On October 9, A Better Balance gathered with friends, allies, and supporters in New York City to celebrate and honor co-founders Dina Bakst and Sherry Leiwant’s legacy as they pass the torch after 18 years of leading the organization—and to welcome the new President of A Better Balance, Inimai Chettiar.
During the evening, speakers reflected on A Better Balance’s role in advancing work-family justice under Bakst and Leiwant’s leadership, looking ahead to the future of the care movement.
Speakers included:
- Bryce Covert, Award-winning journalist
- The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senator for New York
- New York City Council Member Gale Brewer
- Anna Wadia, Executive Director of the CARE Fund
- Ariel Devine, Chair of the Board of Directors, A Better Balance
- Dina Bakst, Co-Founder and President Emerita of A Better Balance
- Sherry Leiwant, Co-Founder and President Emerita of A Better Balance
- Inimai Chettiar, President of A Better Balance
Bakst and Leiwant were awarded the A Better Balance Legacy Award for their outstanding and visionary leadership. They were also presented with letters from President Biden and Vice President Harris congratulating them for their nationwide accomplishments, as well as a special New York City proclamation in recognition of their positive impact on millions of New Yorkers.
“Dina and Sherry are two amazing women whose contributions to the care movement are truly remarkable. In their 18 years of leading A Better Balance, Dina and Sherry have changed millions of lives, including my own. They have changed not only the legal framework around care, but also the cultural landscape. I am honored and humbled to step into their huge shoes and join the incredible team at A Better Balance to continue the fight for work-family justice,” said A Better Balance President Inimai Chettiar.
When Bakst and Leiwant founded A Better Balance nearly two decades ago, they recognized that caregiving was woefully undervalued under our nation’s laws and in society as a whole. Under their pioneering leadership, A Better Balance has changed the course of history for workers and their loved ones, securing the passage of the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, enacting paid sick time programs and/or paid family and medical leave policies in over 30 states, securing relief for millions of workers through strategic litigation, and so much more.
