In this issue...

Feature Article
Investigating Ad Imagery
An interview with Paloma Díaz Soloaga

Women Transforming Culture: How They Do it Courtesy:  A Polite Gesture or Remark
By Earlane M. Stanfield

News, Recent and Upcoming Events

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Fall 2009 Newsletter

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Murray Hill Institute Newsletter
Fall 2009
Vol 7 No 1

NEWS, RECENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS

NEWS

Murray Hill Institute Annual Benefit
Murray Hill Institute’s eighth annual fundraiser took place on Sunday, October 18, 2009.  Over 175 guests enjoyed a lunchtime tour aboard a Spirit Cruise Ship on the Hudson River.  As the ship pulled away from the dock, we joined the Spirit entertainers in a festive Bon Voyage toast.  While we dined, we were entertained with a fascinating narrated tour of Manhattan’s breathtaking skyline which was easily seen from the ship’s huge panoramic windows.  The cruise kicked into high gear when the Spirit DJ played Top-40 hits as we showed off our latest moves on the dance floor.  The day got off to a windy and rainy start, but as the weather cleared, many of the guests headed topside to the large outdoor patio deck as they caught a breath of fresh air and an amazing view.  The event raised over $10,000 for the benefit of Murray Hill Institute programs.  Our sincere thanks to all the guests for their support, and especially to the Benefit Planning Committee, who worked hard for many months to make this event a success.

Morgan Stanley Foundation Grant
We are most grateful to the Morgan Stanley Foundation for a very generous grant of $3,200.  Marisu Rodriguez, a project manger in information technology at Morgan Stanley and a valued volunteer for MHI, sponsored this grant for us through Morgan Stanley’s Volunteer Incentive Program.  The grant funds will be used for expenses associated with our ongoing lecture series and the Murray Hill Institute Mentoring Program.

RECENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Culture and Core Beliefs Series
On October 7 Maggie Jackson, author of Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age (Prometheus Books, 2008) gave a compelling talk on the themes of her book.  Maggie spoke about the threat to attention posed by the current use of the internet and related technology.  While not denying the great benefits of these advances, she pointed out how the loss of focus owing to constant interruption can eat away at our effectiveness as thinkers, compromise the quality of our work, and perhaps most importantly, erode our ability to relate well to the people around us.  The topic clearly struck a chord with the audience, who peppered Maggie with many questions and observations regarding the effect of information technology on parent-child, employee-workgroup, and other interactions. Maggie can be contacted through her website  www.maggie-jackson.com.

Save the Date: William Baker, author of Leading with Kindness, will speak on his book on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, as part of the Culture and Core Beliefs Series.  Further details will be posted on the MHI website soon.

Evenings of Conversation for Young Professional Women
On September 30, the Evenings of Conversations got off to a great start with Karen Wagner’s talk on a topic that is of special relevance in this era of employment uncertainty:  “Managing your Manager.”  Karen, who is a Vice President at Societé Generale, offered her audience a wealth of easy-to-follow advice and perceptive tips on how to determine your manager’s communication and working style, and how to align your priorities and goals with those of your manager.

On October 21, Claire Gaudiani, Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, spoke on “Social Entrepreneurship in America: Women’s Work Since 1780.” Claire defined social entrepreneurship as value creation and pattern-breaking approaches to problem-solving in society. She gave a fascinating account of how women, in the years following the War for Independence, banded together to pool talents and resources to implement various humanitarian projects. These initiatives eventually led to the formation of the Woman’s Exchange movement which provided women with an opportunity to sell home-made goods on a consignment basis. The Women’s Exchange and similar movements were the forerunners of microfinance as we know it today. Claire concluded by mentioning the contributions of remarkable women such as Esther Reed and Abigail Adams.

Coming in November: Lisa Gigliotti, Vice President and Chief Trademark Counsel for L’Oreal USA, will present the next Evening of Conversation, Managing Your Career While Maintaining Work-Life Balance on Wednesday, November 18, 7:30 pm. 

Coming in December: The Young Professional women will hold their annual Christmas musicale and celebration on Friday, December 11, at 7:30 pm.  The evening will include vocal and instrumental music, caroling, and refreshments.

SAVE THE DATE: SPRING CONFERENCE APRIL 24, 2010
Murray Hill Institute’s inaugural conference, which took place in the fall of 2000, had as its theme “Women Transforming Culture,” a phrase that was subsequently adopted as the tagline to describe our mission. To mark its 10th anniversary year, MHI will present a day-long conference on Saturday, April 24, 2010 on “Fashion, Media, and the Consumer.”  The event will be held in the Princeton Club, 15 West 43rd Street, in New York City.  The aim of the conference is to promote dialogue between fashion professionals, fashion media, and the consumer to gain insights into the driving forces behind the fashion industry, and its influence on women. Please save the date: more details will be posted on our website soon.