RTI welcomes social entrepreneur Jessica Shortall for annual International Women’s Day event

Presenters will focus on the theme of building bridges to equity for all

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, will host its annual International Women’s Day event on March 8. In support of this year’s theme, #EmbraceEquity, social entrepreneur Jessica Shortall will serve as the keynote speaker along with a panel of RTI leaders. President and CEO Tim Gabel will open the event.

Building Bridges to Equity is a free, virtual event and is open to the public and media. Pre-registration is required. 

Who: Jessica Shortall, Tim Gabel, RTI panelists and registered guests.

• Keynote speaker Jessica Shortall will speak about her personal experiences working internationally throughout her career to build bridges to equity for all. Minoo Agarwal, RTI senior director, information technology will moderate an audience Q&A following. 
  
  Ms. Shortall is a social entrepreneur with a career spanning social enterprise businesses, corporate intrapreneurship, nonprofit leadership and game-changing business advocacy on human rights issues. She spent the early part of her career as a Peace Corps volunteer, a nonprofit co-founder and a consultant to social enterprises globally. She was the first hire at then-startup TOMS Shoes to build out the company's iconic "One for One" impact mission across its shoes and eyewear line, building the company’s theory of change; developing global partnerships in public health, education and development; and measuring impact and telling stories to power the brand. In 2015, she published a book, “Work. Pump. Repeat.” as a no-judgment survival guide for anyone bringing a breast pump to work. She also gave a TED talk on the moral and economic case for paid parental leave that became a TED "Talk of the Day" with more than 1.5 million views. 
   

• The RTI panel will be moderated by Monica Dongre, senior employment counsel and will include:
  • Cara Valentino, senior manager, racial justice and equity program 
  • Darigg Brown, PhD, program manager, substance use prevention, evaluation and research 
  • Katherine Kristoffersen, senior monitoring, evaluation, research, learning and adaption (MERLA) specialist 
  • ​Closing remarks will be provided by Amy Roussel, PhD, executive vice president, social, statistical and environmental sciences

What: RTI’s annual International Women’s Day event: ‘Building Bridges to Equity’ 

Where: Virtual Zoom event 

When: Wednesday, March 8 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST 

Why: International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8, recognizes the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year’s theme, #EmbraceEquity emphasizes the importance of equal and equitable opportunities for all individuals. This event is being hosted by the RTI Women’s Advancement, Leadership, and Success of North America Employee Resource Group; the RTI Global Gender Center; and RTI’s International Development Group. 

Media contact: news@rti.org