February 8, 2016
Dear Sandy,
Ten years ago Judy created her Garden State Woman Education Foundation that for the first several years was raising money and providing scholarship and mentoring support to inner city NJ high school girls going to 4 year NJ colleges and universities. Basically trying to find the hidden gems in the roughest high schools and trying to help. The effort has always been in small numbers but making a real difference in the lives of young women getting the support.
Three years we came up with another way to have an impact, We are now organizing annual conferences of various kinds for NJ high school girls and working with NJ universities to host them.
On February 7th Judy’s Foundation hosted the 3rd Annual Business & Leadership Summit. It’s a one day program to generate interest among high school girls to consider pursuing an education and career in business, something they know nothing about.
In April Judy is teaming up with NJIT to host her 1st Annual STEM and Leadership Summit with the same type of objective, i.e. encourage the young women to pursue an education and career in the STEM sector.
In September Judy worked with OASIS to host the 1st Annual Success & Leadership Summit. OASIS is a charity in Paterson that serves disadvantaged women and children, serving as a food kitchen, a day care center and a place where women can be provided training to re-enter the workforce. Many of the women being trained are in half-way houses coming out of prison. I have been lucky enough to do some career development training for the OASIS women.
We are also talking with a couple of other NJ universities about hosting the 1st Annual Entrepreneurial and Leadership Summit to encourage young women to think about starting their own businesses. We are both quite entrepreneurial.
Yesterday’s conference at Yale (February 7th) was the University’s Annual Women’s Conference that focused on various women’s issues. Judy’s panel included three women entrepreneurs talking about their careers and sharing their thinking. About 300 very diversified women attended.
Prior to starting her Foundation Judy founded a multi-media company (Garden State Woman) that published Garden State Woman Magazine for professional an corporate women in NJ. She organized various conferences for the same audience including health and financial conferences, another for women in transition. She also organized workshops to coach women how to develop their networking and relationship development skills. I was the coach at these workshops.
Prior to starting Garden State Woman Judy and I went into the thoroughbred race horse breeding and racing stable. Judy primarily ran our farm and I ran the operation at the race track. I bet in our Yale 59 class I have delivered more baby horses than any of our other classmates, i.e. at least 100!
It’s been a ride.
Sorry to be so long winded. Probably would have been longer if the Super Bowl half ran longer!
Cheers, Jack