BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5C160037-E081-454D-B09A-56D5A9939561 DTSTART:20260924T113000Z DTEND:20260924T130000Z SUMMARY:Tracee Ellis Ross to Headline NFNL Luncheon DESCRIPTION:New Friends New Life (NFNL) is proud to announce that acclaimed actress\, producer\, and founder/CEO Tracee Ellis Ross will headline the 2026 Stand for Her Luncheon on Thursday\, September 24 at 11:30 a.m. at t he Hyatt Regency Dallas. Ross is a leader whose cultural fluency and skill ed storytelling allow her to forge meaningful connections with audiences a nd customers alike. \n"We are honored to welcome Tracee Ellis Ross to Dall as to headline our Stand for Her Luncheon\," said Bianca Davis\, CEO of Ne w Friends New Life. "Tracee's journey reflects the power of resilience\, s elf-discovery\, and living authentically. Through her work as an actress a nd entrepreneur\, she has encouraged countless women to embrace their wort h and pursue lives filled with purpose and possibility. We are excited for our community to hear her inspiring message and celebrate the strength an d potential of the women and girls we serve at New Friends New Life." \nTw o inspiring mother-daughter teams will co-chair the 2026 Stand for Her Lun cheon: Beth Thoele and Brooke Russo \, and Kathy Helm and Marci Kramer . H onorary chairs are Lottye and Bobby Lyle . Their longstanding commitment t o community service and nonprofit leadership reflects the transformative i mpact New Friends New Life creates for women and girls throughout North Te xas. \n For eight seasons\, Tracee Ellis Ross starred in ABC’s critically acclaimed comedy series BLACK-ISH\, earning a Golden Globe Award\, six NA ACP Image Awards\, and nominations for Emmy Awards\, Screen Actors Guild A wards\, and Critics Choice Awards for her portrayal of Dr. Rainbow Johnson . The series also won an Emmy Award\, a Peabody Award\, and was nominated for multiple Emmy Awards\, Golden Globe Awards\, SAG Awards\, and Critics Choice Awards. Ross also starred in the Emmy and GLAAD Award-nominated se ries GIRLFRIENDS for eight seasons\, earning two NAACP Image Awards and a BET Comedy Award for her portrayal of Joan Clayton. \nIn July 2026\, Ross will make her highly anticipated Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated pla y EVERY BRILLIANT THING. In this one-of-a-kind solo show\, a person looks back at their life and the glimmers of hope that sustained them through a list of every wonderful\, beautiful\, and delightful thing that makes lif e worth living. \nRoss will also be seen in Season 2 of the Roku original series SOLO TRAVELING WITH TRACEE ELLIS ROSS. The first season set a reco rd as Roku’s most-watched unscripted original series. The docuseries follo ws Ross as she embarks on transformative solo adventures\, showcasing her unique blend of humor\, heart\, and honesty. At each destination\, she ex plores the intersection of beauty\, fashion\, design\, food\, and culture. Ross serves as the Executive Producer of the series\, which is produced b y Joy Mill Entertainment and Artists First. Season 2 premieres July 20\, 2 026. \nRoss recently announced a multiyear first-look scripted and overall unscripted deal with Fox Entertainment Studios via her production company Joy Mill Entertainment. Under the partnership\, Ross will executive produ ce and develop scripted content spanning comedy\, drama\, and animation\, as well as unscripted and reality programming. Joy Mill Entertainment is dedicated to creating entertaining\, culture-bending stories centered aro und identity and joy. \nRoss was last seen in THE FAMILY MCMULLEN on HBO M ax\, the long-awaited follow-up to the classic THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN\, alo ngside Ed Burns\, Connie Britton\, and Michael McGlone. Additionally\, Ros s starred in season 7 of the critically acclaimed Netflix series BLACK MIR ROR along with Paul Giamatti\, Jesse Plemons\, Rashida Jones\, Chris O’Dow d\, and Emma Corrin\, among other returning cast favorites. Ross also appe ared opposite Jeffrey Wright in the Oscar-winning drama AMERICAN FICTION\, directed by Cord Jefferson in 2023. \nRoss is the owner\, founder\, and c o-CEO of PATTERN Beauty\, the global multimillion-dollar hair & body care brand she created for the curly\, coily & tight-textured community and ev eryBODY. With PATTERN\, Ross is changing the paradigm of how the textured hair community is marketed to and supported. \nRoss is a powerful voice f or joy\, self-acceptance\, inclusivity\, and equity. She has spoken at num erous prestigious venues including the TED Conference\, where she made his tory as the first Black woman to open the event. Through her speaking enga gements\, Ross continues to inspire conversations about identity\, belongi ng\, and the expansiveness of joy. \nRoss has been recognized with multipl e prestigious honors throughout her career\, including the People’s Choice Awards Fashion Icon Award and induction as a Disney Legend by The Walt Di sney Company. Ross has also been recognized as a CNBC Changemaker and rece ived the Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts from the National Mu seum of Women in the Arts for her leadership in the entertainment industry and advocacy for gender equity. Ross received honorary Doctorate degrees from both Spelman College and her alma mater\, Brown University. \nUnderw riting sponsorship opportunities begin at $3\,000. A limited number of ind ividual tickets will be released in August and will begin at $300. To rese rve sponsorships or seats\, visit www.newfriendsnewlife.org/luncheon \, em ail events@newfriendsnewlife.org \, or contact Chief Development Officer P riya Murphy at 214-217-8652. \n# # #  \n About New Friends New Life (NFNL) \nFounded in Dallas in 1998\, New Friends New Life (NFNL) is an award-win ning organization that restores and empowers trafficked and sexually explo ited teen girls \, women \, and their children while leading efforts to en d sex trafficking and exploitation through awareness\, advocacy\, and syst emic change. In 2025\, NFNL served 320 teen girls\, women\, and their chil dren\, providing holistic programs that support stability\, emotional heal ing\, education\, economic mobility\, and long-term independence. NFNL adv ances its mission through advocacy\, legislative reform\, community educat ion\, and strategic partnerships. Its drop-in Youth Resource Center (YRC) \, launched in partnership with the Texas Governor's Office\, has provide d comprehensive preventative and restorative services to more than 700 tra fficked and high-risk teen girls since opening in 2018. NFNL’s Men's Advoc acy Group has engaged men in the fight against sex trafficking and exploit ation since 2015. In 2024\, NFNL was named the D CEO Nonprofit and Corpora te Citizenship Organization of the Year (Midsize). For more information\, visit www.newfriendsnewlife.org .\nHyatt Regency Dallas\n300 Reunion Blvd .\nDallas\, TX 75207 United States\n LOCATION:300 Reunion Blvd.\, Dallas\, TX 75207 URL:http://parkcities.bubblelife.com/community/new_friends_new_life/library /35843601/key/3516462730/Tracee_Ellis_Ross_to_Headline_NFNL_Luncheon CREATED:20260715T150623Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260715T150623Z DTSTAMP:20260716T163841Z CLASS:PUBLIC STATUS:CONFIRMED TRANSP:TRANSPARENT SEQUENCE:1 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR