Look who’s talking…

From CEOs and founders to campaigners and economists, each voice brings a unique perspective and practical insight.

Explore the line-up and discover the people behind the conversations shaping the future of equity at work.

  • David Smith, PhD, is co-author of the book, Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace and Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. A former Navy pilot, Dr. Smith’s career included squadron command in combat and flying over 3,000 hours over 30 years. As a sociologist, his research focuses on gender, work, and family issues including allyship, inclusive mentorship, gender bias in performance evaluations, and dual career families. He is co-author of Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women and scholarship related to gender and the workplace.

  • Karen is a proven turnaround CEO with a 30-year track record in value creation, energising teams, creating vibrant cultures and consistently delivering business growth and success. She is the former UK President for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, where she was directly responsible for driving growth in WPP’s second largest market of 13,000 people, and managing revenue of $2 billion. Karen has extensive multinational experience having previously served as EMEA Chief Operating Officer, with key priority markets being Russia, Turkey, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa and Israel.  

    In 2014, Karen topped The Power List, being the first businesswoman to come in at number 1.

    As a long-term champion of the Creative Industry sector, Karen has been a Non-Executive Director for Creative UK since 2016. Karen was appointed Chancellor of The University of Portsmouth in 2017, the first Alumna to become Chancellor, and was a former Non-Executive Director of The UK Government Cabinet Office.  

    Karen founded The Black Equity Organisation in 2021, alongside David Lammy MP, David Olusoga OBE, Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, Ric Lewis and Dame Vivian Hunt. BEO is an independent, national Black civil rights organisation created to dismantle systemic racism in Britain, drive generational change and deliver better lived experiences for Black people across the country

    In June 2022, Karen was appointed a Non-Executive Director for Diageo (a FTSE Top 10 company) 

    Karen has been awarded honorary doctorates from The University of Portsmouth, Southbank University, Reading University, Ravensbourne University and is a Fellow of Kings College London.

    In April 2024, Karen was awarded Freedom of the City of London and received a CBE for Services to Advertising and The Creative Industries in the January 2025 King’s New Years honours. In May 2025, Karen joins The Board of The British Fashion Council.

  • Carolyn Rowan is an entrepreneur, and visionary dedicated to transforming the future of women's healthcare. As the founder of the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women's Health and Wellness at Mount Sinai, she is leading a movement to redefine how women experience healthcare, creating a first of its kind destination where world renowned physicians, cutting-edge medicine, and integrative wellness come together under one roof.

    Carolyn joined the Mount Sinai Board of Trustees in 2023, bringing with her a lifelong passion for health, wellness, and innovation. She believes the future of medicine lies not only in treating disease but in empowering women with the knowledge, resources, and support to live healthier, longer lives. Under her vision, the Carolyn Rowan Center is helping Women navigate health through all decades by elevating preventative care, longevity and others into national conversations while advancing research that will improve the health of future generations.

    Beyond healthcare, Carolyn is the founder of Carolyn Rowan Collection, a luxury lifestyle brand inspired by timeless elegance, craftsmanship, and purposeful living. Across all of her ventures, she is guided by a commitment to creating experiences that empower women to live with confidence, beauty, and well-being.

    Carolyn's vision is simple yet transformative:

    "Imagine a wellness center for women where you know you're getting the very best care—where every doctor, every interaction, and every experience is designed entirely around you."

    Through that vision, she is helping build what she believes will become the gold standard for women's healthcare

  • Kacy Fleming, M.A. is a social impact entrepreneur, workplace researcher, and founder of The Fuchsia Tent, a workplace research and consulting organization focused on menopause, and Kacy Fleming Consulting, a strategic practice delivering leadership development and workplace strategy to organizations globally. With over 20 years in biopharmaceuticals and a Master’s in Organizational Psychology, she conducts national-scale research and works at the intersection of clinical evidence, employer coalitions, and pharmaceutical innovation.

    As Head of Global Well-Being at Takeda, Kacy built strategy for 50,000+ employees across 80+ countries, earning three consecutive Business Group on Health Awards. At Sanofi, she held an 11-year progressive career spanning market access, health economics, and organizational well-being. Her recent contributions include the 3H Framework™ for workplace menopause support and the 3Cs Method™ of Compassionate Leadership, evidence-based approaches that help organizations move from awareness to systemic implementation.

