Spirit of Achievement Luncheon Benefits Cancer Research

From left, Dean Allen M. Spiegel, M.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Sharmila K. Makhija, M.D., M.B.A., professor and university chair, obstetrics & gynecology and women’s health, Einstein and Montefiore; Danielle Weisberg, co-founder and CEO, theSkimm; Carly Zakin, co-founder and CEO, theSkimm; Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D., trustee, Einstein and Montefiore; Clive Davis, chief creative officer, Sony Music Entertainment; Carol Roaman, president, Einstein Women’s Division; Steven M. Safyer, M.D., president and CEO, Montefiore Medicine.

The Einstein Women’s Division hosted its 62nd annual Spirit of Achievement Luncheon
on May 17, at the Rainbow Room in Manhattan.

The honorees included legendary music industry executive and producer Clive Davis; Sharmila K. Makhija, M.D., M.B.A., an expert on cancer prevention and gynecologic cancers, and professor and university chair of obstetrics & gynecology and women’s health at Einstein and Montefiore; and Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, co-founders and CEOs of theSkimm, a popular current events e-newsletter for young professional women.

Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D., a trustee of Einstein and Montefiore, received the Lizette H. Sarnoff Award for Volunteer Service, the Women’s Division’s highest honor.

Jill Martin, a contributor to NBC’s Today show and a past Spirit honoree, served as the afternoon’s emcee. Women’s Division president Carol Roaman spearheaded the event with executive board members and luncheon co-chairs Mindy Feinberg, Jackie Harris and Andrea Stark.

Proceeds from the luncheon benefited the Women’s Division’s initiative to support Einstein-Montefiore research on ovarian, breast, cervical, uterine, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancers and leukemia.

Spirited Tributes

Steven M. Safyer, M.D. ’82, president and CEO of Montefiore Medicine, presented Dr. Makhija with her Spirit award. In her remarks, Dr. Makhija, who holds the Chella and Moise Safra Chair in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women’s Health at Einstein, stressed the importance of women’s health issues and of Montefiore’s outreach to women in underserved communities. She also shared a video showing how Einstein is training the next generation of highly skilled ob/gyn physicians.

Ms. Zakin and Ms. Weisberg explained how technology is changing the way we receive news and how the new generation of entrepreneurs is embracing philanthropy.

Allen M. Spiegel, M.D., Einstein’s Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean, introduced Dr. Gottesman as a woman “whose dedication and service to Einstein has set a new standard.” Dr. Gottesman’s affiliation with Einstein spans nearly 50 years. She holds the titles of board chair emerita, professor emerita of pediatrics and founding director of the Fisher Landau Center for the Treatment of Learning Disabilities. In accepting her award, she called the College of Medicine “a beacon of light” and praised the Einstein community’s “spirit of cooperation, compassion and collaboration.”   

Dr. Safyer introduced Mr. Davis, highlighting his role in galvanizing the music industry’s early support for AIDS/HIV awareness and research. Mr. Davis, in turn, expressed his admiration for the researchers at Einstein-Montefiore who are working to combat major health problems.

To join the Einstein Women’s Division’s initiative to support research on women’s
and men’s cancers, or to learn more about the Women’s Division, please contact
Mary Anna Smith at 718.430.4010 or maryanna.smith@einstein.yu.edu.