Valerie Jarrett Is The 2025 Woman Of Power Barbara Graves Award Honoree
BLACK ENTERPRISE is honored to award Valerie Jarrett with the Barbara Graves Award at the 2025 Women of Power Summit which takes place March 5-8 in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel.
The Barbara Graves Award is the highest honor to be bestowed during the 19th annual summit and named in honor of the extraordinary wife of BE founder Earl G. Graves Sr.
Jarrett’s excellence, exceptional career path, exemplary character and civic service, speaks to why she is the 2025 recipient.
Jarrett, a citizen of the world, was born in Iran Nov. 14, 1956 and attended school in London. The unique tale of her birth, early childhood and time abroad shaped her into the woman she is today.
“I learned that our stories are important. They reflect who we are. And I spent so much time trying to pretend like I was like everyone else when where I was different is my uniqueness, and it helped make me who I am,” she said to NPR.
Dedicated to excellence, Jarrett attended the prestigious Ivy League Stanford University and later obtained her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. After completing her studies, Jarrett stepped into political waters, working with Chicago Mayor Harold Washington in the 1980s.
As an attorney, Jarrett worked in multiple capacities with the city of Chicago, including the Chicago Transit Authority in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Chicago Stock Exchange (2004-2007), eventually landing the role of CEO at the Habitat Company.
In 2008, Jarrett would join forces with a longtime friend and colleague Barack Obama to make history. Working with the first Black president ever, Jarrett became the longest-running senior advisor to any presidential administration. Her valued input helped shape legislation during President Obama’s two terms in office, and she continues to serve as CEO of the Obama Foundation.
The CEO is no stranger to the BE Woman of Power Summit. In 2019, Jarrett hosted a fireside chat with Simone Sanders winner of the 2019 Luminary Award. Jarrett admitted Washington “is a rough and tumble place.” Yet, she applauded Sanders for her tenacity and unwavering dedication to be herself. The praise is no small feat for the history making executive.
Creating space for Sanders to tell her story, Jarret revealed her witty sense of humor. She opened her arms to a fellow woman in politics staying present and curious. Her grace, intelligence and dedication to improving the lives of others shone through. This year BE will honor the renaissance woman for these attributes and more.
Jarrett authored the New York Times bestseller, Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward. The book, published April 2019, details her extraordinary path of service while sharing pearls of wisdom.
The CEO believes her “glass half full” approach to life is what helps push her forward.
RELATED CONTENT: Karine Jean-Pierre And Jemele Hill Will Attend BE Women Of Power Summit