Three APB Speakers Recognized by "Forbes" for Work on Changing Their Communities
09 Aug 2021
A trio of APB speakers was recently named to Forbes magazine’s 50 Over 50 List of Women Who Are Leading the Way in Impact list. The three honored are: Melissa Berton, Cofounder and Executive Director of The Pad Project; Susan McPherson, Founder and CEO, McPherson Strategies; and Winona LaDuke, Founder, White Earth Land Recovery Project. According to Forbes, the women are being recognized for changing their communities and the world in ways big and small through social entrepreneurship, law, advocacy and education.
Berton has been a lifelong advocate for girls and women, and has taught English at Oakwood Secondary School in Los Angeles for over a decade. In 2013, she, along with her students, started The Pad Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the idea that “a period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education.” Berton also inspired her students to produce a documentary to raise awareness about menstrual health and education worldwide, leading to a 2019 Oscar win for Best Documentary Short Period. End of Sentence.
McPherson founded her communications company in 2013 to help businesses, foundations and nonprofits amplify their social impact initiatives, according to Forbes. She also invests in, and advises women-led technology start-ups, including iFundWomen, Hint Water and The Muse. She serves on the boards of USA for UNHCR, The 19th News and the Lower Eastside Girls Club, and serves on the advisory board of both The List and Alltruists. She is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships, which was published in the spring.
Native American environmentalist and political activist LaDuke lives on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota. As Executive Director of Honor the Earth, she works nationally and internationally on the issues of climate change, renewable energy and environmental justice alongside Indigenous communities. In her own community, she is the founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, one of the largest reservation-based non-profit organizations in the country. She is also the co-founder (along with the Indigo Girls) of Honor the Earth, a grassroots environmental organization focused on Indigenous issues and environmental justice. In 2007, LaDuke was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, recognizing her leadership and community commitment.
The magazine received more than 10,000 nominations for the list, which spotlights women over the age of 50 who have achieved significant success later in life, often overcoming formidable odds or barriers, Forbes says.
+Learn More About Melissa Berton