Paste BN's Women of the Year champion innovation and bravery at Barclays Center
NEW YORK — Behind every woman is a stronger woman.
That phrase was at the top of Hoda Kotb’s mind at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Tuesday evening. The venue was overflowing with inspiration as the former “Today” show anchor was recognized alongside the six other Paste BN Women of the Year national honorees.
“There’s a reason you’re in this room,” Kotb told the crowd of entrepreneurs, businesswomen, journalists, scientists and athletes. “Whether you're getting an award or not, there was a woman behind you with two pom poms who said, ‘Yes, you can.’ So tonight, we honor those women who brought us into this room on this beautiful night so that we could receive incredible awards on (their) behalf.”
Paste BN’s 2025 Women of the Year highlights 61 women across the country (including Puerto Rico, emcee journalist and author Lynda Lopez emphasized) inspiring the next generation. They are breaking barriers pushing for change and working to strengthen our communities. From Olympic medalist and body-positive activist Ilona Maher to trailblazing astronaut Kellie Gerardi, the stories these women shared are both personal and universal – simultaneously representing their unique journeys and the collective experiences of womanhood and perseverance.
Priscilla Almodovar, Scout Bassett, Jonquel Jones and Angela F. Williams were also recognized Tuesday evening as changemakers gathered at The Toki Row inside the arena for the reception hosted by Barclays.
Keia Clarke, CEO of the New York Liberty, whose team plays on the court the reception overlooked, congratulated the "remarkable women and all that they have accomplished" and offered a surprise: the WNBA Championship Trophy. The Liberty won its first championship in 2024.
Hoda Kotb is ready for her next chapter: ‘You don’t do anything halfway’
Last September, Kotb, who is also an author and breast cancer advocate, announced her departure from the morning news show “Today” after 26 years at NBC. In her next chapter, she wants to focus on being a mom to her two daughters – Haley, 8, and Hope, 5 – and is launching a “bubbling and vibrant” wellness app and company.
“Like anybody who’s done anything for a long time, you feel safe and know what tomorrow is going to bring,” Kotb told Paste BN in a sit-down interview. “I decided my kids needed more of my time pie and I wondered what else I could do. I changed my life 8 million times in my 50s. Then I started thinking about my 60s, like, ‘Well, what’s that decade going to be about?’ Let’s make it something different; let’s be brave.”
As Kotb accepted her award, a video message from Gayle King, “CBS” morning host and Kotb’s close friend, was displayed onscreen.
“Give yourself a round of applause,” King said. “I'm so excited about your next chapter, because what I know about you is you don't do anything halfway. So I know you’re going to knock it out of the park.”
Kotb said: “I just want to say I am honored to be in this incredible company. The women that you guys have featured here are amazing.”
Space pioneer Kellie Gerardi shares recent miscarriage after public IVF journey: ‘I feel no shame’
If you're looking for Kellie Gerardi, you can't miss her. Dressed in a black suit studded with glistening silver stars and carrying a UFO-shaped Kate Spade purse, she shines nearly as bright as the cosmos she once traveled. Her daughter, 7, carries a star-shaped, pink purse.
As only the 90th woman to visit space, Gerardi, 36, wants young girls to learn more about space, and show them that science and sparkles can coexist.
“If you were to ask me to close my eyes and picture an astronaut, I'm not picturing someone who looks like me, and I've been (to space),” she previously told Paste BN. “But if you ask my daughter to draw an astronaut, she's drawing a girl. It’s shown me how important representation is.”
Online, she’s documented her success and challenges, including her current IVF journey. She now has over 1.4 million Instagram followers. She’s struggled with secondary infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss since the birth of her daughter seven years ago. On Tuesday, “in the spirit of transparency,” she shared that two weeks ago, she suffered a miscarriage.
“It was devastating, and I’m still actively miscarrying tonight," she said. "But I think so many people, even here tonight, came up to me and said … seeing your videos and your story has inspired me to keep going or to talk to someone in my family about (IVF), something that isn't talked about enough. So I just wanted to say that seeing that, I feel really good about my decision to share so openly. I feel no shame.
“When my mom was growing up, women in this country weren’t eligible to fly to space," she added as applause erupted. “But one single generation later, she got to watch her daughter reach the stars.”
Women of the Year honorees uplift female athlete health, workforce leadership and body positivity
“These inspirational and powerful women are impacting change daily, and I am so humbled to be included with them,” Ilona Maher, a rugby Olympic bronze medalist and body-positive activist, said via video.
Scout Bassett, an American Paralympic track and field athlete and president of the Women's Sports Foundation, shared in her Women of the Year interview about her journey from losing her leg in a chemical fire in China to becoming a world record holder in track and field. She says that “existing” and “being recognized in this way” can help young girls, especially athletes with disabilities, know they have a hopeful future.
Jonquel Jones, another national honoree, is not only a WNBA star, but an inspiration for young girls as she talks proudly about her identity and growing up in the Bahamas, where she says it was “tough to find myself and figure out who I was, and then to also live that truth.”
Monica Richardson, senior vice president of Paste BN, announced the upcoming launch of Paste BN Studio IX, which will expand Paste BN’s women’s sports coverage by including an “expert content team to drive our storytelling around women’s basketball, soccer and football.”
“We are proud to be led by a team of visionary women who are not only leaders in journalism but also pioneers pushing the boundaries of what's possible,” Richardson shared.
Priscilla Almodovar was recognized for her work as CEO of Fannie Mae, which helps families achieve the American dream by championing housing affordability.
Angela F. Williams, CEO of the United Way, is redefining what it means to lead a nonprofit and pushing for equality along the way. She gave a touching speech on Tuesday celebrating women's persistence and success.
“I don't take it lightly that I get to be in the midst of incredible human beings, women that are breaking barriers, that are setting new heights and standards and are serving as the role models for generations to come,” she said. “When we leave this place, we will leave inspired and encouraged to know that each of us, individually and collectively, can make a difference. So all of us are Women of the Year. You hear that?”