"Well there's the race layer as well. Indian woman are marketed to by companies selling skin lightening products, hair straighteners or in ways to make us as sexually repressed as possible so that we are pure and clean slates for our husbands. When I was a freshman in college someone told me I needed to get back to my initial shape when I entered college because, as an actor, I would be getting off the bus in New York City and competing with every other black woman for the same role. I'm not black. My first agent said to me, "I have to figure out how to market you as something other than the pretty woman who can sing." - Pallavi Sastry is a actor and filmmaker.
Megan Densmore
"I was sexually assaulted by my theatrical agent and threatened into not pressing charges. I was young, 22 years old and he manipulated me. I put myself in the wrong place at the wrong time." - Megan Densmore is an actor, filmmaker and competitive weight lifter.
Laurence
"I have always wanted to be a man and I have always been proud to be a woman. It seems simpler to be a man, you know, I have my dick and my knife and I am ready. But I always knew that there was certain power in being a woman. Women have the skills and capacity to multitask, analyze, to look at problems, measure, assess them - we can even look at anything and know what container it will fit in - we just know how to get shit done." - Laurence is a European actor and dancer.
April Greene
"My father was one of six boys. His mother kept having children because she wanted to have a girl, but she never did. Instead she dressed my father like a girl until he was 5 or 6 years old. Not sure if this is why he was so gentle. My mother was the more hand's on, no nonsense parent - she worked hard and I don't think she ever had a manicure in her life. I was less receptive to the idea of sexism and it wasn't until recently when a female friend, who is a welder, was telling me about how her boss was always trying to get her to smile or laugh at his stupid jokes to gain her approval. She just wanted to get her work done and didn't think it was her job to make the boss feel good or laugh at his jokes. I had a boss once who used to pass by my desk and tell us to smile - it was annoying." - April Greene is a writes about workplace strategy for PlastArc.
Jennifer Vandermeer
"I was three years old, in the pew at church, and I told my Father I wanted to be a Catholic priest. He told me that I couldn't be a Catholic priest because that job was only for men. That experience sort of led me on a path to question and then gain access to places where women usually aren't. I am in the tech field, I often find myself in situations and at conferences where there aren't lines at the women's bathrooms and I wonder to myself why aren't there any women here?" Jennifer van der Meer is the founder and CEO of Reason Street, whose mission it is to help companies find the right business model.
Laura Mignott
"When I first got out of Grad School I had a job and was working with this dude. His previous job was cleaning the decks of a ship. So I taught him everything I knew and then he got promoted and became my boss. I realized then that the only way I was going to be able to control the future of my career and get ahead was if I became an entrepreneur. I made a promise to myself that before I was 30 years old I would start my business. My success has a lot to do with my smile. I'm friendly, I smile and then people want to talk to me." - Laura Mignott is the co-founder and managing partner of Digitalflash and she just launched The Reset, a five star podcast sponsored by Bose.
Susana Martinez
"I grew up in Mexico and my Father worked in construction. There's a lot of machismo in Mexico and my Father didn't think I could work like a man and didn't want me or my sisters to do construction work. He also didn't want me to play sports, except for tennis." - Susana Martinez is a part time student and works as a janitor.
Tracy Mack Parker
"Being a stepmother has given me the opportunity to learn from and teach my step-children how to set the bar high. To highlight for them the potential that woman have, as well as the challenges that we face. I want them to know they need to be all in, to be dedicated, because they already have what they need to change the world." - Tracy Mack Parker, CEO, The Philanthropy Workshop.
Laurie T. Franz
"I used to feel incredibly uncomfortable on the streets . The catcalls and how men talked to me made me avoid cities. I've developed more confidence and my work makes me realize that I am more than just a girl walking down the street." - Laurie T. Franz is President of the Five Together Foundation.
Briana Payton
"My mother is my role model. And since I am a woman, I can model my life and my character based on her example." - Briana Payton is a Truman Scholar studying Sociology at Princeton University. Briana attended the Truman Foundation's 4oth Anniversary Party at Gracie Mansion earlier this month.
