The Women of Color Visions Reception, held on November 1, 2018 at The Boston Foundation, was an opportunity to uplift the vision and leadership of five trailblazing women of color, who have in the past year or so, taken upon themselves to lead organizations doing incredible work across a wide variety of sectors, including housing, education, and LGBTQ inclusivity. The five honorees were:
Nnenna Ude, CEO, Match Education
Chrystal Kornegay, President, MassHousing
Rachel Skerritt, Headmaster, Boston Latin School and Association
Grace Moreno, Executive Director, Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce
and Elaine Ng, Chief Executive Officer, TSNE
Each leader shared stories of their challenges and triumphs in pioneering the way for women of color in our City. Elaine shared her own personal experiences growing up in Boston in the era of busing and how the fear and discrimination she faced shaped her deep belief that we must eliminate inequities in our society, which has been the driving force in her career.
Elaine found mentorship and an opportunity to lead when she became the Executive Director of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center. She was supported by older and wiser women and men of color who encouraged her to find her voice and the courage make change. It is her hope that the next generation does not grow up in fear and will feel as though they belong.
“Fundamentally, I believe that we all have the courage to create the world that we want and together as allies, we can do just that,” said Elaine. “So to that end, I ask all leaders to please mentor a young person of color and support them in finding their voice and courage, too.”