ROC UNITED'S
20TH ANNIVERSARY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 | 6:00pm EST

Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United held its 20th Anniversary Gala on Thursday, September 29, 2022, 6:00 pm, at the Ford Foundation for Social Justice. The gala marked the start of a year-long celebration of ROC United’s two decades of committed service to restaurant workers and raise much-needed funds to continue our advocacy, education, training and research. 

Today, millions of restaurant workers—the majority of whom are women, people of color and immigrants—still earn $2.13 an hour and experience wage theft or harassment each day. ROC United has been working around the clock to fight against discrimination and injustices in the workplace so that these hardworking workers will have a thriving wage and an equitable restaurant industry.

ROC United President's Message:
'Help Us Reach Our $1 Million Goal'

HONOREES

TARANA BURKE

Founder of #MeToo Movement, and Senior Director of Girls for Gender Equity, Trailblazer Award

SARITA GUPTA

Vice President of U.S. Programs at Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, ROC United Board Leadership Award

Bruce G. Herman Worker-Center Leadership Awardee

Awarded to Dr. Sekou Siby, President and CEO of ROC United

AI-JEN POO

President, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Equity Award

MARILYN SNEIDERMAN

Executive Director of the Center for Innovation in Worker Organization (CIWO) at Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations, Movement Building Award

UNITE HERE INTERNATIONAL UNION

A labor union that represents 300,000 working people across Canada and the United States, Capacity Building Award

ZINGERMAN’S COMMUNITY OF BUSINESSES

A source of great food for thousands of visitors every year in Ann Arbor, MI, Raising Industry Standards of Employment Award

VENUE: FORD FOUNDATION CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

320 East 43rd St | New York City

For more information, contact Yusra Razouki at yusra@rocunited.org.

20TH ANNIVERSARY GALA STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

SEKOU SIBY, DBA

President and CEO

ROC United

MARIA FIGUEROA, MPA, LPD

Dean, Harry Van Arsdale Jr

School of Labor Studies SUNY Empire State College

REV. REGINALD BRANTLEY, ESQUIRE

Pastor

Corona Congregational Church, UCC

CHRIS MELODY FIELDS FIGUEREDO

Executive Director

Ballot Initiative Strategy Center

FATIMA GOSS GRAVES

President and CEO

National Women’s Law Center

FELICIA GRIFFIN

CEO

Sweet Magnolia Consulting

ROB HOPE

Senior Initiative Officer

San Francisco Foundation

GWEN MILLS

Secretary-Treasurer

UNITE HERE

KATHLEEN M. MULLIGAN, PHD

Director

Labor Leadership Programs – Cornell University ILR

JOSE OLIVA

Campaigns Director

Heal Food Alliance

DAWN PADMORE

VP of Awards

The James Beard Foundation

ED PROBST

President

Vanguard Insurance Agency

ERICA SMILEY

Executive Director

Jobs with Justice

ANDY VAN KLEUNEN

CEO

National Skills Coalition

Below is a sponsorship form with more details. For further questions, please contact Stephanie Astic at roc@asticproductions.com or +1.212.581.1400. Please note that the deadline to be listed on the invitation and gala brochure is Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

On behalf of everyone at ROC United, we thank you for your kind consideration and generous support. We hope that you and your organization will join us for this extraordinarily historic occasion.

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT

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