First things first... How did the two of you meet?
KELLY: My father-in-law set us up on a double date with our husbands. We had both moved from New York to Los Angeles and wanted to build something for children in need.

Almost immediately after you became co-CEOs of Baby2Baby, you got a huge donation from Huggies (100,000 diapers and $100,000). How did that change the trajectory of what was possible with the organization?
NORAH: This was our very first corporate donation, and we were so surprised with how quickly it went out the door. At the time we thought it was a lot of diapers, but cut to 13 years later and we’ve distributed 200 million diapers to families in need across the country.

Over the past 13 years, Baby2Baby has sourced and distributed over 450 million items (including over 200 million diapers!) to children in need across America. What did it take the two of you to grow it to the enormously impactful organization it is today?
KELLY: It was not just the two of us who built Baby2Baby into a nonprofit serving one million children living in poverty every year. We have to recognize our devoted and hardworking team as well as our incredible Board & Angel group and our supporters for creating this movement around our mission. We are also always innovating and built our own diaper manufacturing system to tackle the enormous need as one in two families in this country are struggling to afford diapers for their babies. We are able to produce diapers for 80% less than the retail cost and distribute five times more. But we are just scratching the surface of the requests for 1.5 billion diapers for the families we serve.

You have an incredible Board and an enthusiastic group of over 70 celebrity “Angels,” including Kim Kardashian, Salma Hayek Pinault, Vanessa Bryant, Jessica Alba, Ali Wong and so, so many more. Was building a coalition of powerful, well-known women united in this cause always part of your plan for Baby2Baby or did it come to be more organically?
NORAH: Yes, we’ve had an all-female board since the beginning, and as it has evolved we are still surrounded by so many extraordinary women that have helped us grow Baby2Baby into what it is today. And what’s incredible about these women is that they are not just names on a piece of paper. They are extremely active CEOs, actresses, entrepreneurs and philanthropists and are here for Baby2Baby in so many capacities from showing up at our distributions in the height of COVID and volunteering with their own children to flying on planes with us to advocate to remove sales tax from diapers to donating millions of items from their own companies to Baby2Baby.

The Baby2Baby Gala has grown year after year, now raising millions of dollars each Fall. How has the success of an event of this scale impacted Baby2Baby’s national and global impact?
KELLY: KELLY: This is such a critical night for Baby2Baby where we raise 60% of our operating budget and fund the 364 less glamorous days of the year. It is how we are able to provide one million children annually with the basic essentials they deserve and deliver emergency supplies to children devastated by fires, floods and hurricanes. Every year, we honor a woman in the public eye who has used her platform to give back to children in need around the world, from Salma Hayek Pinault to Kim Kardashain to Kerry Washington. While we celebrate raising a record-breaking 12 million dollars last year, we still have so much more work to do.

The two of you and your team work incredibly hard, and your work is important. What do you do to let your hair down? How do you stay grounded?
KELLY: I love to travel and enjoy taking trips whenever I can! My family, friends and dogs keep me grounded.

Before Baby2Baby, Kelly, you were a model, and Norah, you were a lawyer. What did you take from those career experiences that you bring to your work with the organization?
NORAH: Starting my career in a corporate law firm is instilled in everything I do. I learned about work ethic and drive and how to think critically and write persuasively. Whether I am practicing law or not, I use my law degree every, single day!

What advice do you have for women looking to get involved in community organizations connected to causes they’re passionate about? How can you be sure you’re investing your time and money in ways that will have real impact?
KELLY: Staying true to your passion is incredibly important and will help guide you toward making an impact. I knew I always wanted to work with children and even when I started my career as a model, I spent my free time volunteering at a Head Start Center in NY. Now as Co-CEO of Baby2Baby, I realize that it all came full circle and I was always on the right path!

Who is a woman in another field you look up to these days? What is it about her passion, style, or impact that draws you in?
NORAH: Kamala Harris! I’ve been waiting for a woman in the White House or the VP office all my life and watching her trailblaze has been incredibly meaningful to me! Having her at Baby2Baby's headquarters and helping launch our initiative to combat maternal mortality was a special moment I will never forget!