    A TEDx speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice, and frequent corporate speaker, Kacy has delivered 20+ keynotes globally and serves on advisory boards for RMH Compass, Let’s Talk Menopause, Menopause Mandate, and Airvet. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Daily Mail, and leading wellbeing publications.

  • Lauren Tetenbaum, LCSW, JD, PMH-C, MSCP is a licensed clinical social worker, women's rights advocate, and writer dedicated to supporting and empowering women through life transitions. With experience as both a lawyer and a psychotherapist, Lauren specializes in counseling women navigating identity shifts related to motherhood, career changes, and reproductive health. Lauren frequently contributes thought leadership to media and professional organizations; she is the author of the acclaimed 2025 book Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life's Next Period. Lauren is also a mom of two who lives with her family outside of her native New York City. Learn more about Lauren at thecounseLaur.com or on Instagram (@thecounselaur).

  • Siri Chilazi is a senior researcher at the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School and an internationally recognized expert in advancing women and promoting gender equity in organizations. As an academic researcher, Siri specializes in identifying practical approaches to close gender gaps at work by de-biasing structures and designing fairer processes. As an advisor and speaker, she collaborates with organizations including start-ups, large multinational companies, top professional services firms, governments, non-profits, and academic institutions to advance gender equality through evidence-based insights. Siri’s work regularly appears in leading media outlets and she has spoken on gender equality at hundreds of large events around the world. Siri is the coauthor, with Iris Bohnet, of the award-winning book Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results (HarperCollins, 2025). She has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA in Chemistry and Physics from Harvard College.

  • Anuradha (Anu) Lala-Trindade (Lala), MD, is a widely recognized cardiologist, Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a leader in women’s cardiometabolic health and integrative cardiovascular care. At the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at Mount Sinai, she focuses on helping women navigate the profound cardiometabolic changes of midlife with the goal of optimizing health span and preventing cardiovascular disease.

    Dr. Lala’s approach brings together rigorous, evidence-based medicine with the principles of integrative and whole-person care. Her work explores how traditional cardiovascular risk factors intersect with hormonal transitions, metabolism, sleep, movement, nutrition, emotional well-being, stress, and the mind-body connection. She is completing advanced fellowship training in Integrative Medicine through the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and has a particular interest in how mindfulness and spiritual well-being can complement—not replace—evidence-based cardiovascular prevention.

    An internationally recognized academic cardiologist, Dr. Lala is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cardiac Failure and has held leadership roles across the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and Heart Failure Society of America. She is a widely published investigator, educator, and speaker.

    At the center of her work is a simple belief: health is more than the absence of disease. The goal is to help women understand their cardiovascular biology, honor the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit, and use the best of modern science to live longer, healthier, and more fully.

  • Dr. Voss is an organizational scientist specializing in worker wellbeing, human flourishing, and the science of engagement. She currently serves as a lecturer on the Science of Happiness at Harvard's Extension School and brings more than 15 years of experience leading research in behavioral science, occupational studies, and public health.

    Dr. Voss is a visiting scholar at Queen's Business School and a Fulbright Specialist. She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed and practitioner articles and has advised leaders across sectors on how to design workplaces that support both performance and human flourishing.

  • Lindsay Jurist-Rosner is the co-founder and CEO of Wellthy, a market-leading care concierge company revolutionizing the way families care for their loved ones and themselves.

    Wellthy is the leading platform for personalized care support and flexible backup care — helping employees and families access, secure, and manage care across elder care, childcare, chronic conditions, mental health challenges, and more. Millions of families have direct access to

    Wellthy through some of the largest employers and health plans across the country, including Best Buy, Cisco, Hilton, UnitedHealth Group, Google, and Meta.

    With Wellthy, Lindsay is building the company she needed throughout the 28 years she cared for her mother. Today Wellthy has more than 300 staff working to support family caregivers.

    Wellthy has been named one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies” and one of the magazine’s “Top 10 Most Innovative Workplace Companies,” and Lindsay herself was named one of 50 Changemakers by CNBC, as well as being named to Inc. Magazine’s “Female Founders 200” list celebrating dynamic women entrepreneurs. In 2025, Wellthy completed the acquisition of Patch Caregiving, expanding its childcare and backup care capabilities through on-site and near-site Patch Sites across the country.

