LUMINARY LUNCHEON.

Celebrating over 20 Years of Lighting the Way for Women and Girls!

Photo Credit: Jonathan Olson

LUMINARY LUNCHEON

ABOUT THE EVENT

YOUR SUPPORT LIGHTS THE WAY

Our Annual Luminary Luncheon is the Aurora Foundation’s primary fundraiser, each year drawing over 500 attendees. Due to the continuing concern of the health and safety of our community, our Annual Luncheon will remain virtual this year so that even more supporters will be able to join us from the the safety of their homes and offices.

As Covid-19 continues to disproportionately impact women and girls, your support means that Aurora can provide key research and data to decision makers, continue to fund cutting-edge programs designed to increase educational opportunity and economic mobility, and forcefully advocate that women and girls be central to recovery efforts.

During our 2021 Virtual Luminary Luncheon you will hear from women and girls that have benefited from our work, our community partners and leaders, as well as our Keynote Speaker, Nelba Márquez-Greene. (You can read more about this amazing woman below)

You are guaranteed to be impressed with the work YOU have made possible for over 20 years!

ABOUT AURORA

Aurora was founded 20 years ago to serve as a catalyst for positive change for women and girls in Greater Hartford, with the intended effect of unlocking the potential of their families and surrounding communities. It has been central to our work to recognize the ways in which racism and sexism intersect to limit the opportunities open to women of color. We continue to work to address inequities and foster effective solutions to build opportunities for all the women and girls in our community to thrive.

Funds raised at this year’s event will continue to support women’s college success programs, empowering underserved women and girls in Greater Hartford to earn a college degree. We reach low-income women, women of color, and first- generation college students to offer them mentorship, academic support, leadership training, financial literacy skills, and help with basic needs.

Women and girls need more support as they suffer the economic effects of the pandemic—you can help rebuild their futures!

IMPORTANT:

To access the event, you will need a password. You will receive a registration confirmation email from eventbrite with the password listed at the bottom.

LUMINARY LUNCHEON

MAIN EVENT - LUMINARY LUNCHEON

12:00pm | October 22nd, 2021

Our 2021 Luminary Luncheon will be a virtual broadcast where you will hear from women and girls that have benefited from our work, community partners, leaders and our Keynote Speaker, Nelba Márquez-Greene.

Nelba Márquez-Greene, licensed marriage and family therapist, founded The Ana Grace Project (AGP) in 2013 to honor her 6 year-old daughter, Ana Grace Márquez-Greene, whose life was taken in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy along with her classmates and staff members in December 2012.

LOVE. CONNECTION. COMMUNITY. OPPORTUNITY.

LOVE WINS is the tagline for The Ana Grace Project, which partners with schools to foster love, connection and community for every child and their families. Among its many accomplishments, The Ana Grace Project has adopted classrooms, brokered partnerships with mental health organizations and districts to support social and emotional learning, fundraised endlessly for scholarships, hosted higher-ed/community programs and much, much more. AGP has additionally designed and or participated in mental health conferences and professional learning opportunities across the United States and Canada. Like the Aurora Foundation, The Ana Grace Project places a premium on unlocking the potential of young lives and their families to ultimately improve the outcomes for these families and their communities.

Márquez-Greene will share inspirational stories of her leadership journey, her vision for a world with abundant resources for girls, women, their families and surrounding communities, and how love truly can win…even in the midst of grief.

LUMINARY LUNCHEON

PRE-NETWORKING SESSIONS

11:30am | October 22nd, 2021

Women and Finances:

Keys to Empowerment

Hosted by: Erika S. Pape, RJFS Financial Advisor

Erika Pape, Financial Advisor with Raymond James Financial Services at Liberty Bank, will be leading a session on the importance of women in our economy. She will focus on unique challenges for women and how they can achieve their financial goals.

Erika Pape has over 12 years of experience in the financial services industry, she provides clients with the knowledge they need to understand the options that are suited for their unique financial situation. She guides her clients along the way so they can make educated decisions regarding their financial futures.

Erika holds her Series 7, 66, and 24 Investment licenses, State of CT Insurance license, and received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Connecticut. When away from work she enjoys yoga, hiking, and spending time with family and friends and her dog, Ollie.

JOIN SESSION:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81225907259

Password: Aurora2021

Workplace Wellness

Hosted by: Melissa Miner, M.A.

Melissa Miner, Director of Client & Customer Engagement at Cigna, will be leading an informative networking session on how to effectively combat the impacts of the pandemic on women. The session will focus on sharing strategies and resources on how to continue moving forward despite the challenges – both at the workplace and at home – and we will close with an open and honest Q&A discussion that Melissa will facilitate.

Melissa Miner leads a team of Engagement professionals supporting Cigna’s clients and customers. Her primary responsibility is to ensure that Cigna CT offers customized and effective engagement strategies for clients that encompass well-being, open enrollment, and product utilization. Prior to Cigna, Melissa spent nearly seven years at Dartmouth College with responsibility for establishing and leading Dartmouth’s employee well-being program. Earlier in her career Melissa spent over a decade at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

Melissa has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Delaware and a M.A. in Health Communication from Emerson College and Tufts University.

JOIN SESSION:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83330771384

Password: Aurora2021