In celebration of Women’s History Month, kate spade new york welcomes actress and mental health advocate Sofia Wylie and Japanese lecturer and educator Mika Kumahira, as the brand expands its commitment to putting mental health at the heart of its social impact approach.
This Women’s History Month, kate spade new york welcomes actress and entertainer, Sofia Wylie, and Founding Principal of Showa Women’s University Career College, Mika Kumahira, to its Social Impact Council, a collective of women’s empowerment and mental health leaders from around the globe. The two global changemakers join the leadership council to work with kate spade new york in further destigmatizing the conversation around mental health, providing access to resources and bringing more attention to the vital importance of mental health in empowering women and girls globally.
In 2022, kate spade new york created the Social Impact Council and set a goal of providing 100,000 women with direct access to mental health and empowerment tools by 2025. Wylie and Kumahira join kate spade new york and founding social impact members, including: Taraji P. Henson (USA); Catherine Tinsley (USA); Latham Thomas (USA); Elisha London (UK); Norette Turimuci (Rwanda) and Jazz Thornton (NZ), bringing their unique perspectives to this cohort of female leaders who have set out to champion the integration of mental health into the empowerment agenda of women and girls globally. Since embarking toward this goal, the brand has made significant strides – having reached 66,000 women and girls with mental health and empowerment resources and services to-date. In tandem with the 77th United Nations General Assembly in New York City in September 2022, kate spade new york hosted a series of panel discussions with its Social Impact Council to highlight the critical role that mental health plays in the pursuit of sustainable women’s empowerment.
“Social impact efforts to champion women’s empowerment and prioritize the mental health of women and girls has been, and continues to be, at the heart of the kate spade new york brand,” shared Liz Fraser, kate spade new york chief executive officer and brand president. “Our Social Impact Council is a powerful collective of culture-changing advocates who propel positive change. As the council enters its second year, we’re proud to have Sofia and Mika join us in our mission, and continue our momentum in making a meaningful impact for women and girls around the world.”
“My biggest dream is to be a part of making an impact by joining a force that is set out to make a positive difference in lives,” shared Sofia Wylie, actress and mental health advocate. “Being in the entertainment industry, there are soaring highs and deep lows. While living in a world where people care more about individual success than the state of their mental health, I am honored to join the kate spade Social Impact Council to advocate for putting mental health and emotional wellbeing at the forefront of our priorities, because what does success mean without happiness?”
“Born and raised in a traditional Japanese society, I am committed to helping women fulfill their aspirations in personal and professional life. In 2013, we founded the Showa Women’s University Career College to empower professional women leaders and strengthen their leadership skills to create a better future for a diverse and compassionate society,” shared Mika Kumahira, Japanese management consultant, social sector leader and educator. “Today is a pivotal moment for the women’s empowerment movement in Japan. I’m excited to join kate spade new york’s Social Impact Council and contribute to change for women to meet their full potential in our society.”
In celebration of Women’s History Month, kate spade new york is launching a digital content series on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube that highlights the collective power of women’s voices and builds upon kate spade’s “It All Started With” spring campaign series. The video content brings to life the personal stories of three Social Impact Council members – Sofia Wylie, Mika Kumahira and Latham Thomas – celebrating the people in their lives who inspire them, and how they first became involved in women’s mental health and empowerment advocacy. The campaign features illustrations from Rebecca Clarke and encourages women and allies to share their own stories about women that inspire them in championing women’s empowerment.
Throughout the year, kate spade new york and its Social Impact Council will continue the crucial work of supporting efforts in integrating mental health as a key component of women’s empowerment work around the world through participation in in-person and digital activations to engage the brand’s community – and beyond. Additionally, kate spade new york and its Social Impact Council will debut first-of-its-kind research at the Women Deliver Conference in Kigali, Rwanda (July 2023) on the vital role and impact a women’s mental health plays in her achieving long-term empowerment.
In efforts to keep mental health and women’s empowerment at the center of kate spade new york’s ongoing social impact work, the brand and its Foundation will donate more than $3M in 2023 to provide access to care and community resources to improve the mental health and empowerment of women in its communities around the world. These partnerships include organizations such as Black Girls Smile, Abahizi Rwanda, Crisis Text Line, Girls Inc of New York City, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, The Trevor Project and more. To learn more about kate spade new york’s existing social impact work and non-profit partners visit katespade.com/socialimpact.
