Earlier this week, The Daily Beast and Uber gathered 100 of Los Angeles’ most influential figures at CUT by Wolfgang Puck in Beverly Hills for their third joint Power 100 luncheon. While previous installments were hosted by The Daily Beast’s Chief Creative and Content Officer Joanna Coles, this year’s event was emceed by former Today host and 48 Hours correspondent Natalie Morales, a longtime friend (and one-time “intern”) of Coles.
Ahead of Mother’s Day weekend, Tuesday’s Uber-sponsored Power 100 luncheon celebrated the “architects of womanhood”—the mentors, teachers, friends, and mothers who opened doors, blazed trails, and inspired others along the way with a seated “power lunch” consisting of elevated steakhouse fare, from oysters and tuna tartar to Wagyu filet mignon and dry-aged loup de mer.
Over the last 13 years, the exclusive Power 100 luncheon has served as a meeting ground for influential women across various industries, fostering not only networking among like-minded women but also genuine connection, creative collaboration, and meaningful conversation.
This year’s Power 100 luncheon marked a first for the franchise: a Power Woman honoree. The inaugural recipient was British entrepreneur Emma Grede, founder, serial entrepreneur, author, and host of the Aspire with Emma Grede podcast.
Grede–who is also the co-founder and CEO of Good American (with Khloe Kardashian), the founding partner of SKIMS (with Kim Kardashian), the co-founder of Off Season (with Kristin Juszczyk)–accepted the award, taking home a Tiffany & Co.-designed trophy.
Attendees included actors Lake Bell, Jackie Tohn, and Dan Bucatinsky—the luncheon’s sole male guest. The room also buzzed with media heavyweights and cultural tastemakers, including Monica Lewinsky, Melissa Rivers, and journalist and TV personality Liz Plank.
The guest list was equally stacked with influential founders and industry power players, including Wende Zomnir, founder of Caliray and co-founder of Urban Decay; Lauren Prince, CEO of Flamingo Estate; Jennifer Davidson, Chief Marketing, Communications and Content Officer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences; Samantha Tubman, Basketball Operations Chief of Staff for the Los Angeles Lakers; Karey Burke, President of 20th Century Fox Television; Shelly Zallis, Founder and CEO of The Female Quotient; Kelly Swayer Patricof, Co-CEO of Baby2Baby; Jen Somer, CEO of A.L.C; and Amy Wakeland, the former first lady of Los Angeles.
Upon arrival, guests were ushered into the cocktail reception for welcome cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, photo moments, and a special activation.
Patrons were invited to write a note of gratitude to a woman who had helped shape their career or inspired them along the way, then hang it on a 10-foot cherry blossom tree sculpture. By the time the luncheon began, the installation was in full bloom with handwritten notes of gratitude.
Once settled at the floral-lined tables, guests raised their glasses as Uber’s Director of Business Development, Katie Dunn, took the floor to speak about the rideshare giant’s enduring commitment to making everyday life feel more seamless by giving people “a little more time back.” From Uber’s courier pickup service that helps users outsource errands to safety-forward features (including the ability to request female drivers), Dunn highlighted the brand’s ongoing focus on creating meaningful support in both big and small ways.
She closed with a heartfelt toast “to the people who pushed us, who inspired us, who had our backs both in big ways and in small, because without them we wouldn’t be able to do any of this.”
After the first course wrapped, Morales returned to the stage to introduce the luncheon’s “extra special and extra powerful” Power Woman, Emma Grede. Following an ardent round of applause, Grede took the stage in a navy-and-white pinstripe blazer dress paired with patent pointed-toe stilettos, thanking The Daily Beast and Uber for what she called a particularly timely honor, while also asking the crowd for a bit of grace.
“I have to tell you, I’m completely f-----g exhausted,” she quipped, prompting a wave of knowing laughter from the *almost* all-female audience who could clearly relate.
Though you’d never guess it from her impassioned acceptance speech, the serial entrepreneur and mother of four has every reason to be exhausted.
The multihyphenate is in the midst of a whirlwind book tour for her new memoir and self-help book, Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life, which encourages women to advocate for themselves professionally while underscoring the importance of having more open conversations around money, ambition, and power in the workplace and beyond.
In her acceptance speech, Grede expressed similar sentiments while encouraging attendees to use the afternoon to uplift other women.
“We all know that business is rarely built alone, but for so many years we’ve seen how men understand this deeply. They make deals over dinner, they exchange opportunities over sports matches, and they champion each other in rooms that [women] aren’t even in,” Grede said to the crowd.
“Success isn’t just about individual ambition; it’s about collective elevation. It’s about being the woman who opens the door and who stands there long enough to make sure that somebody else can actually walk through.” Addressing the discrepancies between how men and women often make deals in the workforce and how they “champion one another in rooms that we’re not even in,” she urged guests to follow the lead.
As guests finished their main courses, Grede had one request for the attendees. “I ask you to do one simple thing before you leave: it’s to have a real conversation. Say the thing that you’ve been holding back. And if you’re able when you leave here, make one introduction that could change somebody else’s trajectory,” she said.
While dessert was served, women across industries warmly tapped phones together to exchange contact information, tentatively discussed potential brand collaborations, and even loosely planned “reunion” lunches for the summer to reconnect.
As Grede put it, “It’s about having conversations that are real—not performative.” And despite the room’s considerable star power with actresses, founders, and network executives filling each table, the genuine conversation reverberating throughout the luncheon was palpable.
Before calling their Uber Blacks to their next destination, guests left with more than just newly minted contacts, full stomachs, and Grede’s charge to help open doors for other women—they also departed with a custom “Ladies Who Power Lunch” tote bag filled with curated gifts.
Inside were a makeup bag stocked with bestselling products from Jones Road Beauty, Sonos Ace headphones, a Tangle Teezer mini detangling hairbrush, Nécessaire hand cream, and a printed card redeemable for six complimentary months of Uber One.
