Honorees & Ambassadors
Marcia Gay Harden
We are honored to have academy award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden as our honorary chair and host. Ms. Harden has forged an incomparable body of work, and like a chameleon she transforms into each character she plays. Her critically lauded performances are myriad – from glamorous Ava Gardner in Sinatra, to artist Lee Krasner in Pollock (winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress), to the down-and-out Celeste in Mystic River (Oscar-nominated in the same category) – and her versatility has been praised in other films such as Miller’s Crossing, The First Wives Club, Meet Joe Black, Mona Lisa Smile, The Hoax and Used People.
She most recently earned an Emmy nomination for Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her recurring role on the Golden Globe-nominated series The Morning Show on Apple+ on the big screen she reprised her role as Christian Grey’s mother in Universal’s Fifty Shades Freed in 2018, following Fifty Shades of Grey and Fifty Shades Darker, the trilogy grossing over $1.3 Billion worldwide. You may also know her from her starring role in Uncoupled on Netflix.
In 2011 she reprised the role she originated on Broadway in the Tony award-winning play God of Carnage alongside the original cast with a tremendously successful stage run at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles. In 2009, it was her exceptional Broadway performance in this starring role that earned a Best Actress Tony Award. She also received a Tony Award for Angels in America.
Honorary Chair
Denise Rich
Founder Gabrielle's Angel Foundation
Denise Rich a songwriter and founder of Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation. Denise has written songs for world-class artists; Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, Mandy Moore, Miley Cyrus to name a few. Multi- faceted and driven, Denise is also recognized internationally as a serious and ardent philanthropist and entrepreneur.
When Denise is not in the studio, she spends her time working on the Foundation she created with her family in memory of her daughter Gabrielle Rich Aouad who passed away from AML leukemia. Since itʼs inception, Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation has awarded over $42 million in medical research awards, making it one of the largest non-governmental sources of grant support to blood cancer researchers at the nationʼs leading institutions.
Denise was also appointed to the board of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She also served on the board of LIFEbeat (the music industry fights AIDS).
The Foundation funds innovative clinical or basic science research that will lead to novel therapeutic approaches that could replace, or be used in combination with existing effective therapies for patients with leukemia and lymphoma. Such therapeutic approaches could include alternative or complementary medicine.
Diana Ross defines an icon. A national treasure with a magnificent legacy that has changed the course of music history and popular culture. Ms. Ross is a creator of life, an alchemist of an unprecedented career that has made her the most successful recording artist and entertainer of all time.
Diana Ross
Brooke Burke
Zodiac Ball Honorary Chair Brooke Burke has held numerous successful network television jobs and high-profile brand partnerships. In 2008, Burke became the champion of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) season 7 which she later parlayed into a co-hosting job that she would hold for eight seasons. Other notable credits include producing and hosting the award-winning Saturday morning educational show “Hidden Heroes,” hosting TV Land’s branded content series “I Dare You,” and, most recently, co-hosting the iHeartRadio podcast “Intimate Knowledge.”
Honorary Chair
Barron & Tessa Hilton
Barron N. Hilton, serving as the Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Hilton Hilton, effortlessly navigates the world of luxury real estate as a scion of the renowned Hilton Hotel family. Before venturing into real estate, Barron held a position as the Vice President of Marketing at Bernstein Equity Partners in New York City, where he worked in private equity. Barron is actively involved with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, collaborating closely with an organization that has contributed over $1.8 billion in grants to address global issues such as disaster relief and recovery, foster youth, homelessness, safe water, multiple sclerosis, and mental health.
Before entering real estate, Tessa enjoyed a successful career in the fashion industry, excelling in branding, production, and PR for renowned fashion and lifestyle icons such as Donna Karan, KCD Worldwide, and Laird + Partners. With a background in fashion and music, Tessa brings a bold and creative approach to her real estate endeavors.
2023 Ambassadors
Giulana Rancic
Giuliana Rancic is an entertainment journalist, author, fashion and beauty expert and television personality with over 3 million devoted followers on Twitter, 3 million on Instagram and 10 million followers across her social media platforms. Giuliana is the host of the internationally watched entertainment news show, E! News, and has been on the red carpet for every mega-event in the entertainment industry (Oscars, Grammy Awards, Golden Globes) interviewing the stars and getting breaking Hollywood scoop as well as all things pop culture.
2024 US Ambassador
Rachel Zoe
Rachel Zoe is an influential entrepreneur, creative director, stylist, editor, author, media personality, mother, and more renowned for her ability to inspire and transform. After achieving the highest recognition as a globally in-demand stylist, Zoe’s career catapulted to include an eponymous Bravo show, two New York Times bestselling books, the online style destination, The Zoe Report, plus an ever-growing list of philanthropic efforts and brand collaborations. In her role as Chairwoman of Rachel Zoe Ventures, Zoe serves as an active and engaged investor and advisor to an esteemed portfolio of brands. Among her latest endeavors, Zoe launched her second podcast, Climbing in Heels, last fall—as well as her premier shopping membership, CURATEUR, which offers exclusive access to her world of curated style.
2024 Philanthropic Impact Award Recipient
Princess Sophie Evekink of Bavaria
Spending a decade in various un roles centered around health and human rights in New York, Geneva, and London, Princess Sophie of Bavaria has worked as a Health Advisor at the Office of Secretary-General António Guterres, as well as the World Health Organization, particularly on the issue of children's health and pediatric cancer. Currently, Princess Sophie supports the development and humanitarian work of the Nymphenburg Aid Foundation at her home in Munich, she is also based part-time at Oxford University, where she is a doctoral candidate at the law faculty focusing on justice for victims of conflict-related sexual violence.
Tom Lewis
Tom Lewis was introduced to Aspen as young boy who then, after practicing law, became a real estate developer which afforded him the flexibility to pursue his passion for skiing and hiking while shuttling back and forth from his developments in Florida, the southeast and California. In the last 50+ years his one constant address has been Aspen, Colorado. Tom’s energies and resources have been directed locally to Shining Stars in their effort to provide relief to family members and patient suffering from long-term, life-threatening illnesses; Ascendigo that provides activities and education to those suffering from autism; and The Episcopal Church’s annual holiday baskets. Nationally Make A Wish has been on Tom’s radar for decades, especially having had the blessing of a Wish for his terminally ill daughter. In that arena, Tom has found a passion to help those in need.
Community Leadership Award Recipient
Laura Calabrese Kruger
We are honoring her for her commitment to Shining Stars, a Colorado-based children’s cancer organization transforming lives through year-round recreational and social programs for children and their families challenged with pediatric cancer or another life-threatening illness. Every year Laura hosts annual fundraising events to support Shining Stars proving to be a community leader that inspires.
Shining Stars Foundation