Giving Women a Seat At The Table — An Interview With Founder Ingrid Silva
The next time you attend one of our events, you'll see Ingrid Silva orchestrating the team of women that runs EmpowHer NY, a non-profit organization born in December of 2017 with the purpose of giving women a voice. Ingrid has a captivating smile and the eyes of the youth, always enchanted by a world filled with possibilities.
When you chat with her, she will want to learn about you. Your name. Your dreams. I remember when we first met and she asked me: "Tell me more about yourself!", and it sounded just like an old friend you haven't seen in years, who's very excited to hear what is new in your life.
By the age of eighteen, Ingrid moved to New York to become a classic ballet dancer at the Dance Theater of Harlem. Although she remembers being pleasantly surprised by seeing other young black ballet dancers for the first time in her career, she noticed that many of them didn't have a voice.
Photo by Red Skirt Media
Photo by Red Skirt Media
"We came to a point where women need to have a voice without being called a rebel. We just need to convey how we feel and be heard."
As the only platform to feature daily TakeOvers — a space on social media (Instagram stories) where women share their routines and experiences, EmpowHer NY soon created its own sorority who shares a variety of interests and yet, seamlessly connect with each other. However, by growing up surrounded by women who would sit together to tell stories, Ingrid believed in the power of togetherness. Then, the first EmpowHer NY's event took place. Women from all sorts of backgrounds met and, somehow, found themselves on the same page.
We talked about the future of the platform and the goals for the next few years. Driven by the fundamental value of diversity, Ingrid envisions this sorority prosper in the educational field within the community in order to create job opportunities and workshops that capacitate these women. While reaching its audience globally, EmpowHer NY manages to address current issues faced by women and also design an audacious plan for the future.
"Among so many platforms focused on addressing current issues and solving urgent needs, EmpowHer NY has an eye in a sustainable future."
A distance between two realities became noticeable though. Successful women with solid careers on one side, and women who haven't gotten there yet on the other. If the closer a certain reality is to us, the more we can relate to it, how do we build a bridge that connects us all? Ingrid anticipates that "Somehow, what we have to say will sparkle something in someone else. A simple story can inspire somebody somewhere in the world. Inspiration is key. Diversity is very important to achieve that."
The TakeOvers are one of these bridges EmpowHer NY wanted to build, consequently, they set a new precedent of how our community engages. Women have witnessed how freeing it is to speak up and have their voices heard. Hence, women from other countries started to connect and exchange lessons and opportunities within themselves.
"I never intended to create a platform that was purely business driven. It wasn't in my mind to connect with people with thousands of followers. I wanted a platform made of people like us. Anonymous yet inspirational women with a story to tell."
I then recalled how much I wanted to become a writer in New York since I was a little girl, and how the lack of representation back then has impacted my path. But now, after I've learned how Ingrid has beaten every single odd against her to be where she is, it felt like something has sparkled in me. When you learn stories like hers, not only you begin to heal but you also grow the strength you need to move forward.
EmpowHer NY has assembled a community of women who uplift each other in an environment where it's safe to be who you are. "On a daily basis, we struggle with things we might think other people don't. The education part of this platform I'm talking about takes place when we share our struggles and listen to somebody else's struggles too. Every time we listen to them, we learn something. We educate ourselves through someone else's story. Every time we learn one's story, our inner-judgement tends to decrease." she reflects.
Photo by Caroline Biazotto
Photo by Caroline Biazotto
The main goal for 2020 is to create more workshops to capacitate women in the workspace. "As a non-profit organization, we want to become one of the biggest network/education/work opportunity platforms of the world in the next five years." Ingrid envisages. "We want to take these events and workshops to places where people don't have these resources. We want to take EmpowHer NY to other countries and, ahead in the future, partnership with schools in order to teach girls from early ages to build this foundation of self-discovery and self-confidence to achieve their goals in life."
In a world built on the premise of survival of the fittest, minorities speak in the name of their battles. Hence, niches become stronger as these minorities arise. Although these minorities strengthen their autonomy and open the conversation about their particular battles, they often don't talk to each other.
"I don't want to divide people into categories. In this platform, mothers, entrepreneurs, business women and artists will have a space. I want to unify all these women so they grow as much as they can. It doesn't matter in which category you fit, You are welcome here."
"Everything that happened in my life, happened organically." Ingrid remembers. So it did with EmpowHer NY, that hosted other events after that first one, so women could chat, have a cup of coffee and exchange. Stories, laughs, and opportunities as organically as she foresaw. "After you reach a certain visibility in the media and you do something for someone. You don't do it for obligation, but because the world lacks lots of opportunities. It's not a matter of you being good enough. You are good. It's a matter of someone, out there, listening to you."
Photo by Caroline Biazotto
Photo by Caroline Biazotto
As we relaunch EmpowHer NY early in 2020 with a new strategy and approach, Ingrid delivers an important message to this generation. "EmpowHer NY is a social catalyst that ignites the conversation about women breaking through the glass ceiling imposed by society, and living authentically according to their truth by the values of collaboration, authenticity, respect and boldness." And for the new decade, bolder goals. "Our ultimate goal is to become one of the most influential, feminist and empowering platforms. For that, we will hold onto the ideology of keep believing in the power of community and unity. We see togetherness as a solution to gender equality, making a difference in how women are perceived and treated in society, receiving the value we've been fighting for and deserve. Where a woman doesn't need to prove she's it worth it because this is not open to question. She is worth it. We envision a world where gender equality will be embodied into a society with tolerance and empathy above gender and competition. Our promise is to continue to give voice to more and more women all over the world, inspiring others to share their journeys, challenges and achievements, while connecting people and continue to lead the dialogue about empowerment according to different perspectives."
Her words made me think about the past generations of women who fought and gave their lives so we could stand here today and talk. It's vital to acknowledge the victories we've accomplished, but always keeping an eye in the future. For this generation and the ones yet to come, Ingrid asserts "If we're able to land this foundation, I believe things will be easier in the future because when these future generations come and understand what we've done, they will fight other battles. Perhaps, it will no longer be for voice or space. We might have a generation of women building businesses with their resources for further female generations. Representation is the foundation for this model of business to be sustainable. Because if we don't see, we don't think it's possible."
I didn't see many of my childhood friends accomplish their dreams, nor did Ingrid. Nevertheless, we persisted. It's a challenging path we want to soften for the next generations. Later, we thought of isolated women in remote parts of the world who don't have a voice. Women with physical and emotional scars due to domestic violence. Single mothers with full-time jobs attempting to change careers. Women who are trapped in inappropriate situations in the workplace and have nobody to talk to. Women who are gaslighted in their homes and offices. Girls with their hearts filled with dreams and no resources to accomplish them. EmpowHer NY wants to reach these women and listen to what they have to say. The more bridges we build, the more futures we might be able to change.