Leadership case study

2020 NYC Women's March

weeks to plan

$60K

raised in funds

1M+

organic impressions

NYC Women's March Lisa Chin Mollica on the stage

It was the winter of 2020 and we had been given eight weeks to raise $60K, coordinate and promote the Women's March in Foley Square

After launching our political platform, Vote In Or Out, we attended activist meetings to raise awareness about our organization. At one of these meetings, we were approached by the former leaders of the Women's March, who were seeking someone to take over the planning and execution of their 2020 event. Without hesitation, myself and two other women accepted the challenge and took on this responsibility. We quickly began the process of organizing the event.

I was responsible for managing fundraising efforts, developing marketing strategies, overseeing website development, handling press relations, and creating event materials. I got it done by delegating where I could and dedicating a few hours each night to work on the design and operational requirements.

In the end, we were able to bring together the two previously warring factions of the Women's March and run a single, successful, unified event. Our lineup of speakers included Evelyn Yang, Jumanne Williams, and many other influential women and leaders who rallied voters in the face of falling snow.

We were humbled by the many activist groups that joined us such as Black Lives Matter, Las Tesis, the Yang Gang and many more.

From zero to one million monthly Instagram impressions in 8 weeks

When I was given access to the original Women’s March NYC account, it had a decent following but zero traffic for over a year. I implemented a daily theme of alliterations to increase engagement and viewership. This included "Move Us Mondays," where women shared their personal stories of triumph and sadness, "Tag Us Tuesdays," where small businesses could tag us in their stories for promotion, "Wellness Wednesdays," featuring art and self-care tips, and so on. By consistently posting engaging content and using this rotating theme, we were able to increase viewership to one million impressions in the month leading up to the event. This helped raise awareness about the schedule and locations of the marches.

We implemented a variety of marketing tactics to promote the event, including a last-minute guerilla-style billboard campaign

The tasks and responsibilities I faced during this time were truly challenging and pushed me to my limits, forcing me to confront and overcome my discomfort to succeed

Most of the responsibilities related to the event, including stage design, planning and coordinating with multiple parties, and managing event logistics, were largely unfamiliar and new to me. Despite being frequently outside of my comfort zone, I was able to successfully execute these responsibilities through a combination of improvisation and leveraging relationships with key individuals and organizations.

For example, I partnered with the CEO of iFundWomen, Karen Cahn, to create a fundraiser and secure a lineup of influential speakers. I also enlisted the help of a friend who is an Emmy-winning producer to bring in production crews for promotional video and photography, and secured sound equipment and stage rentals from other helpful sources.

Despite facing numerous challenges, including sleep deprivation and inclement weather, the event was ultimately a success thanks to the hard work and dedication of the entire team.

Top fundraising prize for the NYC Women's March 2020

Alone we can do so little
Together we can do so much

The Women's March was a truly inspiring experience for me. I was grateful to be able to work with a team of dedicated individuals who generously donated their time and resources to support video and event production, photography, press relations, equipment rental, event planning, and fundraising efforts.

It was a great time to highlight new talent such as this poster created as a Fundraiser prize by one of Adobe's top students.

Another highlight of my involvement was the opportunity to personally meet and speak with Evelyn Yang, who came to speak at one of our events at a crucial moment in her journey as a survivor of sexual harassment.

It was a challenging but deeply rewarding period of selfless giving that I will always remember.

T-shirt designs for the NYC Women's March 2020

Women's march instagram instructional page

A collection of instagram posts for the NY Women's March 2020