2025 Champions of Choice
ABOUT CHAMPIONS OF CHOICE
The annual Champions of Choice gala supports the National Institute for Reproductive Health and its Action Fund, and our work in cities and states nationwide to advance just and equitable reproductive freedom. This year, NIRH and NIRH AF are taking it from day to night with an evening event where we’ll come together to honor those who do work on the ground, who speak up and speak out, as well as those who support the movement philanthropically — all to protect and advance reproductive health, rights, and justice.
Click here to learn more about sponsorship levels and RSVP
2025 CHAMPIONS OF CHOICE HONOREES
MILA ATMOS
Mila Atmos, a global citizen based in New York City, is the producer and series host of Future Hindsight, a weekly podcast that aims to spark civic engagement through in-depth conversations with citizen changemakers.
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What most informs Mila’s worldview is her belief that citizen participation is fundamental to a thriving democracy. Mila combines life experiences from living in multiple cultures ranging from Indonesia to Germany to the rural U.S. with her knowledge base in history, economics, and international affairs (B.A. & M.I.A. Columbia University) in creating Future Hindsight.
COLOR
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) is a community-rooted organization that works to enable Latinx individuals and their families to lead safe, healthy and self-determined lives.
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COLOR works to ensure that Latine individuals and their families are accessing opportunities and resources for the health of mind, body, and spirit.
COLOR values justice and equity for all people: creating awareness of intersectionality and the ways it is used to either support or marginalize Latine communities. They are a community rooted and work to create intergenerational opportunities and leadership. They model sex positivity and support Latine individuals’ right to make their own decisions.
Jessica Valenti
Jessica Valenti is a writer, activist, and one of the country’s most influential voices on gender and politics. The award-winning author of eight books—including the New York Times bestseller Abortion—she has shaped the national conversation on feminism for over two decades
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Jessica’s groundbreaking anthology Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape helped define the modern definition of consent and paved the way for legislation of the same name. She is also widely credited with sparking feminism’s online wave as the founder of the trailblazing blog Feministing.
A former columnist for The Guardian and The Nation, Jessica’s sharp, uncompromising analysis has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and on media outlets from CNN to The Daily Show. She speaks at colleges and organizations nationwide about feminism, abortion, and sexual violence.
After the fall of Roe, Jessica founded Abortion, Every Day, an urgent synthesis of anything and everything happening with abortion rights in the United States.
She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.
ELAINE WELTEROTH
Elaine Welteroth is an award-winning journalist, TV host, and author of the instant New York Times bestselling book “More Than Enough,” which won the 2020 NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary work. At age 29, she was named the youngest editor-in-chief in Condè Nast’s history, where under her leadership, Teen Vogue evolved into a platform that elevates marginalized voices and amplifies political discourse.
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After spending more than a decade climbing the ranks of magazine journalism, Elaine shares her expert fashion industry advice as a judge on Bravo’s “Project Runway.” Her MasterClass on redesigning your career debuted in 2021 and has helped thousands navigate career transitions. Now, her popular new advice column “Ask Elaine” appears in The Washington Post, exploring how to navigate pivots in life with more ease and less angst. In addition to The Washington Post, her writing appears in the New York Times, British Vogue, and TIME.
In April 2024, Elaine launched birthFUND, a movement for maternal health committed to expanding access to safe and affirming birth care across the country. Alongside founding funders such as Serena Williams, Kelly Rowland, and Karlie Kloss and corporate partners such as SoFi, Pampers, and BabyList, birthFUND has raised over $2.2 million for families seeking midwives while raising awareness and challenging the way the United States approaches maternal healthcare.
Elaine is a mom of two living with her husband in L.A.
2025 CHAMPIONS OF CHOICE AWARDS LUNCHEON EVENT SPONsORS
(as of March 12)
Champion Level
Twentyeight Health
Trailblazer Level
Sharon Weinberg
Illuminary Level
BronxCare Health System
Meika Hollender
Jacqui Lewis
Dolores M. Smith
Visionary Level
Jess Jacobs
Sharon J. Monahan
Defender Level
Kathleen S. McHugh
Advocate Level
Linda Ellis
Sheila and Jeffrey Hollender
Honeybee Strategic
Robert Jaffe
Sarah Min
Spark Solutions
Partner Level
Amalgamated Bank
Kiki Burns
Susan Coffin
Christina Earles
Samantha Hourian
Lake Research Partners
Sarina Odgen
Brinton Parson
Kim Woodward
2025 ChampionS of choice benefit
committee
Meika Hollender, Co-Chair
Bruno Van Tuykom, Co-Chair
Ivelyse Andino
Jennifer Justice
Jacqui Lewis
2025 nirh board of directors
Dolores M. Smith, Board Chair
Antoinette Danvers, MD, Secretary
Janet Yearwood, Treasurer
Anna Berent, JD
Daniel Gonzales, ex officio
Meika Hollender
Jess Jacobs
Natasha Jakubowski
Jennifer Justice
Jacqui Lewis
Kathy McHugh
Ashley Tyler
Bruno Van Tuykom
Sharon Weinberg
Dr. Jen Welter
2025 NIRH ACTION FUND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Daniel Gonzales, Board Chair
Maria Vullo, Treasurer
Robert Jaffe, Secretary
Ivelyse Andino
Bob Fertik
Gabriela D. Lemus, PhD
Nathalie Molina Niño
Dolores M, Smith, ex officio