Attention, young women thirsting for power: There's a prep school just for you. This month, the new Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, located in Ancramdale, New York, kicks off its summer fellowship program designed to train women in their 20s to rule the world. Founded by author Naomi Wolf, 35, and six other power-packing women, the institute plans to attract female achievers from diverse economic backgrounds and professions and train them to be savvy, idealistic, risk-taking, decision-making leaders. "No one taught my generation how to be financially literate, how to seek out a mentor, how to start a business, fund raise, or debate," says Wolf, who named the institute for Victoria Woodhull, the nineteenth-century feminist who was the first female candidate for U.S. president. The institute aims to equip students with all these skills and to build an all-female mentoring network of alumnae. Board members include Margot Magowan, 30, a radio producer; Melissa Bradley, 31, president and CEO of BHC, an investment bank that supports communities of colors; Janine Dorsett, 32, an attorney; Gina Ammaro, 27, manager of ethnic markets for Avon; Robin Stern, Ph.D., 47, a Columbia University psychologist; and Nicola Minor, 29, an art gallery owner. These six, along with Wolf, personally bankrolled the project's early stages--just one expression of the group's belief that young women like themselves have the power to help even younger women. (Not that older points of view aren't welcome--the advisory board includes actress Cybill Shepherd and writer Erica Jong.) "The elite institutions of America often fail to recognize terrific leaders unless they're young white guys in suits," says Wolf. "We'll identify and launch young women leaders from every walk of life." --Lisa Singer
Attention, young women thirsting for power: There's a prep school just for you. This month, the new Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, located in Ancramdale, New York, kicks off its summer fellowship program designed to train women in their 20s to rule the world. Founded by author Naomi Wolf, 35, and six other power-packing women, the institute plans to attract female achievers from diverse economic backgrounds and professions and train them to be savvy, idealistic, risk-taking, decision-making leaders. "No one taught my generation how to be financially literate, how to seek out a mentor, how to start a business, fund raise, or debate," says Wolf, who named the institute for Victoria Woodhull, the nineteenth-century feminist who was the first female candidate for U.S. president. The institute aims to equip students with all these skills and to build an all-female mentoring network of alumnae. Board members include Margot Magowan, 30, a radio producer; Melissa Bradley, 31, president and CEO of BHC, an investment bank that supports communities of colors; Janine Dorsett, 32, an attorney; Gina Ammaro, 27, manager of ethnic markets for Avon; Robin Stern, Ph.D., 47, a Columbia University psychologist; and Nicola Minor, 29, an art gallery owner. These six, along with Wolf, personally bankrolled the project's early stages--just one expression of the group's belief that young women like themselves have the power to help even younger women. (Not that older points of view aren't welcome--the advisory board includes actress Cybill Shepherd and writer Erica Jong.) "The elite institutions of America often fail to recognize terrific leaders unless they're young white guys in suits," says Wolf. "We'll identify and launch young women leaders from every walk of life." --Lisa Singer