2025 Lifting Girls Up Gala and College Shower

Girls Inc. of New York City’s annual gala brings together the city’s most influential thought leaders from the corporate, nonprofit, and philanthropic communities for an evening of dinner and dancing to raise critical funding for educational programs that inspire girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth to be strong, smart, and bold.

We will honor several distinguished leaders who have advanced equity in their industries.

The Gala and College Shower also provides the unique opportunity to witness our mission firsthand as we applaud 25 college-bound high school seniors and present them with scholarships and gifts for college.

For additional information and sponsorship inquiries, please contact lchang@girlsincnyc.org.

2025 Lifting Girls Up Gala & College Shower

About the 2025 Strong, Smart & Bold Leadership Honorees

Ursula Burns

Founding Partner, Integrum

Ursula was the Chairwoman of the Board of Xerox Corporation from 2010 to 2017 and Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2016. She is a founding partner of Integrum Holdings, and a Non-Executive Chairwoman of Teneo Holdings LLC.

Ursula is on several private company boards, while also providing leadership counsel to several community, educational and non-profit organizations including the Ford Foundation, the Massachusetts Institute  of Technology (MIT) Corporation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Mayo Clinic, amongst others.

President Barack Obama appointed Ursula to lead the White House national program on STEM from 2009-2016, and she served as Chair of the President’s Export Council from 2015-2016 after service as Vice Chair from 2010-2015. In February 2022, Ursula joined the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Council on Supply Chain Competitiveness as Vice Chair.

Her book “Where You Are Is Not Who You Are” was published in June 2021.

LaChanze Sapp-Gooding

President, Black Theatre United

With a career that has spanned thirty-eight Broadway seasons, LaChanze consistently brings women of complexity and triumph into the cultural lexicon. 

In 2022, LaChanze made her debut as producer on two shows, the 20th anniversary revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’ acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-Winning play, Topdog/Underdog, as well as Kimberly Akimbo, a new musical by Tony-Winning Composer Jeanine Tesori and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, earning a combined 11 Tony Award nominations and 6 Tony Award wins, including Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical, respectively. Last season, she produced Here Lies Love by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Whitney White, earning a combined 9 Tony Award nominations. In Spring 2024, she joined the producing team of The Outsiders, a new musical based on S.E. Hinton’s beloved novel, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. This season, she will make her New York City directorial debut with Alice Childress’ Wine in the Wilderness at Classic Stage Company and serve as producer on the upcoming Buena Vista Social Club and Purpose.

LaChanze won a Tony Award for her performance as Celie in The Color Purple, originated the role of Ti Moune in Once on This Island (Tony Award nomination), and upheld her commitment to artistic excellence as Wiletta in Alice Childress’ historic play, Trouble In Mind (Tony Award nomination). Other notable stage performances include roles in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Tony Award nomination), A Christmas Carol, The Secret Life of Bees, If/Then, The Wiz, Ragtime, Uptown… It’s Hot! and Dreamgirls.

On screen, she has delivered memorable roles in both TV and film including: “East New York,” “The Blacklist,” “Handel’s Messiah Rocks: A Joyful Noise” (Emmy Award), “Melinda,” “The Help,” HBO’s “The Night Of,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “The Good Fight,” “Sex And The City,” and Disney animated feature film “Hercules” among other titles.

On June 3rd of 2024, LaChanze launched LaChanze Productions, a production company that is “Making Broadway Cool”. LaChanze Productions discovers, develops and delivers groundbreaking Broadway and commercial entertainment projects. Their mission is to nurture untapped talent both on and off stage, as we usher in a new era of entertainment.You can learn more about her company at lachanzeproductions.com

She is the President of Black Theatre United, a community of creatives dedicated to awareness, accountability, and advocacy. Proud mother of Celia Rose and Zaya LaChanze. She resides in Westchester, New York with her three cats and gardening hats.

Suzanne Yoon

Founder and Managing Partner, Kinzie Capital Partners

Suzanne Yoon is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kinzie Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on control investments in lower middle market companies in the manufactured products, business services and consumer industries. She currently serves as Chair of the Investment Committee for Kinzie and as Board Chair of Kinzie’s portfolio companies including Chelsea Lighting, GT Golf Holdings, Arctic Industries and Fraser Steel. In 2017, Suzanne launched Kinzie as part of her long-standing vision to advance the use of technology and innovation to help companies unlock value. In 2020, Kinzie was recognized by the Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN) as the North American Female Founded Firm of the Year.

Suzanne has over 25 years of experience investing in and advising middle market companies. She started her career at LaSalle Bank and Ernst and Young before holding senior roles at Versa Capital Management, CIT Group and LaSalle Bank/ABN AMRO.

A recognized leader in both the business and civic spheres, Suzanne has extensive experience serving on public boards such as NYSE ADT where she is the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and on civic boards including National Philanthropic Trust, Chicago’s John G. Shedd Aquarium and the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. She is dedicated to the advancement of women in business and supports the Women’s Association of Venture & Equity (WAVE), the Private Equity Women’s Investor Network (PEWIN), The Chicago Network and the Women’s Advisory Board of the Chicago Bears.

Suzanne earned her B.A. in Economics from the University of Iowa and is an Executive Scholar of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Mergers & Acquisitions named Yoon one of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; The Wall Street Journal recognized her as a Top Female Deal Maker Shaping Private Equity’s Present and Future in 2019 and Chicago United named her one of their Business Leaders of Color in 2021.

Suzanne lives in Chicago with her husband and three children and is an outdoor and sports enthusiast who enjoys golfing and fishing with her family.