Blake Bolden poses with students at Girls Empowerment Day.

AEG Celebrates International Women’s Day by Advancing Gender Equity and Girls Empowerment

To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, 2023, AEG hosted two events in Los Angeles, CA that were designed to celebrate women’s achievement and take action to drive gender equity.

In partnership with the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Telemundo, and the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Committee, AEG hosted the YMCA’s 2nd Annual Girls Empowerment Day. The event, which was held at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA, brought together 2,000 middle school girls from across the Los Angeles Unified School District to celebrate women’s achievements and encourage the students to dream big and accomplish their dreams.

The Girls Empowerment Day featured a discussion moderated by Telemundo’s Alejandra Ortiz where the panelists shared their personal career journeys, life lessons and tips for building self-esteem. The panelists included: Kara Lynn Joyce, three-time USA Olympic swimmer; Magali Ramirez, Finance and Operations Leader at Zoom Info; Linda Nguyen, Community Engagement Lead, Los Angeles at Microsoft Philanthropies Digital Inclusion and Community Engagement; and AEG’s Tamala Lewis, Senior Director of Community Relations and Foundation for Dignity Health Sports Park.

Following the panel, the girls participated in a variety of sports clinics hosted by the LA Kings, LA Sparks, LA Clippers, and LA 2028 to promote participation in physical activities. Other LA-based organizations that participated in the event include LA Sports Council, Los Angeles Dodgers Training Academy, Serving Up Hope, United States Tennis Association-Southern California, Nike and the Velo Sports Center.

“We know that sports can positively affect girls and with today’s event we’re aiming to cultivate a growth mindset among these students, and build their self-confidence and self-awareness,” said Tamala Lewis, Senior Director of Community Relations, and Foundation at Dignity Health Sports Park. “Sports also can help level the playing field for girls to reaching social and economic equality, and having these accomplished women tell their stories and be available to these girls encourages them to follow their dreams.”

Separately at Crypto.com Arena, AEG hosted a FUTURE’s Career Exploration event for 20 female students from Los Angeles Trade Technical College where senior-level women executives from across AEG’s business divisions discussed career opportunities in the sports and live music industry. Following the discussion, students were paired with an AEG mentor for one-on-one conversations focused on career paths available in the industry. After the event, the girls were invited to watch the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Toronto Raptors from a suite at the arena. To learn more about the AEG Futures Career Exploration program, click here.