You have had an impressive career spanning Wall Street, entrepreneurship, your own jewelry and design company, leadership at the Female  Quotient  ( FQ ) and your philanthropy, Philanthropy is Beautiful . What early influences propelled your vision and ability to maximize your gifts and talents?

 

My story of empowerment to reach for my dreams starts from a point of privilege. Not the privilege of having money, but the privilege of having two parents who believed that education was a priority. Because they instilled that in me and I had the opportunity to see firsthand that there is joy in lifelong learning, they gave me the extra gift of being energized by opportunities to see the world as one of endless expansion. 

 

They also reinforced that creativity was valuable. My father was an actuary and my mother a stay at home mom and a former elementary school teacher. They were the first in their families to go to college; perhaps they were the first in their families to go beyond an elementary school education - I don't know and it frankly doesn't matter because their public SUNY degrees opened more doors than jobs and they spoke of it often. So when you ask me why I had confidence, vision and a skill set to try and succeed in many careers (academic administration, financial services, entrepreneurship, board positions and impact work for the FQ) I think it underscores the power of living with the value of education. Education does more than teach one how to ask the questions and find the answers. It also opens doors to garnering others' trust in one's judgment, potential and leadership abilities.

 

You have two children and have been married to George all of these years. What insights do you have for women balancing the demands of raising kids, co-managing a marriage with two intensive careers and their own personal needs?

 

Juggling and stability have been hallmarks of my adult life. I have been married for 45 years to a remarkable partner, raised two daughters (one married, the other engaged), always worked full time but I don't know where the time has gone. I certainly didn't sleep through it because sleep was the thing in shortest supply during that parenting and career-building period. I relied upon help and not just from my husband. The skills often associated with the best leaders are well honed by working mothers - management, prioritization and strategic decision making. Added to those are building a great team and "outsourcing" when possible. Women friends are an important ingredient. We all need a team of cheerleaders. My husband holds the place of honor for always supporting me and setting an example of this for our kids. His words of wisdom that I could live through the risk of disappointment if a business idea didn't work out propelled me on and carried me through the rough patches, of which there were many.

 

Describe how your service leadership at Fashion Institute of Technology, your philanthropic work and your involvement with the FQ furthers your goals of access and equity?

 

One of the things that has enhanced the quality of my life has been community involvement. This has come in many forms and has been a constant feature in my life. Volunteering helped do more than remind me of my privilege. It also served to enhance my skill set and perspective. Because I had a record of using my time to care about more than my family and job, I was appointed to major institutional boards such as: The Fashion Institute of Technology, the Museum of Art and Design, and the New York State Council for the Arts among others. The exposure provided by these affiliations further expanded my thinking and highlighted for me how impactful women are in all settings. My 19 years on Wall Street provided few female mentors and colleagues and without involvement in outside affiliations, I would not have been in a position to meet as many fabulously talented and powerful women nor hear as many stories about frustration with inequity in pay and limited opportunities for advancement across such a broad range of fields. My FQ involvement provided the first and most creative solution addressing these systemic problems. Shelley Zalis, the founder of this, understood and marshalled the corporate world of influencers (marketing, advertising, human resources, the C-Suite) to recognize how costly to all of us this is. I could not be prouder of my affiliation with the FQ, the rise of conscious leadership in advancing equality and the ability I have to use my design skills and network to change the landscape.

 

You are a powerful connector. If you could connect the most impactful funder to move the major levers of access and equity (even if you don't know them yet) who would you convene and what would you ask of them?

 

If I had the power to connect the dots for making a major positive change in the world I would want to put together a Jeffersonian type coalition of technology experts, educators, scientists, governmental leaders and artists with Gen Z kids. I would ask them first to listen and learn from the kids about how they see themselves and their future.

 

During this serious time of global health challenges, what is your wish for all of us?

 

During this pandemic we must remember that we are entering a phase of lasting trauma for the children who are school age and abruptly have been asked to go home and learn remotely. Children's brains develop best when they feel secure and safe. My wish is that we provide all children with the tools they need to learn and be part of a bigger community. We must get them all not only food, but also tablets, hotspots and programming that stresses creative thinking, innovation and above all, the human connection.

Joan began her career as a professional fundraiser for Harvard University and Columbia Business School before spending 19 years on Wall Street. Since 2003, Joan combines her love of jewelry and design, business skills and experience with non-profit organizations as Founder and CEO of her philanthropically-driven companies, Joan Hornig Jewelry-Philanthropy is Beautiful® and Pave the Way®.

Both Joan's designs and social enterprise business model have been honored by non-profits, educational institutions and the media. She allows customers to designate any charity of their choice to receive 100% of her profit on each piece sold. Joan's designs have been shown by The National Jewelry Institute in New York and Paris. In 2012 the New York Stock Exchange invited Joan to ring the closing bell. In 2014 Joan was honored by the Fashion Institute of Technology and received the NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor. She was also honored, in 2015 by United Cerebral Palsy of New York City. In 2016 Joan received awards from the Museum of Arts and Design and the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award at the United Nations.

All selected by customers, Joan's donations have exceeded $1 million and are spread among more than 1,000 nonprofits worldwide. She has designed limited edition pieces for UNICEF, HELP USA, ASPCA, The Girl Scouts of America, and other nonprofits. Her designs are worn by celebrities, business leaders, and government officials including First Ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama and Former Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Joan serves on the Boards of the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Museum of Arts and Design, and in 2018 joined as a council member for the New York State Council on the Arts. Joan holds a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Fine Arts from Harvard College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

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