At our Lead the Change event, it was powerful to see so many amazing community and business leaders in one room. Our Executive Director Jo Giles highlighted our work and our board members challenged attendees to invest in this work so that gender equity can be truly possible.
A few highlights:
- Head Coach Dawn Staley shared with a crowd of 1,000 attendees the power of sports to transform lives, emphasizing leadership, community impact and the importance of uplifting the next generation, both on and off the court.
- This year’s Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate Miranda Davis performed an original piece, “The Anatomy of a Woman” as part of our video.
- We elevated the stories of local leaders by sharing a new issue of our magazine, Today’s Omaha Woman, with all attendees.
- Advocacy organizations shared valuable information about the Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans and Protect Our Rights ballot initiatives, and the League of Women Voters registered people to vote!
Marian Ivers Community Leadership Award
HUJA SANGE
2024 Award Recipient
Huja is a Business Administration major with Business Analytics and Marketing Concentrations at University of Nebraska-Omaha. She has a wide variety of leadership and volunteer experience, making her an excellent representative of Marian’s spirit, motivation and aspirations for others. Huja’s volunteer experiences include Afrofest, the 2022 MLK Day of Service and the African Student Association. Professional achievements include her work with the Empowerment Network Solutions Summit Professional Development Committee, the Pitch Black Business Pitch Finale, Suit Up! and the Midlands African Chamber. She finds advocating for others, especially students, highly rewarding, and hopes to use her degree to pursue her passion in combining business and data analytics to connect entrepreneurs to economic development opportunities. “Given my experience in the non-profit world, aimed towards empowering local entrepreneurs and youth, I have found a strong passion and joy for helping and watching others achieve their dreams, big or small, whether its entrepreneurial ventures, academic success or professional growth. I aspire to implement solutions that will address the challenges that occur in achieving their goals.”
Marian Ivers’ life is an example of the value of hard work and positive support of the organizations and people around her. As a single mother, she raised two daughters while working full-time. She had a secretarial degree, coupled with an intense drive and great vision. She started a 27-year career at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce in 1962 as executive secretary. During her career, she constantly worked to promote Omaha, the chamber, countless staff and volunteers.
She quietly served the Omaha Chamber, always promoting others, until the last ten years of her career when she directed her talent to helping nonprofit organizations. Marian was a founding member of many organizations, including the Women’s Fund of Omaha and was honored numerous times for her visionary leadership and ability to develop community support.
After her death in 2013, her friends made the decision to honor her memory by raising funds to develop the Marian Ivers Community Leadership Award and the Marian Ivers Internship. Both are designed to inspire and encourage University of Nebraska at Omaha students to develop critical leadership skills.
Because Marian was so critical to the early success of the Women’s Fund as well as countless women leaders in our community, we are honored to recognize her contributions through this award.
2024 Sponsors
With the generous support of the individual donors and corporate supporters, the Women’s Fund is able to identify issues, fund solutions and lead change to ensure a bright future for every person in our community.
CHANGEMAKER SPONSORS
CATALYST SPONSORS
CHAMPION SPONSOR
CELEBRATION SPONSOR
Annette and Paul Smith
Anonymous
Charles Drew Health Center, Inc.
Clark Creative Group
Cox Communications
FNBO
Holland Basham Architects
Kiewit
Koley Jessen
McGrath North
Metropolitan Utilities District
Omaha Steaks
RDG Planning and Design
Streck
TABLE SPONSORS
Baird Holm
Baird Private Wealth
Bellevue University
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
Buildertrend
In Honor of Elizabeth Campbell
Lorraine Chang
CHI Health Lakeside
Children’s Nebraska
Cline Williams
Creighton University College of Nursing
Dvorak Law Group, LLC
E Creative
Eide Bailly LLP
Equal Opportunities Consulting
Field Day Development
Godfather’s Pizza, Inc.
Heritage Omaha
Investors Realty, Inc.
Koenig Dunne
McGill Law
Methodist Women’s Center
Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition Inc
Omaha Community Foundation
Omaha OB-GYN Associates, P.C.
Omaha Public Schools
OPPD
Drs. Emily and Sachit Patel and Family
Project Harmony
QLI
Q.U.E.E.N.S. Butterfly House
The Salvation Army
UNMC
UNMC – Campus Engagement
UNMC – College of Public Health
Weitz Family Foundation
WoodmenLife
Shop Our Store
Wear your feminist values on your sleeve—literally. Announce to the grocery store that you do in fact, give a damn. Carry your favorite feminist books in a “Smash the Patriarchy” tote. Also makes good gifts!
