Women At The Helm 2013
President and CEO, GLAAD
Media virtuoso Sarah Kate Ellis is the brains behind some of our national media brands’ biggest success stories—and she’ll use her wide-ranging experience in her new role, as president and CEO of GLAAD. Her direction and ideas have energized outlets including Real Simple, Vogue, House & Garden, InStyle and New York, and she’s also using those skills to empower our community. As a cochair of OUT at Time, Inc., this outspoken advocate and brilliant communications strategist led programming to spotlight the diversity of the LGBT community and worked to educate the organization’s straight allies on LGBT issues. Throughout her career, she has earned seven MIN awards for marketing innovation, two President’s Awards, and MIN’s Sales Executive Team of the Year award in 2012, and recently served as Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Martini Media. You might also recognize Ellis from the memoir she co-authored with her wife Kristen Ellis-Henderson in 2011, Times Two: Two Women in Love and the Happy Family They Made, an autobiography about their simultaneous pregnancies and road to motherhood. What’s she up to now? Let’s just say the board of directors of GLAAD didn’t have to look far to find the perfect candidate to serve as their new leader: Ellis will step into the role in January, in GLAAD’s NYC office. Ellis says she’s excited to further cultivate GLAAD’s work in the media and share stories from our community: “I look forward to creating a world where LGBT people and our families have the freedom to joyously—and openly—live a life they love!”
Today, business owners incorporate their beliefs in fairness and equality into their work. Nonprofit directors combine their passion for social justice with managerial prowess. Meet the new wave of out leaders who talk the talk and walk the walk.
MONIQUE STOKES AND LATOYA STUCKEY
Co-Owners, Slique Hair Studio
Harlem-based wife and wife duo Monique Stokes and Latoya Stuckey were drawn to the art of hair styling because of its allowance for creative freedom. Stokes has been dishing out unique styles for more than 25 years, while Stuckey, an active-duty Army officer, backs Stokes’ vision and offers perspective as well as strategic support. It’s a blend of creativity and ingenuity. They’ve seen their share of adversity, but their determination has never wavered. “Stay focused on your dreams and goals because the road to success may be detoured by the economy—but when you stick to your plan, things will eventually turn out well,” Stokes says. “Building a loyal clientele base always helps, too!” Coming up in the business, Stokes and Stuckey paid close attention to the advice of the trendsetting stylists they met along the way, and applied it to their original approach as well as their own creative flow. The pair is focused on complete customer satisfaction—and it’s paying off. Their work has been featured in several magazines, including Essence, Hype Hair, Sophisticate’s Black Hair Styles and Care Guide and Passion, among others. It’s abundantly clear that the entire Slique Hair Studio crew works hard to stay way ahead of the curve on the latest hair trends, hottest ethnic and multicultural hair styles, and cutting-edge techniques. “Our mission and vision is to provide quality hair care. We are very detail-oriented and determined to provide great service to every client,” Stuckey says. “We make sure they experience that ‘wow’ factor!”
