As they say, I have some personal news
By Nita Chaudhary, Co-Founder, UltraViolet
Big news! I am transitioning out of the Co-Executive Director role at UltraViolet.
Six years ago, Shaunna and I founded UltraViolet because we saw an opportunity to build a community of people to create a cost for sexism and fight for a more inclusive world that represents all women, from politics and government to media and pop culture.
Within two months of launching, we had more than 200,000 members. Today, we are more than one million strong.
Our theory was that by combining organizing, technology, and creative campaigning with people power, we could win campaigns and chip away at the structural barriers that women face in every aspect of our lives.
Our theory proved true.
From taking on sexism, rape culture, and domestic violence to advancing economic and healthcare policies that lift up women and families and standing up for racial justice, our members have never backed down from a fight — and had countless unexpected and impactful victories. We’ve run campaigns against some of the biggest brands in this country, including Apple, Facebook, the NFL, Fox News, and Reebok. We’ve held elected officials and politicians accountable for their words, actions, and policies. And, we’ve fought rape culture on college campuses, in the boardroom, in restaurants, and from Washington to Hollywood.
Watching UltraViolet come to life, and putting the voices of millions of women at the forefront of these national debates, has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my life.
I will be forever in awe of the UltraViolet members who spoke out and showed up under the most difficult and scary of circumstances — sharing stories of abuse and assault, telling the world about their decisions to have abortions for the first time, standing up to injustices in their workplaces, repeatedly showing up at their senators’ offices, from Alaska to Maine, to protect healthcare, and so much more. And I am so grateful to have been able to work on their behalf.
It’s been an amazing ride. I am so proud of UltraViolet, our team, our community and, most of all, our incredible members.
Now, it’s time for me to move on from the Co-Executive Director role. Given the unprecedented moment we find ourselves in as a country, I feel like now is the right time for me to take on new challenges and adventures.
UltraViolet’s work is not done — the mission has never been more important and the need for UltraViolet has never been clearer. I have all the confidence that our team will continue to do what they have always done: go, fight and win.
UltraViolet was made for this moment and this organization could not be better positioned to match it. I will be cheering them on loudly all the way. Plus, I won’t be far — I’ll continue to serve as a Strategic Advisor on campaigns and programs.
For now, I’m going to take a little vacation. When I get back, I’ll meet you all in the streets!
Thank you all for the privilege of being able to do this work with you.
Onward,
Nita
PS — Now that that’s all out of the way, the UV board and Shaunna wanted to share their thoughts, too. They are below.
From the UltraViolet Board:
Nita is a world-class strategist, a visionary campaigner, and a phenomenal leader. We thank her for her committed, dedicated, and tireless leadership at UltraViolet. We deeply appreciate all she has done for UltraViolet and we are delighted that she will continue to consult for the organization as Strategic Advisor. Now more than ever UltraViolet is needed. We are thrilled that UltraViolet co-founder Shaunna Thomas will stay on as the Executive Director, and have full faith and confidence that Shaunna and the rest of the UltraViolet team are extremely well-positioned to take on the fights ahead.
From Shaunna:
Watching UltraViolet grow from just an idea to what it is today has been just amazing. Nita has been an incredible partner in this journey, and, while I am sad to see her go, I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next. I am tremendously grateful for our partnership, and glad that she is not going far and will remain part of the UltraViolet family.
In the era of Trump, attacks on our health, safety, and economic security are coming at a record pace. We know this is a historic moment for women. UltraViolet was founded and built for this moment, and we won’t miss a beat in the fight for our rights and our freedoms.
