impactmania’s Women of Impact program consists of 200+ original in-depth interviews with women in 30+ countries, conversations in communities, and an internship at the Art, Design & Architecture Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).

The Women of Impact program enjoyed a successful launch at UCSB (July 2018) where hundreds of people gathered to hear from 30+ women from the network who traveled to California from 8 U.S. cities and 5 continents.

“We are delighted to know that the Women of Impact initiative will continue not only through the great work impactmania does on a regular basis but also through the surrounding programming our partnership continues to produce. It was truly an honor to have such accomplished women speaking about their contributions to our world. Our student interns not only participated in this endeavor but also witnessed firsthand how one, passionate committed person can indeed help change the world. Happy to know New Zealand is the next stop for spreading the word on women’s contributions.”

– Elyse A. Gonzales, Director & Curator of the Art, Design & Architecture Museum (University of California, Santa Barbara)

The Program (un-)covers women from around the world who are driving cultural, social, and economic impact. The work of women is often untold in the media and therefore uncelebrated and unsupported while their projects contribute greatly to the health and wealth of society.

The U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy grant will help feature women change makers in New Zealand and support women in New Zealand to connect and collaborate with women who previously have been featured in the global Program. The U.S. Consulate General will personally welcome the women traveling to New Zealand and co-host an event where the women (traveling in and from New Zealand) present and connect with a public audience.

“The U.S. Consulate is committed to supporting programs that educate and empower women and girls. impactmania’s Women of Impact provides a powerful platform for women to share their stories with their peers and with the public in an effort to celebrate their work and inspire us all. We’re excited to help connect impressive women from the United States and New Zealand and shine a light on their successes.”

– Katelyn Choe, Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Auckland, New Zealand. 

The founder of impactmania, Paksy Plackis-Cheng, and creator of the Women of Impact program, will be partnering with Brittany Teei, co-founder and CEO of KidsCoin, to bring the Program to New Zealand.

“Cultural exchange will foster better understanding and support that in turn will strengthen all of our work. Women of Impact has brought a number of people and projects together who have continued to make a difference in their communities while connected to a global network. We are honored that the U.S. Consulate in New Zealand has recognized the importance of this work and will host an opportunity to connect impact makers from New Zealand and beyond.”

– Paksy Plackis-Cheng (California, USA) and Brittany Teei (New Zealand)

Pat Mitchell, the first female president of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States, has said of the program: “By creating Women of Impact, Paksy and her team join the vast web of women and men determined to bring balance to the media and historical record. Most importantly, Woman of Impact encourages generations of women to join us and to continue the vital work of revealing the power and potential within every woman.”

The gathering will allow new cross-cultural and long-lasting relationships to help one another reach personal- and professional goals. With week-long gatherings, Women of Impact invite interested individuals, organizations, and corporations to further connect and collaborate.

A few of the women traveling with the founder of impactmania, Paksy Plackis-Cheng, to New Zealand: Dr. Miyoung Chun, U.S. BRAIN Initiative, founder and CEO of Alzheimer X; Paola Ferrari, co-founder L’Accademia di Gagliato delle NanoScienze; and Elizabeth Coffey, advisor to blue-chip companies and governments, founder and CEO of Spark Leadership.

Join us and/or support a series of events from November 3 – 8 in Auckland, New Zealand.
About Us:

impactmania (un)covers, collaborates, and connects people and projects that drive cultural, social, and economic impact. We have interviewed more than 300 change makers in 30+ countries. Our programs, such as Women of Impact and Human Mind and Migration include an academic internship, have been presented at the United Nations (UN), cited by the U.S. Consulate, and covered by a number of universities, and (inter-)national media.

For more information:

www.impactmania.com and www.museum.ucsb.edu/about/impactmania
info@impactmania.com