    Prior to founding Wellthy, Lindsay was in the advertising technology and media industries with responsibilities and leadership in marketing, product, and sales. She served as the Senior Vice

    President of Marketing for NY-based advertising technology startup Simulmedia, ran Marketing Research at Machinima, and worked in product and strategic marketing at Microsoft.

    Lindsay received an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BA in

    Economics-Operations Research from Columbia University. She's written for Fortune, Good Housekeeping, Employee Benefit News, and more, and has spoken at numerous panels and

    conferences, including most recently at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas

    and the Wall Street Journal Health Forum.

    She serves on the Board of Hilarity for Charity (HFC) a non-profit dedicated to supporting Alzheimer's caregivers and founded by comedian Seth Rogen and his wife Lauren Miller Rogen.

    Lindsay lives in New York City with her husband and four kids.

  • Anna Barbieri, MD, is dedicated to helping women preserve or restore health, function, and agency throughout every stage of life. She believes that women's health care should not simply treat disease but help women thrive through all the biological transitions that shape their lives, relationships, and careers. 

    A board certified gynecologist, certified menopause practitioner, and fellowship trained integrative medicine physician, Dr. Barbieri is the founder of Anna Barbieri Medical, an integrative women's health practice in New York City dedicated to advancing women's healthspan through personalized, evidence informed care. The practice brings together gynecology, menopause care, primary and preventive medicine, nutrition, behavioral sleep medicine, and sexual health to support women through every season of life.

    Dr. Barbieri is Assistant Clinical Professor in the Raquel and Jaime Gilinski Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  She serves as Clinical Strategy Leader for the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women's Health and Wellness at Mount Sinai, where she leads the development of innovative models for integrated, multidisciplinary women's health care.

    Dr. Barbieri lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters and still finds time to grow heirloom tomatoes.

  • Sarah Steinberg is a global affairs and policy strategy leader focused on the intersection of artificial intelligence, workforce transformation, and economic growth. As Head of Global Public Policy Partnerships at LinkedIn, she leads the company’s engagement with international organizations and strategic global initiatives focused on the future of work and the economic impact of emerging technologies.

    Sarah works with governments, business leaders, and global institutions to navigate the workforce transition driven by AI, with a focus on inclusive economic growth, skills, and women’s leadership in the global economy. She leads partnerships across institutions including the World Economic Forum, OECD, and United Nations, helping establish LinkedIn as a trusted source of labor market insights for governments and global institutions navigating economic and workforce transformation.

     She is a frequent speaker at major international forums including Davos and the UN General Assembly, where she brings data-driven perspectives to conversations on AI adoption, workforce resilience, and the future of work.

    Prior to LinkedIn, Sarah led a $75 million global education initiative at JPMorgan Chase supporting workforce and economic opportunity efforts across ten countries. Earlier in her career, she led workforce policy and research at the Center for American Progress, advancing innovative approaches to skills development and labor market mobility in the United States.

    Sarah serves as Vice Chair of the Board of the National Skills Coalition and is an Aspen Institute Economic Mobility Fellow. Her work has been featured in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

    She holds a bachelor’s degree in government and sociology from Dartmouth College.

  • Emily Klingbeil is the founder and CEO of Phoebe, a leading coaching and support platform helping working parents thrive at every stage — from expecting, through parental leave and return to work, to the long game of managing a career alongside a growing family.

    Emily built Phoebe on a simple but overlooked insight: most of what working parents need isn't clinical. It's coaching, community, the right support at the right time, and the integration of care and career. Phoebe meets people where they are and helps them perform at their best both at home and at work, enabling organizations to retain talent and expand their leadership pipelines.

    Since 2019, Phoebe has supported thousands of working parents across the U.S., Canada, UK, and Europe, and has become a trusted partner to leading firms across finance, law, energy, and professional services.

    Prior to Phoebe, Emily spent 15 years in global finance, with expertise in private placements, mergers and acquisitions, equity research, and investor relations. She co-led complex cross-border transactions as an investment banker and later led investor relations for a multinational beverage company, engaging with thousands of institutional investors worldwide. Emily became a mother during that time, giving her a firsthand understanding of the high-performance environments Phoebe serves.

