Women Do Mean Business
Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 11:22AM 
 Author and journalist, Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the “Huffington Post” at the Pierre Hotel, April 8, 2010
In the past decade, women-owned businesses have nearly doubled and surveys report 80% of consumer goods purchasing decisions are made by women, so it came as no surprise on April 8th to find the ballroom of New York’s Pierre Hotel jam-packed with women from the worlds of music, fashion, business and media decked out in their finest in support of the Coalition for the Homeless 16th Annual Women Mean Business luncheon raising $165,000 for the Coalition’s FIRST STEP JOB TRAINING PROGRAM. The event, emceed by Hollywood actress Caroline Rhea, proudly introduced the keynote speaker, Arianna Huffington. The ever-amazing Greek-American author and syndicated columnist astounded the audience with a passionate sermon on unemployment, homelessness and ‘this unprecedented moment in American history, when instead of upward mobility, the essence of the American dream, we have downward mobility.’ Huffington concluded ‘…but a crisis can be used as an opportunity for us to step up to the plate…and create a critical mass for us to give back that will transform not only the lives of people in trouble…but our own lives, and the life of our country.’ https://secure.coalitionforthehomeless.org/page/contribute/donate
Mrs. Evelyn Lauder at Marlborough Gallery, West 57th Street, New York City, April 12, 2010
The following Monday the Directors of the Marlborough Gallery and Evelyn and Leonard Lauder hosted a special viewing of Celebrating the Muse: Women in Picasso’s Prints 1905-1968, to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Over 200 people in attendance marveled at the exhibition curated by Marlborough Vice President, Tara Reddi, who appeared to be on cloud nine from the shining review of the show by “New York Times” art critic, Roberta Smith. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/arts/design/09picasso.html
While guests sipped pink-hued pomegranate martinis I overheard Mrs. Lauder comment that people had to pay up before they could walk through the door. Guests included fashion designer Maggie Norris, Fern Tessler, Diana Picasso, artist Tom Otterness and Olivier Picasso who flew in especially from France. The event raised close to $10,000. https://support.bcrfcure.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?id=14&reset=1
