A Night of Rising

On October 1, 2026, our community gathered at the Roger Sherman Inn for an evening of stories, generosity, and a shared belief in what girls can become when someone opens the door.

Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not

LiveGirl CEO Sheri West opened the program with a truth that shaped the rest of the night, reminding us that while talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not, and that too many talented young women still find themselves standing in front of doors that remain locked. She spoke about the keys LiveGirl works to place in their hands, from training and mentorship to sponsorship, networks, and internships, so that they can move forward with confidence.

Since its founding, LiveGirl has served more than 25,000 girls, and Sheri was quick to point out that this work is made possible by the people in the room. Even at that scale, she said, the mission comes to life one girl at a time, because every story is unique and every story is ultimately about leveling the playing field and making sure each young woman has what she needs to lead.

Honoring Claire O'Hare

This year's Changemaker of the Year Award, created to shine a light on brave and resilient women who light the path forward, went to Claire O'Hare. After a successful career in media and technology, Claire rallied her daughter Libby and a circle of generous friends to build the Shine On Giving Circle, which in just five years has funded more than forty college scholarships, and many of those scholars were seated together at the alumni table that evening.

In accepting the award, Claire explained that the circle has lasted because its members share LiveGirl's values and simply want to make life better for young women, knowing that when young women are supported they go on to live bigger lives. She celebrated the Shine On board, a group of seven young women in New York who were recently named to Bucknell University's 30 Under 30 as the first group ever to receive the honor together, and she introduced a new junior board, led by Ellie O'Hare and Devin Gritz, who will carry the work to the next generation.

"When we make it better for young women, they live bigger lives. And that, in fact, is the ripple."

You can read Claire's full story here.

Schebania Philemon's story

The evening's most personal moment came from Schebania Philemon, a first generation college student who graduated from UConn and from LiveGirl's SheWorks program this past June. She is a Shine On scholar and serves as the student advocate on the LiveGirl Board of Directors, and she described how SheWorks became a mentor in itself by giving her career readiness training, access to internships, and a community of women who believed in her.

Schebania spoke honestly about facing rejection and dead ends, and about how her SheWorks mentor, Janine Bucchetti of TIAA, helped her stay grounded in her values and kept encouraging her to network and interview until the right door opened. This past July she began her career as a media investment associate at Icon International, and she closed by reminding everyone that her story is not unique, because many more girls are ready to rise if they are given the same support.

"I am a first generation college student, and LiveGirl made my future possible."

Raising our paddles for girls

The room then turned its generosity into action with a live paddle raise that began with a goal of $75,000 to support girls and young women ages 10 to 22 in every part of their lives. Gift by gift, guests funded the work at every level, including paid SheWorks summer internships with career readiness training and full summer camp scholarships, with transportation included, for the Brave Leaders Academy and STEM Design Lab.

By the time dessert arrived, the community had raised more than $100,000, and guests were so moved that the giving continued even after the goal was passed. Together with sponsorships and table support, the evening ultimately raised more than $215,000 for girls and young women. We are deeply grateful to everyone who raised a paddle and helped make that moment possible.

Words that stayed with us

Secora Chambers also shared Uplifted Legacy, a spoken word tribute to the girls who rise and the community that lifts them, and you can read her poem in full here.

With gratitude

To everyone who gathered with us and continues to champion LiveGirl, thank you for investing in the future of our girls and young women. We are also grateful to our table hosts, whose generosity brought so many friends of LiveGirl around the table: Benton, Ezring, Johnson, Kahng, Kimball, Lindsay, Micelli, O'Hare, Popovich, Rochlin, Schwartz, and West. An evening like this is possible because of a dedicated community committed to clearing paths, opening doors, and preparing every scholar and intern to step into the world as confident, resilient leaders. We are deeply grateful for your partnership, your generosity, and your belief in the young women rising today.