Powering Forward, Together: The New York Women’s Foundation 2025 Neighborhood Dinner
There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when women come together, not just to celebrate, but to elevate. On Thursday, October 9, 2025, that energy filled Industry City in Brooklyn as The New York Women’s Foundation hosted its annual Neighborhood Dinner, a night devoted to honoring five remarkable women who have built movements, empowered communities, and redefined what it means to lead with purpose.
The theme “Powering Forward, Together” couldn’t have been more fitting. This wasn’t just an event; it was a living, breathing reminder of what collective power looks like when women show up for women. From the moment you stepped into Room Five-Two-A, you could feel Brooklyn’s heartbeat — strong, unapologetic, and rooted in community.
A Celebration of Real Leaders
The 2025 honorees, Linda Goode Bryant, Lorena Kourousias, Luisa Navarro, Stacey Cumberbatch, and Brennan Gang — each stood as proof that the most transformative work doesn’t always happen under spotlights; it happens in neighborhoods, classrooms, and community centers where women roll up their sleeves and make things better for the next generation.
Linda Goode Bryant, the powerhouse behind Project EATS and the trailblazing gallery Just Above Midtown, reminded us that art and agriculture share one thing in common: growth. Her life’s work has fed bodies and souls alike.
Lorena Kourousias, Executive Director of Mixteca Organization, brought the room to its feet with her story — one of resilience, compassion, and advocacy for immigrant and Latinx families. Her leadership is living proof that healing and justice go hand-in-hand.
The Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award went to Luisa Navarro, the creative force behind Mexico In My Pocket, a platform she built to spotlight the beauty of Mexican culture. Her journey — from the newsroom to founding her own brand — embodies what it means to turn passion into purpose.
And then came the Lifetime Achievement honorees, Stacey Cumberbatch and Brennan Gang, two women whose legacies are woven into the fabric of New York itself. Cumberbatch’s decades of public service, from the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services to Citizens Union, have opened doors for countless others. Gang, now leading programs and operations at the Korean American Community Foundation, has dedicated her life to building pathways for others to thrive — all inspired by her mother’s resilience as an immigrant woman.
“When Women Lead, Communities Rise”
That was the unspoken message of the night. As Ana L. Oliveira, President and CEO of The New York Women’s Foundation, said from the stage, “Our honorees show us that powerful change begins in neighborhoods like Brooklyn, led by women who understand their communities and act with vision and care.”
It hit differently hearing those words in a room full of women who do the work. Women who pour into others even when no one’s watching. Women whose impact ripples far beyond the borough.
Investing in the Future
Beyond the accolades and applause, the Neighborhood Dinner served as a powerful reminder of what NYWF has accomplished — and continues to build. In 2024 alone, the Foundation invested over $9.7 million in 139 community partners, helping them unlock an additional $40 million in funding that touched more than half a million lives across the city.
That’s not charity. That’s transformation.
From supporting young women stepping into leadership to creating space for immigrant justice and economic opportunity, NYWF is rewriting what philanthropy looks like when it’s led by women, for women.
A Brooklyn Night to Remember
As the evening came to a close, I couldn’t help but look around at the faces in the room, a mix of founders, activists, artists, and dreamers. Each woman in attendance represented a piece of the larger story: what it means to build community, legacy, and love right where we are.
Brooklyn showed up that night. Not for the cameras. Not for the applause. But for the purpose.
Because when women lead, everyone wins.
Photo credits: PMC / Paul Bruinooge
Event Link: nywf.org/ND2025
Follow: @nywomensf