Last night we also headed to the Mayflower for a reception for the Akilah Institute for Women. We snapped former Congressman and event host Jim Davis with Georgetown’s Tricha Kumar, Akilah co-founder/CEO Elizabeth Dearborn Hughes, Katz Watson Group’s Colleen Brown, and Mercer partner Angela Watson. Akilah provides college educational opportunities to women in Rwanda and Burundi.

Event host and Sandler Trade’s Marideth Sandler joins Akilah alumni Nadine Niyitegeka and Thierry Uwilingiyimana, with Holland & Knight’s Michael Cavanaugh and lawyer Honorine Umwizerwa. Nadine was recently featured in a Washington Post article talking about the Rwandan genocide and the positive impact Akilah has had on her life.

GWU professor Joann Weiner wrote the article. She’s surrounded by Akilah VP Karen Sherman and by her husband, Sidley Austin’s Richard Weiner, and their daughter Naomi, a Sidwell student who spent last summer working at the Akilah Institute in Rwanda.

Natl Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ Joe Doctor, Akilah Burundi’s Carmen Nibigira, and Beyond Z’s Susan Cheng. Guests enjoyed an open bar reception with appetizers, including a massive cheese and vegetable platter.