800 women gathered to empower each other and build a #StrongerMiami

United Way of Miami-Dade hosted 800 women at its 17th Annual United Way Women United Breakfast, featuring keynote speaker Andrea Jung, on January 11. Named by Forbes magazine as one of the Most Powerful Women in the World, and president and CEO ofGrameen America, Jung shared personal anecdotes, a compelling family history and offered personal and professional advice. The breakfast was held at the University of Miami’sWatsco Center, and was presented by UHealth, The Lennar Foundation Medical Center, and Leslie Miller Saiontz and family.

Jennifer Love, chief security officer and senior vice president at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and also a Women United leader, chaired the breakfast and spearheaded a group of women who helped plan and execute the amazing breakfast. Love, a former FBI agent, moderated a Q&A session with Jung, using her signature style of candor and wit.

A former chairman and CEO of Avon Products, Jung now spearheads Grameen America, a microloan company that has invested more than $760 million in low-income women entrepreneurs across the country and has now extended its services to Little Havana. She is a graduate of Princeton University and serves on the boards of the General Electric Company, Apple, Inc. and Daimler AG.

Jung, who has spent her career championing the infinite potential of women, wholeheartedly believes, “When a woman earns a dollar, children benefit, health benefits, communities benefit. It’s a global truth.” She also shared a few life lessons, “Follow your compass, not your clock – when you can combine passion with work, the meaning of life changes fundamentally.”

Collectively, the women stormed social media channels with messages to our congress in support of CHIP's renewal (Children's Health Insurance Program), and they were heard as days later the funding for CHIP was renewed until 2023. Guests also supported United Way’s ReadingPals by purchasing book bundles through a partnership with Books & Books. ReadingPals is a volunteer program that ensures our youngest residents have access to books, early literacy interactions and are entering kindergarten ready to learn.

Chaired by Melissa Gracey and Cathy Alexander, Women United represents a dynamic group of close to 2,000 women who are committed to building a stronger Miami today and for future generations. Representing diverse backgrounds and industries, Women United members are like-minded in supporting education, advocating for better policies that affect families and giving of their time to our community. Each member makes an annual gift of $1,000 or more to support United Way’s work in the areas of education, financial stability and health, The United Way Endowment and the United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education.

Sponsors include UHealth, The Lennar Foundation Medical Center, and Leslie Miller Saiontz and family as Presenting Sponsors; Greenberg Traurig, Royal Caribbean International and Telemundo as Emerald Sponsors; Cobb Family Foundation and Starwood Property Trust as Sapphire sponsors; Assurant, Akerman, Bilzin Sumberg, Carlton Fields, Covanta, FedEx, JPMorgan Chase, Perry Ellis International, Ryder, UPS and Wells Fargo as Jade sponsors;Yolanda Berkowitz, Annelies H. Da Costa Gomez, Carol Greenberg Brooks, Jose Milton Foundation, Elizabeth Leight, Psy.D., Jennifer Love, Lisa Mendelson and Jeffrey Miller as Table Hosts; Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald as Media Sponsors.

For more information on Women United, please contact womenunited@unitedwaymiami.org.

About United Way Women United

United Way Women United, formerly Women’s Leadership, harnesses the power of women to support meaningful change through philanthropy, advocacy and volunteerism to build a stronger Miami. Women United is connected to a global movement representing 70,000+ women in 165 communities across six countries. Its members contribute $1,000 or more annually to United Way and participate in year-round networking and volunteer activities that provide personal and professional growth. For more information, visit unitedwaymiami.org/join.