Soapbox, Inc. was founded by author/activists Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner in 2002, after two years spent on the road touring in support of their first book Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future. In the decade since, Soapbox has expanded to represent dozens of authors, speakers, scholars, and artists at the forefront of feminism. A hub for modern politics, Soapbox also runs Feminist Boot Camps in New York City each year. These boot camps are the largest feminist immersion programs in the country.
The Soapbox Team
jennifer baumgardner and amy richards have worked together on various projects since they met in 1993 as 22-year-old college grads in New York City. Jennifer was an intern at Ms. magazine, while Amy worked down the hall in Gloria Steinem's office.
Since 2000, they have toured the country speaking about the state of the women’s movement at hundreds of universities, bookstores, community groups, and even a few high schools. By their second book, Grassroots: A Field Guide for Feminist Activism (2005), the two were seasoned lecturers often called upon to offer advice and strategies to people looking to build a national platform for their activist message.
Since then, Soapbox has developed a client base of more than 500 schools and organizations, including Planned Parenthood, St. Thomas University, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, University of Pennsylvania, and Shoreline Community College.
In 2007, they devised an innovative of way of "bringing the campus to the speakers" with the creation of Soapbox Feminist Boot Camps. These week-long intensives immerse participants (of all ages and genders) in the practice of feminism and exposes the myriad issues, approaches, organizations, and individuals that are the lifeblood of the movement. Hundreds of students attest to the "life-changing" and "mind blowing" effects of the week.
Jennifer and Amy continue with their individual writing and activism as well as their collaborative efforts. Joint writings by Amy and Jennifer can be found in The Nation and several anthologies, including Catching A Wave, Girls Rock!, and the afterword to Courtney Love's memoir, Dirty Blonde. They live in New York City with their families.
>> more about jennifer/more about amy
shiuan butler is a surfer, writer, blogger, and feminist activist. Her most recent work is her eBook, Manifesto for Young Asian Women, where she shares heartfelt advice from her personal experiences to help empower young women. Check out her blog on food, fashion, and feminism at www.shiuanbutler.com
carly romeo is a feminist activist born in Queens but raised amongst the Appalachian Mountains in Southwest Virginia. Before returning to the Big City, she honed her activist skills working for the University of Virginia's Women's Center as well as co-founding its only feminist organization, Feminism is for Everyone (FIFE). Today, Carly gets her kicks by combining her passion for social change with her passions for cooking, photography, and crafting (check out her etsy page here!)