    She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, is a Rock Health Digital Health Innovator, and was named an Aspen Ideas Health Fellow. She is based in New York City.


  • Danielle Bessant is the Interim Chief People, Culture & Equity Officer at Planned Parenthood

    Federation of America (PPFA), where she leads workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness,

    leadership development, labor relations, and culture transformation for a nationally distributed

    workforce. She partners with senior and executive leaders to strengthen governance, guide

    organizational change, and build people systems that advance mission impact and organizational

    resilience.

    With nearly two decades of leadership experience across national nonprofits, healthcare, startups,

    and higher education, Danielle is an organizational builder and trusted executive advisor whose

    work sits at the intersection of talent strategy, leadership pipelines, culture, equity, and

    transformation.

    As a Black queer leader, Danielle brings both lived experience and executive expertise to

    conversations about leadership, equity, and organizational change. She is especially passionate

    about creating workplaces where talent and potential—not race, gender, sexual orientation, or

    other aspects of identity—shape opportunity and advancement.

    Before joining Planned Parenthood’

    s national office, Danielle held senior leadership and

    organizational effectiveness roles across healthcare, higher education, and emerging

    organizations, including serving as Chief Experience Officer at Planned Parenthood of Michigan

    and leading leadership development and change initiatives at Wayne State University.

    Danielle holds a Master of Education in Instructional Technology and Human Performance

    Improvement and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Wayne State University.

  • CEO. Media Brand Builder. Next Gen Expert. Author and past Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen magazine. With each achievement in her career, Ann Shoket used her platform to help women step into their power and to redefine ambition and success for a new generation.

    Shoket has made her mark launching or reimaging media brands including CosmoGIRL and Seventeen. Most recently, as owner and CEO of TheLi.st, a nationwide community of high-impact leaders, she is using her platform to shine a light on the impact of the loneliness epidemic on women at work and the solution that will help them rise—togetherness.

    Shoket is the author of the widely acclaimed book, The Big Life.  She has been a consultant and a contributor for Good Morning America, and she was a guest judge for four seasons on America’s Next Top Model.

  • Constance Zimmer is an advocate, podcast co-host of “Talk Fifty To Me,” director, and an Emmy-nominated, Critic’s Choice-winning actress for portraying Quinn on UnREAL. Known for her portrayal of strong, no-nonsense women,  she most recently earned her 2nd Emmy Nomination for her role as Ann Messina Freeman (Carolyn Bessette’s mother) on Ryan Murphy's Love Story! She was also one of the stars on the 4th season of David E. Kelley’s The Lincoln Lawyer. She is using her platform to raise awareness about changing the narrative around women and aging. Inspired by “The Vagina Monologues,” and teaming up with Abby Epstein (documentary filmmaker and theater director) they’re creating “The Midlife Monologues” (in development) and also co-directing a documentary, HER SECOND ACT, alongside launching The Midlife Collective with Julie Flakstad. The Collective has been on tour with their “Dressing Room Confessions,” gathering stories and sharing knowledge with communities nationwide, helping give women a supportive space to be seen and heard while navigating this journey in EVERY woman’s life. 

  • Carla Hall is a celebrated chef, TV personality, and author known for her appearances on Top Chef and The Chew. With her signature catchphrase "Hootie Hoo!" and infectious warmth, Carla has built a career on making cooking—and life—more joyful and accessible. She brings her culinary expertise and authentic personality to The MeMenu, transforming complex personal development concepts into digestible, actionable steps.

    Key Credentials:
    Top Chef finalist & fan favorite
    Co-host of ABC's The Chew (7 years)
    Multiple cookbook author
    L'Academie de Cuisine graduate
    Former model turned chef entrepreneur

  • Francesco Callipari, MD, is a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist and serves as the System Chief Operating Officer and as System Vice-Chair of Operations in the Raquel and Jaime Gilinski Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Callipari is also the Medical Director of the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at Mount Sinai.

