“Anyone can succeed when someone believes in them.”  -Nicole Lynn Lewis, founder and executive director of Generation Hope

Fewer than 2 percent of teen mothers finish college by age 30, so when Nicole Lynn Lewis became a mother at age 19, the odds were stacked against her. Today, she is the founder and CEO of Generation Hope, a nonprofit in Washington, DC, that matches current and former teen parents now working their way through college with mentors who will help them with the real-life struggles that come with their dual roles as students and parents. Since its founding in 2010, Generation Hope has helped 19 teen mothers earn college degrees, with 13 more scholars slated to graduate in 2017.

I recently attended an event entitled “A Crisis of Trust: Pharma and Healthcare Beyond 2016”. It was a panel discussion which included representatives from healthcare associations, payers, the media, and academia. I was eagerly anticipating discussion of the reputational crises many pharmaceutical companies and the industry in general are facing, as well as conversation around what resulting changes we might expect in the industry as it moves ahead – beyond 2016 as the title of the event implied.

Thank you to our clients and friends, for the work you do helping others and for the opportunities you’ve given us to make a difference.
Happy holidays!

Gift of Hope from Hager Sharp on Vimeo.

Hager Sharp launched a new series of networking events for communicators and social marketers on Tuesday, October 25^th, and I was thrilled to be a part of it. The Conversations that Make a Difference series will focus on current events, particularly in health and education, as well as current topics that impact our profession, such as emerging trends in media, literacy challenges, and evaluation.

First Lady Michelle Obama has said that “communities, and countries, and ultimately the world, are only as strong as the health of their women.”

For so many reasons, women’s health is fundamental to a healthy society. The value of healthy mothers producing healthy babies is clear; the value of other aspects of women’s health perhaps less so. For example, ensuring strong mental health across women of all ages, making certain girls grow up free from trauma, and providing medical treatments that are appropriate for the varied body compositions of our mothers, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers – have historically not been equally prioritized.