What happens when the CEO of a tech company, a journalist, and a beauty brand executive walk into a room? This isn’t the start of a joke—it was precisely what happened on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 2., when Marie Claire’s Editor-in-Chief Nikki Ogunnaike and Clé de Peau Beauté’s Chief Brand Officer Mizuki Hashimoto joined forces to celebrate the International Day of the Girl and honor Reshma Saujani, CEO of Girls Who Code.
While the Marie Claire Power Play luncheon featured the necessary mimosas and photo ops, it more importantly served as a background for a powerhouse group of women to lift one another up at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
Tiffany Dufu, the President of the Tory Burch Foundation, mingled with Saujani and fellow panelist Phoebe Robinson, author, publisher, and comedian (you’ve likely laughed along with her podcast-turned-HBO-series Two Dope Queens). Plur founder Chrishell Lim and Clé de Peau Beauté’s Global Color Director Benjamin Puckey gathered in one corner, while some guests tried to sneak time with Marie Claire’s Halle Berry cover story author Lola Ogunnaike.
The invisible string through the room—whether talking to a content creator, journalist, or tech founder—was a belief that there is power in women supporting women, a key tenet of Marie Claire's Power Play events. “For 30 years, Marie Claire has been the place that has given a voice to women and the issues that matter most to them. We have been, and always will be, champions of women’s empowerment,” Ogunnaike said in her opening remarks. “We could not be more excited and honored to partner with Clé de Peau Beauté—a global luxury skincare and makeup brand committed to pioneering science-based breakthroughs—but also to empowering the next generation of young women to pursue a career path in STEM fields.”
Saujani has made the latter her mission, dedicating her life to fighting for women and girls’ economic empowerment, working to close the gender gap in tech, and, more recently, advocating for policies to support moms impacted by the pandemic with her non-profit Moms First. It’s precisely why she was given Clé de Peau Beauté’s Power Radiance Award and delivered the afternoon's keynote speech.
Her inspiring address—which highlighted the work of Neha Shulka, a 19-year-old student who has leveraged Girls Who Code to start tech platforms for social good (check out SixFeetApart or the PA Homeless Guide App)—spurred meaningful conversations at every table.
I found myself talking to Shilpa Yarlagadda, founder of Shiffonco and a former Marie Claire Power Play speaker, about how her jewelry brand has become a powerful entry point for female entrepreneurs to receive equal access to startup capital. Names like Kamala Harris, Gloria Steinem, Michelle Obama, and Serena Williams frequently came up in conversation.
It took quite a few taps of a spoon on a glass to pry guests from their engaging conversations (and delicious halibut) for a discussion between Ogunnaike, Saujani, Dufu, and Robinson. The panel covered all the bases: how the group empowers the next generation, mentors who made a difference in their own lives, and even tidbits of sage wisdom to the audience.
My favorite takeaway was a thought Saujani instilled in Dufu years ago: “If you’re going to create any real change in the world, you have to learn how not to wait in line.” Trust your instincts, stay steadfast in your beliefs, and push boundaries—on the International Day of the Girl and every day, no matter who's in the room.