    Additionally, he serves as Medical Director for the OB/GYN Faculty Practice at The Mount Sinai Hospital and is the Medical Director for the inpatient physician assistant staff. In his practice, Dr. Callipari focuses on general obstetrics and gynecology, with special interest in women’s midlife health. He is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner.

    Dr. Callipari is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the recipient of ACOG’s National Faculty Award, presented to physicians who demonstrate excellence in resident education. He also has been honored with the Medical Student Teaching Award for OB/GYN.

    Dr. Callipari earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The Mount Sinai Hospital. He also completed a fellowship in integrative medicine with the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona.

  • Commander Michael Banyas is a Senior Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service and a Health Specialist at the National Institute of Minority Health Disparities (NIMHD). The mission of NIMHD is to lead the nation’s scientific research to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. In his role, he is the Program Director for NIMHD’s SBIR/STTR program and oversees an award budget of almost $20.5 million and over 100 awardees. CDR Banyas specializes in underserved health care and public health systems with a focus on implementation science, as well as women’s health and research and clinical trials. He has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont, a Master in Public Administration in Health Management and Policy from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, graduate work in health informatics from Columbia University, and a Master of Arts at the U.S. Naval War College. 

    Previously, he served as a Public Health Analyst in NIH’s All of Us Research Program, where he led the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Pilot Project and co-led the Tribal Engagement Strategic, as well as operational process improvement.

    Additionally, he served as a Project Officer in the Health Resources Services Administration for FQHCs and as the Communications Lead for the Office of Health IT and Quality. Additionally, he served as a Fellow on the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s Health Policy subcommittee and has worked in three academic medical centers.

  • Barri oversees corporate enterprise communications driving alignment, reputation, and growth for the company. She ensures our nine brand communications teams can deliver best-in-class results for each brand while also creating efficiency and effectiveness for shared enterprise initiative across the holding company.

    She is an accomplished global executive, having served as CEO of Ketchum, a top 10, $400M+ communications firm, led communications and brand management at Wells Fargo, helping rebuild trust and strengthen the iconic brand, and was CEO Americas at Sodali & Co, a stakeholder engagement firm.  

    Known for advising C-suite leaders, Barri drives brand value, navigates complex reputation issues, transforms cultures, and delivers growth through modern go-to-market strategies and digital transformation.  

    She is an executive sponsor of “What Moves Her” and is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a strong track record of building cultures of belonging. She is also a sought-after speaker and thought leader, having spoken at among others, the World Economic Forum, Web Summit and TEDx.

  • Joanne Stone, MD, MS, is the System Chair of the Raquel and Jaime Gilinski Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Stone is a well-known expert in the field of maternal-fetal medicine and previously served as the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division Director and Fellowship Director for the Mount Sinai Health System. Currently, she serves as the Director of the Mount Sinai-Rainbow Clinic that provides enhanced prenatal care following stillbirth.

    Dr. Stone’s clinical interests are in multiple gestations, perinatal loss, prenatal diagnosis, and invasive fetal procedures. Her research interests span the gamut of multifetal pregnancies, labor induction, and ultrasound. She has also conducted several randomized trials, expanding knowledge on the important topics of cervical ripening, safe labor induction, and reducing surgical site infections in patients undergoing scheduled cesarean deliveries. She currently serves as the co-Principal Investigator for the Generation C Study, evaluating pregnancy outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Stone continues to have a busy consultative and clinical practice, specializing in the care of high-risk pregnancies, as well as being active in teaching.

    Dr. Stone is a Past-President of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and serves on the Board for the Foundation for SMFM. She also serves on the Board of the Gottesfeld-Hohler Memorial Foundation, the PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy Advisory Board, and is Chair of the Sonography Community for the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM). She previously served on the Executive Board of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Dr. Stone currently serves as the immediate Past-President for Mount Sinai Faculty Council. She also was the recipient of the prestigious Jacobi Medallion at Mount Sinai in 2022. Dr. Stone is an associate editor of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the co-author of the books Pregnancy for Dummies and The Pregnancy Bible. She has been named both a Castle Connolly/New York Magazine Top Doctor and a New York Times Magazine Super Doctor each year for more than a decade.

    Dr. Stone received her medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her residency and fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and continued as full-time faculty. She also holds a master’s degree in healthcare delivery and leadership from Icahn Mount Sinai.

