Words by Natasha Woodworth

I’m sitting on the plan on the way back from an amazing few days spent culminating my year as a 2025 Tory Burch Fellow. The Tory Burch Foundations mission is to increase women’s economic power by supporting entrepreneurs to build businesses that last. 

The Tory Burch Foundation took such incredible care of all the fellows, and this year marked a milestone: it was the first year that any previous Tory Burch Fellow could return to take advantage of meetings with advisors and investors, and attend inspiring panels and workshops.

The days were full of energy as we met our fellow female founders in person for the first time. We had been connecting through a screen for the past 12 months, so the in-person energy was palpable. Everyone is taller than I thought!

These women also have partners and families and, like me, are trying to strike a balance with it all. I am leaving with a feeling of quiet power, earned simply by being in the room with these incredible women. Women unafraid to ask for what they want, unafraid to love what they do, unafraid to ask for help, to ask for investment, to raise their hand and be proud of what they have built.

We are all founders who probably don’t spend enough time taking care of ourselves, so even the relief of having someone feed us amazing food, curate intentional conversations over dinner and (dare I say) a hotel room with no crying children felt like exactly the recharge I needed. I feel incredibly grateful for this opportunity and the time I got to spend with fellow female founders, advisors, and speakers. It was a time I will never forget.

While I was in Brooklyn I did some walking around and a few city runs. Here are some things {not in the outdoor industry} that I was inspired by...