10 Inspiring Women of Worth
Honored by L’Oréal Paris

“Worth means embracing how wonderfully unique you are
and not letting anyone or anything diminish how valuable
you are to the world.” – Aja Naomi King

(L-R) Aja Naomi King, Elle Fanning, Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria and Liya Kebede attend the L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth Celebration 2017 on December 6, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for L’Oreal)

The 10 women chosen from thousands, by leaders in media and business were honored by L’Oréal Paris at the 12th annual Women of Worth celebration on December 6, 2017 at The Pierre Hotel. They were selected based on qualities including their drive, commitment and desire to better the lives of those around them. All of these women are involved in positive change in many areas ranging from raising awareness about mass incarceration to supporting survivors of human sex trafficking.

Inspired by the L’Oréal Paris belief that “We’re all worth it,” the annual Women of Worth celebration honors the intrinsic beauty of everyday women making an extraordinary difference. Actress Eva Longoria said “This for me is what the brand is about. This event is so great especially in today’s climate with what women are going through. This is an important moment for women and their worth, and we are going to be a part of it.”

L Oreal Paris Women Of Worth Honoree Shandra Woworuntu

Honoree Shandra Woworuntu speaks onstage during the L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth Celebration 2017 on December 6, 2017 in New York City.(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Each Honoree received a $10,000 grant for her organization and Shandra Woworuntu, founder of Mentari which provides assistance to victims of human trafficking through DREAM, which stands for Direct services, Resources, Education, Advocacy and Mentorship, was named as the 2017 National Honoree and was awarded a total of $35,000 to support her cause.

“It is an honor to celebrate the Women of Worth Honorees, who beautifully embody our brand ethos of self-worth. Through their passion, resilience and selflessness, they are making a positive impact on their communities and the world.”
– Tim Coolican, President, L’Oréal Paris.

CHECKOUT MORE ABOUT THE 2017 WOMEN OF WORTH HONOREES

Leanne Huebner – Los Angeles, Calif.; Co-founder, Minds Matter National, an educational nonprofit that transforms the lives of accomplished high school students from low-income families by broadening their dreams and preparing them for college success.

Deborah Jiang-Stein – Minneapolis, Minn.; Founder, unPrison Project, an organization that works to build literacy, mentoring and life skills for women and girls in prisons and for their children to help cultivate critical thinking tools to plan, set goals and prepare for successful life after prison.

Rana Abdelhamid – Palo Alto, C.A.; Founder, the International Muslim Women’s Initiative for Self-Empowerment or WISE, a self-defense, social entrepreneurship and leadership development movement for young Muslim women.

Charolette Tidwell – Fort Smith, Ark.; Founder, Antioch for Youth & Family, a nonprofit that provides supplemental food assistance to approximately 7,000 people in the community, in addition to youth development services and family assistance through a variety of personal enrichment programs.

Shandra Woworuntu – Corona, N.Y.; Founder, Mentari human trafficking survivor empowerment program that provides direct services, resources, advocacy, education and mentoring initiatives to help survivors as they reintegrate into society.

Lulu Cerone – Encino, Calif.; Founder, LemonAID Warriors, a nonprofit youth-activism organization that connects children to worthy causes and provides unique action plans to create tangible social good.

SreyRam Kuy – Missouri City, Texas; Partner, Dog Tag Bakery, a nonprofit organization that sells baked goods and trains veterans in business and the first female Cambodian refugee to work as a surgeon in the U.S.

Valerie Weisler – New York, N.Y.; Founder, The Validation Project, an international organization that works with more than 6,000 teenagers in 105 countries, providing them with the resources and guidance they need to develop confidence and gain self-worth.

Theresa Flores – Worthington, Ohio: Founder, S.O.A.P. Project, which stands for “Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution” raises awareness and provides resources for victims of human trafficking by placing educational materials and bars of soap in hotels and motels across the country with information on how to seek help.

Cassandra Lin – Westerly, R.I.; Creator, project Turn Grease Into Fuel (TGIF), a sustainable system that collects used cooking oil from residents and restaurants, coverts it to biodiesel, and distributes the biofuel to local families for emergency heating assistance, developed by Westerly Innovations Network.

“Through the recognition and platform Women of Worth provides, our commitment is to amplify their stories and causes, so that their work will continue to thrive and to profoundly change the course of so many lives.”
– Karen T. Fondu, President Emeritus and Chairwoman of L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth

“Never underestimate the power of kindness and love.” – Elle Fanning