  • Deborah Grayson Riegel is a leadership communication expert, executive coach, and Wharton School faculty member. With a Master's degree in Applied Positive Psychology and decades of experience coaching executives, Deb brings research-backed methodologies and practical tools to The MeMenu. Her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Psychology Today.

    Key Credentials:
    Wharton School of Business faculty
    Master's in Applied Positive Psychology (UPenn)
    Author: "Go To Help" (HBR Press)
    20+ years coaching executives
    Featured in HBR, Forbes, Fast Company

  • Erik Bottcher is a dedicated public servant and activist who has devoted his life to progressive causes and the betterment of the community he loves. In 2026, he was elected to represent New York State Senate District 47, which includes the Upper West Side, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, and parts of Greenwich Village. His mission is simple yet vital: making New York a better place to live for everyone.

    Growing up in a small town in the Adirondack Mountains as the only gay person he knew, Erik’s personal struggles with depression sparked in him a lifelong dedication to helping the most marginalized members of society. His career in public service began in 2009 as the LGBTQ & HIV/AIDS Community Liaison in the New York City Council’s community outreach unit, where he organized grassroots campaigns on issues including hate crimes, transgender rights, housing for people living with HIV/AIDS, and marriage equality.

    Erik then served as the statewide LGBTQ Community Liaison in the Governor’s Office, where he helped organize the successful fight for marriage equality in New York State. Working with activists from Buffalo to Montauk, he helped lead an unprecedented grassroots campaign to build public support for the Marriage Equality Act. In 2011, New York made history as the largest state in the nation to legalize same sex marriage at the time.

    From 2015 to 2021, Erik served as Chief of Staff to New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. In that role he developed a deep knowledge of every block of Manhattan’s West Side while providing constituent services to tens of thousands of residents and working alongside tenant associations, block associations, community boards, PTAs, parks groups, and local organizations — all in an effort to improve his neighbors' quality of life.

    In 2021, Erik was elected to represent Council District 3 in the New York City Council, serving neighborhoods including the West Village, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Times Square, Hudson Square, Flatiron, and the Garment District. During his time on the Council he built a reputation as one of the body’s most active and effective members, leading on issues such as mental health services, housing affordability, sanitation reform, and environmental sustainability.

    Erik authored and passed landmark legislation expanding mental health services in family homeless shelters and strengthening suicide prevention resources for students. He also championed major sanitation reforms, including efforts to containerize trash, reduce single-use plastics, and improve neighborhood cleanliness. Recognizing the urgency of the housing crisis, Erik worked to create a pipeline of thousands of new homes in Council District 3, including permanently affordable housing.

    Environmental sustainability has also been a major focus of Erik’s work. He secured funding to plant hundreds of new street trees in his district and authored legislation establishing New York City’s Urban Forest Master Plan, which set a goal of increasing the city’s tree canopy coverage to 30 percent. He has also supported universal curbside composting, improvements to parks and playgrounds, and the expansion of protected bike lanes.

    As a State Senator, Erik is continuing his work to advance public safety and public health. He has introduced first-in-the-nation legislation requiring graphic warning imagery in gun stores to illustrate the lethal risks of firearms in the home, modeled on public health warnings used on cigarette packaging in other countries.

    Today, Senator Bottcher serves as Chair of the New York State Senate Cities 1 Committee, which focuses on issues affecting New York City. He also serves on the Senate Committees on Corporations, Authorities & Commissions; Environmental Conservation; Intergovernmental Affairs; Judiciary; Libraries; Civil Service & Pensions; and Alcoholism & Drug Abuse.

    Senator Bottcher lives in Manhattan and remains deeply committed to building a more affordable, sustainable, and inclusive New York for all.

  • Leah Ruppanner is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Melbourne and runs Lighten Lab. She authored Drained: Reduce Your Mental Load to Do Less and Be More which is based on decades of her research and over 70 peer-reviewed articles on gender, work and family.  She is committed to understanding how women’s unpaid work – the time they spend in housework, childcare and the mental load – impacts their ability to engage in employment, sleep and overall well-being.  Her ultimate goal is to use this research to help women gain control over their time to spend it exactly as they wish – to create more meaning, love and joy in our lives.