TEDxYouth@Hewitt - Tammy Tibbetts

Tammy Tibbets entered the not-for-profit world through the journalism field, when her final reporting assignment in college opened her eyes to the dire needs of children in post-war Liberia. In 2003, she started as a college newspaper reporter, and then became a magazine intern. Upon graduating Phi Beta Kappa from The College of New Jersey, Hearst Magazines hired her as its youngest web site editor. She's now the social media voice of the largest teen magazine in the country, Seventeen. Tammy works full-time while leading She's the First full-time; among her many duties, she works on the business model of She's the First and is pursuing the funding to make it her sole focus in 2012.

Before She's the First was even a thought, Tammy volunteered as Director of Operations for a foundation that sponsored children in Liberia. Her travels to Liberia--mixed with the experience of launching DonateMyDress.org in her day job, the reporting of Nicholas Kristof, and the videos of The Girl Effect campaign--inspired her to create shesthefirst.org, to campaign for girls' education and connect donors with quality sponsorship programs. In 2010, Tammy co-founded the GIRLS WHO ROCK concert, benefiting She's the First, with Cynthia Hellen, which grew from her experience launching the Ultimate Prom concert video series for Seventeen.

Once a recipient of New York Women in Communications' Glamour Ruth Whitney Scholarship, Tammy now is the youngest-serving board member of the New York Women in Communications Foundation. Ruth Whitney, the legendary editor of Glamour who upheld a mantra of "style and substance," is one of her most powerful inspirations. In 2010, Tammy and She's the First were recognized at Glamour's Women of the Year Awards at Carnegie Hall, just one year after She's the First's launch in November 2009. Tammy was also named a Social Change Ambassador for Levi's Shape What's to Come campaign and writes regularly for the Huffington Post Impact section.

She's the first in her family to move to New York City and travel to Africa, two adventures that completely changed her life.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• TED
• TEDx
• TEDxYouth
• TEDxYouth@Hewitt
• United States
• English
• Hewitt School
• Tammy Tibbetts
• She's the First
• Education
• Social Change