitude of women in America – how they are really working hard to obtain what they want in life and at the same time being very good mothers and very good partners. Another thing I really like in America is the spiritual quality – the fact that they always say thank you for what they’ve got. I think that is something special and important……maintaining the past and tradition while also going into the future for our children and for us.”
Laura Denise Bisogniero and Frances Sellers
“One of the most beautiful thing about the power of women is that we understand that there has been a struggle to get to where we are in our careers,” said Marie Teresa Kumar, “and I think that creates an internal bond where we always want to help each other out and more importantly, we want to see each other succeed. That is something that men don’t often understand; that when you see a woman in a position of power they don’t understand or appreciate what the struggles she must have done to get there and don’t appreciate the sacrifices she must have made in order to get to that position.
Maria Teresa and Raj Kumar
I was honored to be chosen last year with an incredible group of people and this year they were kind enough to invite me back. The choices they had of individuals from journalism to government officials to people from philanthropy really shows the power of where women have come. Although we still have places to go, if we do it together we are so much stronger.” Kumar is the CEO and co-founder of “Voto Latino” along with Rosario Dawson and they most recently premiered “Cesar Chavez” which just opened in theaters nationally. A look at the premiere in DC here.
And thank you Gucci for the fabulous perfume!
