November 04, 2026 03:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Kate Spade’s 2026 Global Summit on Women’s Mental Health highlights how in-person connection, authentic partnerships, and physical space are powerful tools to spark connection and conversation.
This past September Kate Spade New York hosted their annual Global Summit on Women’s Mental Health, a day that brought together experts, doctors, artists, and influencers to talk about mental health from every angle: from belonging and self-confidence to financial wellness, physical movement and online connection.
The event started five years ago with 80 people in the Rockefeller Center; today, over 700 people were welcomed into the Shed in New York City.
A summit is an opportunity of convergence to spark important conversations, but pulling an event like this off isn’t easy. It takes a brand that understands its audience, the power of in-person connection, and the depth of a specific issue.
“Something I always go back to is our brand was started by four friends. Friendship and aligning yourself with others to bring forward a vision is something that has been baked into the heritage of this brand.”
Taryn Bird, Senior Director of Social Impact at Kate Spade
It is this alignment with like-minded partners that had fueled Kate Spade works with leading organizations that raise awareness on mental health and womens empowerment, including London Youth, Girls Inc. of NYC, and the Trevor Project. “Partnering with other authentic voices in the mental health space helps our work reach more people,” said Bird.
At this year’s summit, Kate Spade announced their most recent partnership: The Irina Foundation, a fictional charity from the breakout series Heated Rivalry launched in real life by Accent Aigu Entertainment (AAE) and led by the TV series co-creators Jacob Tierny and Brendan Brady.
“Given Kate Spade New York’s decade-plus commitment to mental health, this Summit felt like the right space and the right moment to introduce the Foundation to a community that shares our commitment to inclusivity, allyship, and amplifying underrepresented voices,” said Co-Founders of The Irina Foundation Jacob Tierny and Brendan Brady
With Kate Spade as one of the inaugural donors, the foundation will support sports and arts programs that foster belonging and mental well-being, with a focus on LGBTQIA2S+ and underserved communities. The collaboration builds on Kate Spade’s Global Fund for Women’s Mental Health, which aims to reach 250,000 women and girls by 2030.
The Summit was also an opportunity to inspire guests and spark joy in a beautiful setting designed from quintessential features and colors of the brand.
Barrett Brown-Fried, Vice President of Global Visual Experience at Kate Spade, leads the team that focuses on how the brand’s ethos translates from idea to life. “Our goal is to try to make experiences feel similar or connected,” said Brown-Fried. “You should go into a Kate Spade space and smile. That should be the first thing you do, whether it’s through the color or the wittiness.”
The Summit was no different.
“The emotional aspects of [the Summit] were welcoming and inclusive, and these are all things that are part of the brand. So, I think pulling those things forward was very natural,” said Barrett Brown-Fried, Vice President of Global Visual Experience at Kate Spade.
“The colors we brought forward, the purple pigeons. Those are all things we’ve been using in our store windows,” he said. “But we also integrated this idea of a harvest… this idea of bringing people together.”
The harvest became a way for the team to use creativity to promote togetherness. “We decided to do long communal tables instead of banquet tables. We wanted people to feel like they were together,” said Brown-Fried. It was these choices, from communal tables to floral displays to the color palette, that sparked even greater conversation.
When asked, “What brings you joy?” many of the panelists mentioned the stage’s floral displays, commenting on how they brought life, beauty, and joy into the room.
“You want people to feel like they’re really transported into a place they want to stay in and a place that feels good. I think it definitely has an impact when they’re surrounded by beautiful things,” said Brown-Fried.
The Summit showcased a breadth of powerful talent who used their voices and platforms to mobilize the brand’s social impact efforts. The day was poignant reminder that Kate Spade’s initiative of giving people the access to the resources they need is stronger than ever. As the brand continues to lead conversations around women and girls’ mental health, the Summit, and their partnerships are just a few ways the brand is working to continue reaching further.
