Sara Bronin

Sara C. Bronin is an architect, attorney, professor, and policymaker whose interdisciplinary work focuses on how law and policy can foster more equitable, sustainable, well-designed, and connected places. Sara serves as Chair of the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation,   trustee for the  American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress and was a former trustee for  Latinos in Heritage Conservation. In 2020 she founded  Desegregate CT,  a Pro-Homes coalition of neighbors and nonprofits advocating for better local and state land use policies to make every community in Connecticut more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable.  She holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and clerked for then-Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Melissa Bernstein

 Melissa Bernstein is an entrepreneur, creative, and author. As co-founder and former CEO of the wildly successful toy company Melissa & Doug, Melissa has spent the last 30 years helping children discover themselves, their passions, and their purpose through open-ended play. In 2020, after her own personal journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Melissa founded Lifelines. Through Lifelines, she is using her unparalleled creativity and imagination to reinvent well-being products and experiences to help adults strengthen their resilience, stay grounded, and unlock their full potential. Melissa lives in Westport Connecticut with Doug and their six children.

Barbara Summers | 1944-2014

Barbara Summers was an American writer and educator who had a long and successful career as a fashion model, working for 17 years with Ford Modeling. As a writer and editor, she published works including I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America (1989),  Black and Beautiful: How Women of Color Changed the Fashion Industry (2001). Her most notable writing is her 1998 book Skin Deep, Inside the World of Black Fashion Models (1998),  which explores the role of African-American models within the fashion industry and the emergence of black designers. She grew up in Hartford, CT, and attended Yale for graduate studies.

In 2013, in honor of our Founding President, Geena Clonan, we inaugurated the Founding President’s Award to recognize the outstanding work of a Connecticut non-profit that educates and empowers women. This year’s award is granted to Higher Heights for America.

Higher Heights for America is a transformative organization dedicated to amplifying the political power and leadership of Black women. By providing resources for civic participation, leadership development, and voter engagement, Higher Heights ensures that Black women’s voices are heard and valued at all levels of government. Through its tireless advocacy and community organizing, the organization is creating a more inclusive democracy while empowering future generations of leaders.

Her Future

Her Insight