Sophia Yen | Los Altos, CA
My parents encouraged my philanthropy at a young age when they offered to match me $1 for $1 for whatever I could save or raise. I saw World Vision’s commercials about helping others in need, and realized how lucky I was to be in the US with a loving home, food, and shelter. I understood that I could help others.
I co-founded 3 nonprofits working to improve the lives of women: The Silver Ribbon Campaign to Trust Women, which encourages people to wear a ribbon to show that you trust women and support abortion rights; SheHeroes.org, which provides free online videos for 3rd to 8th graders to show that women can be whatever we want if we work hard; and the “full” campaign, or fffl.co, a B2C campaign that helps consumers choose companies that are Female Founded and Female Led. I also founded Pandia Health, the only Doctor Led, women founded, and women led birth control delivery service that makes women’s lives better and makes sure no one runs out of birth control on our watch. We are expanding into acne, menopause, and more. I made this company for myself, my daughters, and anyone with a uterus to receive expert care by expert doctors.
I also work closely with my family foundation in supporting the following organizations:
- The Feminist Majority Foundation for their work in getting out the vote to protect women’s rights, Ms. Magazine, and securing the Equal Rights Amendment
- The Center for Reproductive Rights – THE legal arm of the abortion rights community. They are on almost every supreme court case and they monitor every state and are working internationally as well. Here’s a great resource they have made for people to check abortion laws in each state.
- SheHeroes.org, mentioned above.
- Ignite National which trains high school and college aged female students to get politically active.
Almost all of my philanthropy is dedicated to women and girls not only because I am a woman and have two daughters, but because those with uteri have yet to attain equality. I was further inspired by WMM’s Women’s Power & Influence Fund, funded by Pivotal Ventures, that would double my giving to Ignite National and The Feminist Majority Foundation. Without WMM’s match, I would not have made this huge commitment which has helped my grantees with their financial planning and sustainability.
As a mother of two future SheHeroes, a pediatrician, an academic, a feminist, an entrepreneur/ceo/founder, and an atheist, my philanthropy is driven by a desire to leave the world better than when I entered it and to level the playing ground for those of us born with uteri. I wear a uterus necklace to remind everyone “we came from a uterus. No one escapes the uterus. Respect the uterus.”
I hope my investment in those who had / have uteri secures equal rights, equal pay, bodily autonomy, freedom of religion, equal status in the board rooms, equal status as academic/medical department chairs, equal funding from venture capital, equal numbers as CEOs/CTOs and more. Consider a bold investment to women and girls to level the playing field and to bring about a more fair, just world!
