JOURNEY co-presidents Nina Easton and Pattie Sellers receive National Urban League Women of Power award for leadership in advancing gender equity through corporate mentorship
Executive summary: Nina Easton and Pattie Sellers, Co-Founders and Co-Presidents of Journey To Lead (JOURNEY), were named 2026 Women of Power by the National Urban League on August 10, 2026, with the announcement issued via PR Newswire on August 14, 2026. The award elevates the profile of private-sector gender equity initiatives and may encourage corporate investment in similar leadership pipeline programs, particularly as ESG and DEI accountability face increasing scrutiny.
Who is involved: Nina Easton and Pattie Sellers (JOURNEY co-presidents), National Urban League (awarding body), and JOURNEY’s corporate partners and mentees.
Likely next: JOURNEY may expand its partnerships with Fortune 500 companies seeking to strengthen DEI reporting; increased media visibility could lead to speaking engagements or advisory roles for the co-presidents.
Nina Easton and Pattie Sellers, co-founders and co-presidents of Journey To Lead (JOURNEY), were named 2026 Women of Power by the National Urban League in recognition of their work promoting women’s leadership development. The award highlights JOURNEY’s role in bridging corporate diversity gaps through mentorship programs targeting underrepresented professionals. This recognition underscores growing institutional validation of private-sector-led equity initiatives in the U.S.
Timeline
- — JOURNEY Co-Presidents Named 2026 National Urban League Women of Power (PR Newswire)
Analysis — what this means
Likely next events
- National Urban League's annual Empowerment Summit in September 2026 may feature Easton and Sellers as speakers.
- JOURNEY could announce new corporate sponsorships by Q4 2026 following increased visibility from the award.
Sectors affected
- Corporate training and leadership development
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting
- Nonprofit sector partnerships with private enterprises
Regulatory implications
- No direct regulatory implications; award is honorary and not tied to compliance frameworks.
- May indirectly support alignment with SEC human capital disclosure rules effective 2025 for public companies.
Historical parallels
- Similar to 2020 recognition of Mellody Hobson by Economic Club of Chicago for DEI advocacy.
- Parallels 2021 Goldman Sachs Launch With GS initiative recognizing female founders through external validation.
Sources
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