On February 9, 2020, more than 600 members of the Columbia community came together for She Opened the Door 2020, a day of inspiring programming that celebrated 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment that granted women the right to vote.
Weren't able to make it? Check out the keynotes below, and stay tuned for upcoming She Opened the Door events!
- Barnard College Professor Erika Kitzmiller and Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee: The event kicked off with a fascinating look at 100 years of women's history from Kitzmiller — an expert on historical and contemporary practices that contribute to inequality — and a keynote address by Gbowee on women, peace and security.
- Christiane Amanpour P: '23CC, Poppy Harlow '05CC, and New York Attorney General Letitia James: Lunch began with inspiring remarks by James, followed by a conversation between Harlow and Amanpour, who shared their experiences as international journalists while working through obstacles such as fear, bias, and facts.
The She Opened the Door initiative, which began with a historic conference in New York City in 2018, aims to enlighten, educate, elevate, and to empower Columbia women across the University.
She Opened the Door fosters this powerful network of women, whose connection with Columbia broadens their potential and impact in the world, both personally and professionally.
The 2020 Open the Door fundraising initiative invited members of the Columbia University community to celebrate the inspiring mentors, trailblazers, and champions who have opened the door for them by making a gift in their honor to a Columbia school, program, or cause of their choice.
A sincere thank you to all participants! Because of your collective impact, you have created new opportunities for Columbia students, faculty, and researchers.
While this fundraising initiative concluded on International Women's Day, March 8, 2020, there are still ways to stay connected with Columbia's powerful, inspiring alumnae network. Sign up for the She Opened the Door email list to stay in the know about upcoming opportunities.
- April 30, 2022: She Opened the Door… to Entrepreneurship, taking place on campus, this was an informative day with Columbia women entrepreneurs.
- April 7, 2020: She Opened the Door Alumnae Digital Networking Hour (Online)
- February 9, 2020: She Opened the Door 2020 (NYC): The event, which celebrated 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment that granted women the right to vote, featured keynotes by Christiane Amanpour P: '23CC, Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee, Poppy Harlow '05CC, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
- November 15, 2019: Panel Discussion (Atlanta) Featuring Jovita Moore '90JRN, Rickey Bevington '01BC, Roxann Smithers '99CC '02LAW, Edvige Jean-Francois '91JRN
- November 2, 2019: RBG Exhibit Tour at National Museum of American Jewish History (Philadelphia)
- October 15, 2019: From Farms to Incubators: Telling the Stories of Women Entrepreneurs in Agtech (NYC)
- October 3, 2019: Women Entrepreneurs, Parity & Inclusion: A Conversation with Sallie Krawcheck '92BUS (DC)
- June 20, 2019: LinkedIn Networking Night (NYC): Networking reception and LinkedIn best practice-sharing by Lauren Mack '06JRN and Vyju Manian '87SEAS
- May 9, 2019: Conversation with Maryam Banikarim '89BC, '93SIPA, '93BUS (LA)
- May 1, 2019: What the Constitution Means to Me Viewing (NYC): Theater outing and talkback with Producers Jon Bierman '83SOA, Aaron Glick (SOA Theatre Fellow), Rachel Sussman (SOA Theatre Fellow), and General Manager Danielle Karliner '13SOA
- April 24, 2019: Writing the Balance (DC): Amy Padnani, creator of The New York Times “Overlooked” spoke on how women across disciplines are fighting for gender equality by revising history’s dominant narratives
- March 13, 2019: On the Basis of Sex Screening (Sweden): Screening of the biographical legal drama film is based on the life of Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg '59LAW
- March 5, 2019: A Conversation with Ursula Burns '82SEAS and Mary Boyce (NYC): Watch the discussion between Boyce, the dean of Columbia Engineering and Burns, the CEO of VEON
- March 2, 2019: Panel Discussion (Singapore): AWARE's Corinna Lim '99SIPA, Disney's Jessica Pouleur, and CXA's Rosaline Koo '88BUS shared stories of who has empowered and opened the door for them
- Jan. 28, 2019: Networking Night (NYC): Roundtable student-alumnae networking and discussions on networking best practices
- Oct. 11, 2018: Gloria: A Life (NYC): Viewing and talkback with Director Diane Paulus '97SOA
- May 5, 2018: RBG Documentary Screening (NYC): Viewing and talkback with the film's director Betsy West, a Columbia Journalism School professor
- Feb. 10-11, 2018: First University-Wide Women's Conference (NYC): View hours of inspiring sessions captured from the event, including talks by Abigail Disney '87GSAS, '94GSAS, Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg '59LAW, and Poppy Harlow '05CC.