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A Conversation with Tina Tchen
Tina Tchen draws from her lifetime of public service, including eight years in the Obama White House, to inspire others to realize the power of an individual to spark change and the value of diverse teams in any venture. A passionate champion for women and minority empowerment, Tina encourages young leaders to recognize their worth, take charge of their futures, and set and achieve lofty goals. From organizations to communities and college campuses, Tina proves to audiences that leadership looks like everyone, and that, no matter your race, gender, sexual orientation or creed, the corner office, the Oval Office and any other aspiration are within reach. Listeners walk away motivated to contribute toward creating a world where equality, diversity and inclusion are no longer buzzwords, but typical facts of everyday life.
Tina Tchen spearheads legal defense fund for Time's Up Initiative
A high-powered lawyer, TINA TCHEN’s career accomplishments have established her as a powerful advocate for gender equality. Tina is actively involved with the Time's Up initiative, where 300 prominent women in the entertainment world have banded together to create a legal defense fund which aims to support women dealing with sexual harassment across all industries. Ms. Tchen is spearheading the $13.7 million (with a goal to raise $15 million) Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, which is administered by the National Women’s Law Center’s Legal Network for Gender Equity, and will connect female victims of sexual harassment with lawyers. Major donors include Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, and the talent agencies ICM Partners, the Creative Artists Agency, William Morris Endeavor and United Talent Agency. Launched on New Year's Day in an open letter to The New York Times, the initiative and Ms. Tchen have been making headlines and waves in Vanity Fair, NPR, W Magazine, Good Morning America and more.
What's next for Time's Up according to Tina Tchen, the powerhouse lawyer behind the famous faces >>
Tina Tchen makes headlines with the launch of The Galvanize Program
TINA TCHEN is continuing her groundbreaking work advancing the interests and careers of women with the launch of The United State of Women Galvanize Program, a series of impactful summits in cities across America. A former Assistant to President Barack Obama and Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama, Tchen was heralded for hosting the first-ever United State of Women Summit, and serving as a megaphone for the gender equality movement. The Galvanize Program will continue the important work of the Summit, with programs focusing on the myriad aspects of gender equity, including reproductive rights, equal pay and more. Acting in direct response to policy roll-backs of the new administration, particularly the push to repeal the Affordable Care Act, The Galvanize Program will give women the tools they need to be effective political leaders. The news of the program’s launch was instantly picked up by the Huffington Post, in an article shared nearly 2,000 times on Facebook. “Changing attitudes is a lot of what we did,” Tchen said, “and that’s going to outlast any attempt to undo the policy.”
Read more about Tchen’s Galvanize Program >>
Tina Tchen interviewed on Politico’s Women Rule Podcast
Politico’s Women Rule Podcast goes “backstage with bosses in politics and policy,” so TINA TCHEN—whose impressive list of White House roles includes Former Assistant to President Barack Obama, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama, and Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls—was a natural choice for an interview. In her candid and insightful comments, Tchen delves into everything from why she’d work with Ivanka Trump on a women’s rights agenda, to her experience working with Michelle Obama, and the challenges facing professional women. Prone to both hilarious one-liners and thoughtful, measured remarks on today’s most pressing issues, Tchen’s true insider-access to the White House, shrewd analysis, and passion as a women’s rights advocate are all on brilliant displayin this 45-minute podcast.
Listen to Tina Tchen’s Women Rule Podcast on Politico >>
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Tina Tchen is a former Assistant to President Barack Obama and was Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama. During her eight years at the White House, Tchen also served as the Executive Director of the Council on Women and Girls, leading the first-ever White House Summit on Working Families, as well as the first-ever United State of Women Summit. She was the first Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement during the Obama Administration.
Tchen was previously a partner in corporate litigation at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. In her capacity, Tchen represented corporate clients in commercial litigation, securities matters and internal investigations. She also represented public agencies in state and federal class actions, including the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Illinois Department of Public Aid, and the Chicago Housing Authority. Tchen also served as a Managing Director of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation; Chair of the Board of the Field Foundation of Illinois and of the Chicago Bar Foundation; and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Chicago Public Library, the University of Chicago Medical Center, the Chicago Foundation for Women, and the Chinese American Service League.
Tchen is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Leadership Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (1999); Women of Achievement Award from the Anti-Defamation League (1996); and Chicago Lawyer Person of the Year (1994).
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