Kicking off Women’s History Month, advertising organization She Runs It has named 17 women who will receive education loan relief checks as part of an annual distribution orchestrated by the organization’s foundation board called Loan Relief. The 2021 payments will push the total grant amount over the last 10 years beyond the $1 million mark.
Every year since 2012, She Runs It has written checks to women in marketing, media and tech who are dealing with education loan debt. The checks, in amounts up to $10,000, are awarded to She Runs It members who complete an application and are selected by a committee based on need, commitment to the organization and an expression of intentions to contribute to the industry.
“Loan Relief is one of the most valuable programs She Runs It offers to its membership and to the industry,” Lynn Branigan, president and CEO of the not-for-profit company, said in a statement. “Rising professionals have so much to focus on—building a network, developing leadership abilities, acquiring new skills, often while managing homes and starting families. Previous recipients have told us that the gifts have been life changing, giving them more time to focus on the pursuit of their professional goals and easing personal pressures.”
Since the inception of the program, She Runs It has written checks to 113 recipients using funds provided by corporate alliance partners and the philanthropic efforts of the foundation board, which has been chaired by Jacki Kelley, CEO of dentsu Americas, for the past two years.
“It’s fitting to distribute these funds at the onset of International Women’s Month, which brings global focus to women’s equality,” said Kelley in a statement. “She Runs It has many programs designed to lift and propel women into leadership roles. Loan Relief is one that can help financially liberate women to pursue their personal and professional aspirations.”
Over the course of 2022, the 17 new recipients will create a network and work together on a project as a class to help enrich She Runs It. The 2021 Loan Relief recipients will be honored during a dedicated event on March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day.
The 2021 Loan Relief recipients are:
- Cameron Arnette, senior art director, Energy BBDO
- Jennifer Clarke, vp strategy director, BX practice lead, dentsu
- Kristen Cleghorn, senior art director, FCB
- Nicole Ferrara, CNN client success manager, WarnerMedia
- Dominique Galipo, coordinator, ad sales marketing, Paramount
- Rawan Haroun, marketing manager and head of global events, Channel Factory
- Erica Jennifer Horowitz-Short, associate director, content collective, Omnicom Media Group
- Ruth Hubbard, YouTube strategy and insights manager, Google
- Brittany Johnson, associate director, content, Spark Foundry
- Nicole Kazan, account supervisor, Energy BBDO
- Bianca Lev-Mathias, connections supervisor, social media, VMLY&R
- Briana Marino, current series animation manager, Paramount Media Networks
- Ashley Morrissey, marketing reporting lead, Central HQ, IBM
- Claire Sullivan, sales planner, AMC Networks
- Samantha Thiessen, senior art director, Arc Worldwide
- Molly Voska, marketing manager, Captura Group
- Maria Wright, senior consultant, marketing, transformation and insights, Deloitte