Tana Yasu's efforts to unite marginalized communities against oppressive systems are commendable. Most recently, Tana hosted a Juneteenth event and is premiering films at Carco Theater. She formerly served on the Seattle Women’s Commission, and over the past five years, she has also led an annual domestic violence event. Tana Yasu's multifaceted contributions reflect her dedication to fostering positive change and empowerment in our community.

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2024

Jane Charles is an accomplished film and television producer with a remarkable 22-year career. Her standout achievements include producing the award-winning film "SOLD," inspired by Patricia McCormick's powerful novel. Her work has contributed to the global movement to combat child trafficking. In addition to her cinematic success, she co-founded StolenYouth, an organization that focuses on fighting trafficking on all fronts. Jane's dedication and vision have played a pivotal role in supporting survivors and prevent trafficking in the Seattle community.

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2024

Estela Ortega is co-founder and Executive Director of El Centro de la Raza, a civil rights organization and hub for all who want to engage in civic action through community empowerment. Ortega is also responsible for the development of Plaza Roberto Maestas a $45 million community-inspired affordable housing project.

Her social justice work began in the late 60’s protesting the Viet Nam war, picketing for Farmworker rights, working on political campaigns and registering Chicanos to vote in the barrios of Houston, Texas. In 2020 she was named one of the Seattle Times 13 Most Influential People of the Decade.

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2022

Agaiotupu Viena is an unapologetic fa’afafine and trans woman from Samoa I Sasa’e. She is a fa’afafineist, descendant of celestial navigators, cat mama, and lover of all things Pasifika. Agaiotupu works as the Deputy Director of UTOPIA Washington, chairs the first ever WA State LGBTQ Commission, and has been involved with a number of organizations including Trans Agenda for Liberation (TA4L), Transgender Law Center, and Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network.

She fights like hell for the body sovereignty of sex workers and sovereignty for all life including the land that provides for us; through policy and systems change, narrative shifts, and generative conflict rooted in love.

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2022

Linda has been a member of NOW for over four decades, and filled countless roles for Seattle, WA State, and National NOW boards including most recently as Co-Legislative Coordinator. Her passion for the rights of women, children and their families/loved ones led her to serve on the State Legislative Committee for many years advocating for and drafting legislation to improve women and children’s lives here in the State of Washington.

Now retired after a 38-year career in the Department of Children, Youth & Families where she was responsible for overseeing Child Protective Services Investigations throughout childcare, foster care, group care, adoption facilities, Licensing investigations and license renewals in state licensed foster homes.

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2022

Claire Wilson’s legislative work has built on her 25 years at the Puget Sound Educational Services District and years teaching pregnant and parenting teens at Mt. Tahoma High School. She serves as Assistant Majority Whip of the Senate.

In addition to her legislative roles, Claire serves on the Task Force on Improving Institutional Education Programs and Outcomes, whose focus is to improve education services to youth involved with the juvenile justice system, and the Washington State Leadership Board. Claire is the first openly lesbian State Senator in the history of the state.

Alicia Crank is the Chief Development Officer for AtWork!, a highly supportive and innovative conduit between people with disabilities and employers in the community.  Prior to this role, she’s been a leader at the YWCA, CityYear Seattle and Washington Business Week.

Alicia is recognized as an impactful community leader and speaker.  In 2019, she founded Edmonds International Women’s Day, moderated the popular Black In Edmonds discussions during the height of the pandemic, and has worked with organizations that serve special needs children, the homeless, workforce and career development and helped organize a city-wide renters/tenants association.

Paula Newman-Skomski is the Founder and Board President for Peoria Home, a residential community providing women who have been exploited through sex trafficking, prostitution, and addiction a safe rent-free home to live in while they work on recovery. Paula is a Family Nurse Practitioner, and a Forensic Nurse Examiner for Providence Intervention Center for Assault & Abuse. She provides care and support to all victims of interpersonal violence but feels most passionate about walking beside women as they reclaim their lives.

Paula is also a member of the Attorney General’s Task Force for developing statewide response protocols for sexual assault and sex trafficking. Through the many organizations Paula has been a part of, she provides education and training to other medical professionals and community organizations on human trafficking and interpersonal violence. 

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2021

Ijeoma Oluo is the author of the bestsellers So You Want to Talk About Race and Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America.  Her work on race has been featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post, among many others.

Her work and activism has garnered recognition not only in Seattle but around the country. She has twice been named to the Root 100, and she received the 2018 Feminist Humanist Award and the 2020 Harvard Humanist of the Year Award from the American Humanist Association. The Seattle Met named Oluo one of the 50 most influential women in Seattle in 2018, and the Seattle Magazine named her one of the most influential people in 2015.

Watch her acceptance video

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2020

Jeri Moomaw is the founder and executive director of Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative (IHTC). She works in Tribal communities and beyond with trafficking survivors, developing and overseeing prevention and intervention programs to help combat commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and gender-based violence.

As someone personally impacted by trafficking, it’s Jeri’s mission to assist survivors on their healing journey, and equip communities to be able to recognize and respond to trafficking and violence.

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2020

Dr. Chu’s research is focused on preventive interventions against influenza, RSV and emerging respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2.  She is a co-lead of the Seattle Flu Study, which first identified COVID-19 community transmission in the United States. Her previous work includes describing transmission patterns of RSV, rhinovirus, and human metapneumovirus, the epidemiology and adverse birth outcomes associated with respiratory viral pneumonia in pregnant women, and the kinetics of transplacental RSV antibody transfer and decay in infants.

Watch her acceptance video

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2020

Representative Orwall has been a House Representative for the 33rd district since 2009. Rape kit reform, suicide prevention, anti-trafficking, the Foreclosure Fairness Act, compensation for those wrongly convicted and adoptee rights are among her legislative accomplishments. Her 20 years of experience working in the public mental health system, as well as her expertise in strategic planning in workforce development and affordable housing have established her as a valued legislator and community leader.

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2019

Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno is the co-founder of Future for Us, a platform dedicated to advancing womxn of color at work through community, culture and career development. Sage has been mentioned in Forbes and The Seattle Times and has spoken at the high-profile events such as SXSW and the Women’s March. Her drive and enthusiasm to fight for pay equity and women’s advocacy, especially for womxn of color, has launched her to the forefront of the womxn’s rights movement and continues to champion for womxn’s advocacy in the workplace.

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2019

Senator Rosa Franklin served in the state legislature for 20 years, from 1990 to 2010, after her prior career in healthcare as a nurse for 42 years. She was the first black woman to be elected to the Washington state legislature, and acted as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1997, 1988 and 2008. Franklin focused on social justice and healthcare during her political career, and her legislative accomplishments include the 2005 Washington Housing Policy Act and starting the Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities.

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2018

Abigail Echo-Hawk is the Chief Research Officer at Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB), as well as the Director of the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI), a Division of SIHB, whose mission is to support the well-being of urban Indian communities, nation-wide.

A dedicated volunteer and member to the Native American Women’s Dialogue on Infant Mortality, the Children and Youth Advisory Board of King County and the Coalition to End Gender-Based Violence, among others; Ms. Echo-Hawk has long advocated for public policy and institutional change that eradicates inequalities for women of color in her community as well as nationwide.

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2018

In 2017, Seattle NOW had the honor of hosting Sarah Weddington, the attorney who argued the landmark Roe v. Wade legal case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which secured women the right to access abortion services across the country. Recognizing her incredible contribution to the health and lives of women, Sarah became the inaugural Shero.

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2017