Danielle Neighbor
"I've had classes where I felt like I had to prove myself. And then I have had classes where I did actually have to prove myself. One time I walked into my Physics II class wearing a pink sorority shirt. My, all male, project group acted as though I was invisible until I loudly asserted myself. But there have been many women and men in the STEM fields who have encouraged me and told me that there is a place for me in Engineering. Though, I don't wear my sorority letters to my Physics class anymore." - Danielle Neighbor is a Truman Scholar studying Engineering at University of Arkansas. She attended the Truman Foundation 40th Anniversary Party that was held at Gracie Mansion earlier this month.
Victoria Maloch
"People don't expect a female Democrat from Arkansas to be working in Agricultural Economics. Blanch Lincoln is my role model. She was the first female chair of the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and by example showed that being from a rural place has value. She gave me the confidence that I don't need to leave behind my rural experience or my rural values in order to have a seat at the table. There is a place for me in this field." - Victoria Maloch is a Truman Scholar studying at the University of Arkansas and she attended the Truman Foundation 40th Anniversary Party held at Gracie Mansion earlier this month.
Cara Valente Compton
"I had a son that I gave up for adoption when I was 22 years old. It was the biggest heartbreak of my life, but now we are in touch and he has a child and get to sneak peaks at my grandchild. I have four more children who I have raised - three daughters and one son. Motherhood has really been the most empowering thing in my life. My youngest child, my son, is transgender and wants to be called Hazel. So I guess I really have four daughters." - Cara Valente Compton is a Truman Scholar and she attended the Truman Foundation's 40th Anniversary Party at Gracie Mansion earlier this month.
Wendy Piersall
note: While telling me her story of why she started her own business, Wendy broke down and cried. This is why I am doing me&EVE - to create a space for women to be seen, heard and respected.
"The whole reason I became an entrepreneur was to escape the sexism in the graphic design and marketing industry. The only way I would ever be in control of my destiny was to start my own business. I went back to work after my second child and my new boss was younger and less experienced than me. I knew I would never be fully valued. Instead, on my own, I was able to create a six figure income." - Wendy Piersall is an artist and author. See her work at WendyPiersall.com
Kali Blocker
"I have an amazing support group of women that has lifted me up when I needed lifting. Women are magical beings in how we support each other. As women we aren't judged for being emotional, or for going through our ups and downs." - Kali Blocker is the founder of Diosas al Natural, which celebrates the natural hair movement in Puerto Rico and around the world.
Lindsay Morris
"When I was in college I was being mentored for a competitive newspaper internship. During my interview I was asked," You are a beautiful girl, do you think people will take you seriously?" I wish I had said, "I never doubted people would take me seriously, until this minute." " - Lindsay Morris, Manager of Creative Content at Getty Images.
Rebecca Levy
"Having surprise identical twins was a life changing experience. I had to put nearly everything in my life and career on hold for four years. The co-founder of my business is also a mom of twins and we met online because we were both mommy blogging. We realized that the internet wasn't always a safe place for kids and there weren't safe places for them to create and share their ideas and opinions, so we created that space." Rebecca Levy is the co-founder of KidsVuz and the mother of identical twins.
Sandy Carter
"Early in my career I went to Japan as a tech expert with my boss. The Japanese client would only acknowledge my male boss and look at or speak to me. Eventually my boss excused himself and left the building so that the client would have to speak with me directly. I realized then that men can be great allies for women." - Sandy Carter, is CEO of SiliconBlitz.
Danielle Schäfer
"I hope there is a difference between what Donald Trump says and what he does. I hope he was just talking. Women should be strong and not accept this as a loss. Do your thing and don't let him stop you. I was just traveling in Iceland and the women there protested the 14% wage gap by walking out of their jobs 14% early. Then the next day they took to the streets with pots and pans. Don't give up." - Danielle Schäfer
Arianna O'Hara
"I wish I could have voted. If younger people could have voted the outcome would have been different. In my High School we had a mock trial and Hillary won. Our generation is next to vote and we have hope. After the next four or eight years we will have a chance to change and fix things. We are more progressive and we are more hopeful." - Arianna O'Hara