The #wearyourcrown campaign is represented on each continent by women of influence who empower women. These Urban Queen leaders come from different parts of the world with diverse backgrounds, and are visionaries in their fields of business, politics, arts, entertainment, non-profits and more. 

  Over the course of this campaign, I will paint an Urban Queen painting inspired by each of these women and donate the original artwork to help raise funds and awareness for women’s and girls’ issues. All fundraising will be through Fund Duel, an interactive online platform, under the #wearyourcrown campaign. The campaign’s fundraising goal is to show the collective power of women.

 

The Challenge: Women are invited to participate in the #wearyourcrown challenge by uploading photos, videos, reels and stories of themselves with a crown via the Fund Duel platform. They can support an Urban Queen leader’s charity by making a donation, and sharing on their social media accounts showing their support. By joining the challenge you have a chance to win my donated original artwork, along with other prizes!

 

 

 I am excited to be partnering with women of influence from around the world to challenge women to join the #wearyourcrown movement

 

Introducing the #wearyourcrown Urban Queen Leaders

 

 

• • Susan Sloan, USA: Susan is the author of “A Seat at the Table: Women, Diplomacy, and Lessons for the World”. She works in diplomacy in Washington DC, engaging with diplomats, community organizers and international leaders. Susan has met with more than 80 countries through diplomacy, advocacy, and experiential education. Susan is a Global Champion for Women and Girls and talks about topics such as gender parity, equity, inclusion and women leaders. In this campaign, Susan has chosen to support the ‘Vital Voices Emergency Fund for Afghan Women’. Find out more about Susan here. 

 

• Natalia Martins, Brazil: A powerhouse entrepreneur and founder of Natalia Beauty Group in Brazil, Natalia has built her business from the ground up and has 100 affiliates spread throughout world – Brazil, Dubai, Switzerland, Chile, Portugal, Italy and the USA. Natalia’s life purpose is to make a difference in people’s lives and make the world a more beautiful place, where all kinds of beauty are respected. She has joined this campaign and is raising money for Casa da Mulher Brasileira, a charity that helps victims of domestic violence and abuse. Find out more about Natalia here. 

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• Sofia Bekatorou, Greece: Sofia is a Greek sailing champion, with four World Championship titles and three European titles. She was twice named World Sailor of the Year. In recognition of her accomplishments, she was given the rank of major in the Hellenic army. An Olympic Gold Medalist in the 2004 Summer Olympics, a Bronze medalist in the 2008 Summer Olympics, the first female flag bearer for Greece in the history of Summer Olympics at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Sofia Bekatorou is a true leader, breaking her silence which accelerated the Hellenic #MeToo movement, #MeTinSofia, after revealing a sexual harassment and abuse involving a top sports official. She is a fierce advocate and supporter for women finding their inner strength, power and voice to make change not only in Greece but for women around the word.  S.O.F.I.A is the acronym of Successful Options for Individual Awareness and as a project aims to empower and support survivors of all kinds of abuse. It is focusing on three pillars: relief, logistics and prevention.  You can learn more about Sofia here: https://www.bekatorou.com/ 
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• Donna Ashworth, Scotland: Donna is a poet, speaker and founder of Donna Ashworth Words; bringing women together with her words of truth, hope and comfort. Her poems and essays tackle the subjects we all face, such as mental health, body positivity, ageing and more – her poetry and wisdom are appreciated by women around the world. Donna is raising funds for a cause close to her heart, supporting a breast cancer charity Coppafeel, to help them with their mission, ensuring everyone has the best possible chance of surviving breast cancer. Find out more about Donna here.
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• Barbara Lizzet Sanchez, USA: A Senior Publicist in a highly reputable public relations agency out of Los Angeles, working and affiliated with major celebrities in the music industry, Barbara is an outspoken social activist passionate about women empowerment and a strong advocate against domestic violence. Barbara was awarded Woman of Empowerment 2020 by P.O.W.E.R. Magazine, Allyship Pledge Program, & Badass DoGooders. Find out more about Barbara here. 
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• Casey Donovan, Australia: An award-winning double and triple platinum musician, Casey has also made her mark in the areas of theatre, television, presenting and writing her autobiography. The list of accolades, is impressive and Casey has won numerous awards as well as the hearts of her fans with her creativity, soulful voice and incredible personality. Casey has joined this campaign and is supporting the not-for-profit Ash Gardner Foundation, which helps indigenous girls gain access to better education. Find out more about Casey here. 
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• Jayshree Mallaya, South Africa: Jayshree is Co-founder of the not-for-profit Over the Walls Together, a charity aimed at community building and raising awareness of violence against women and children. Jayshree has written an incredible song “Join Hands Around the World” as a call to action, S.H.E,  to Support, Inspire, Empower men and women to come together and eliminate injustices between genders. Her charity encourages people around the world to band together to end this violence, not only in South Africa but all over the world. Find out more about Jayshree here.  

 

• Amie Louie, Italy:  Amie serves as the Global Vice President Fundraising for the Professional Women’s Network (PWN), a global movement working towards Gender-Balanced Leadership in business and society, with 27 City Networks in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and Middle East. As an American expat living in Italy, she co-founded Easy Milano, a pioneer in Milan’s free press industry with over 3 million copies distributed. Amie acted as the Community Liaison for the Anglo-American community for two decades, passionately promoting cultural integration and charity initiatives. In 2017, she assumed the role of Development Director at The British School of Milan, a non-profit international school promoting quality education and global citizenship, recently certified as the top IB school in Italy. Through this project, Amie’s purpose is to inspire women, reminding that each of us can make a positive impact. She will be raising funds to accelerate Gender-Balanced Leadership through PWN Global. Connect with Amie here https://www.linkedin.com/in/amie-louie/

 

• Ramona Pintea, Romania:  Ramona is the artist and creator of the #UrbanQueen women empowerment movement that has taken the internet by storm. Through her Urban Queen collection of paintings, she uses a symbolic crown to shine a spotlight on women finding their unique voice, inner strength and power. Her artwork is vibrant, uplifting, fierce and symbolic. With Russia invading Ukraine, thousands of women and children have crossed the border to Romania to flee the horror of war. They left behind their husbands, father and sons as Ukraine declared martial law and men have to stay behind to defend their country. Romania is preparing for half a million Ukrainian refugees and we know the needs will be many.  Ramona is razing funds through SCUT,  an NGO established in 1991 in Brasov, Ramona’s home town. As a response to the war refugee crises Scut is creating a special division of members of staff and volunteers to help Ukrainian Refugee Women and their Children.  http://scutbv.ro/ro/acasa

One of my absolute favourite things about this movement has been connecting with celebrities, visionaries and also everyday women, hearing their stories and seeing how they are embracing and wearing their crowns. Individually, we are all strong women, but I believe that together, we can amplify each other’s voices and make an even bigger impact.

This campaign and these collaborations with women of influence will harness our collective strengths and positivity to promote causes, highlighting the amazing work that is being done all around the world – by women, for women.

Make sure to join my Art Community for information on the launch of this campaign in 2022 and how you can participate! I can’t wait –  together, we will make a difference in this world!

 Join The Challenge Here