In New York...

"These streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you" _ JAY-Z Empire State of Mind ft. Alicia Keys

It’s been a whirlwind week in NYC—full of events, stories, and speaking engagements. Honestly, I think I wrote this recap in my sleep, then again in my head… and now, finally, here it is. I’ve also been sharing a lot of moments on my IG feed and stories, so if you missed anything, you can catch up there, too.

Let’s go!

“In New York (ayy, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (yeah) (okay)
Now you're in New York (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you .” _ JAY-Z Empire State of Mind ft. Alicia Keys

I tend to work backward sometimes. Funny enough, I read magazines that way, too—starting from the back. Does anyone else do that?

Thursday April 4th, 2025

One week ago today, I had the honor of being the first guest in a new talk series hosted at Branch New York and moderated by my longtime friend and collaborator, Sophie Elgort. Thank you to everyone who came out—it was such a special evening for both of us!
More on the Career Stories series at the Branch:
For the first installment of Career Stories, Sophie is chatting with fashion entrepreneur and changemaker Stacy Igel. As the founder and creative director of the global impact brand BOY MEETS GIRL®, Stacy has built a career at the intersection of purpose and style. From major brand collaborations to meaningful advocacy work, she’ll share her journey, how she’s used fashion as a platform for change, and her lessons on building a business with heart.

sophieelgort

A post shared by @sophieelgort

Sophie asked such thoughtful, meaningful questions and really dove deep into my career—so many of them resonated with the audience, which to me is the sign of a truly great talk. Thank you, Sophie! Here are a few highlights:

Thank you to some of my new friends and fellow authors from the book we are all in together, called

On Being Jewish Now

by

Zibby Owens

who joined me last week. Some are here on @Substack

Barri Grant

&

Nicola Kraus

. I appreciate your insightful questions and vibrant energy and your coming out to support me.

TAKEAWAYS:

“Stacy, you were manifesting before anyone was manifesting,” Meredith Weintraub, one of my oldest friends, noted to the crowd. Meredith is also featured in my book.

“This is the first time I’m hearing your full story (and also meeting you in person). As a female entrepreneur, you truly are so inspiring. Your candor surrounding your former partners was just what I needed to hear. I’m also absolutely buying your book!” - GW

Thursday, March 27th ( Ike’s premiere for The Studio) in NYC & Tuesday, April 1st, 2025 (The Drew Barrymore Show with Ike)

My best friend Ike Barinholtz—who’s also featured in my book—was in NYC for the premiere of The Studio on Amazon, directed by Seth Rogen and starring an incredible cast, including Seth, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders, Catherine O’Hara, and more. The premiere was on March 27th, and we were treated to a private screening of unreleased episodes 7 and 8—they were absolutely amazing. I sat next to Ikey, with my sister on the other side, both of us laughing throughout. I think I had a permanent smile the entire night. Highly recommend the show.

Also, Ike’s show Running Point—which he co-wrote with Mindy Kaling and our dear friend David Stassen—was just picked up for another season on Netflix. It’s fantastic. I'm a proud friend over here!

After the premiere, Meredith (who quoted me above) and one of my dearest friends joined us for dinner—and guess who sat next to us? Drew Barrymore! It’s wild because Drew featured my book on her show, and Ike invited me to join him BTS on April 1st to meet her. So, I was able to thank her for the segment and share that I’d be joining Ike the following Tuesday. Sometimes the world aligns in the most amazing ways. Drew is truly incredible.

If you missed the segment featuring my book on Drew’s show, I wrote about it here. On April 1st, Ike took me BTS, and it was so special to see my best friend shine and share his journey with Drew. Watch the full segment here. While backstage, I realized Drew had shared the story of our first meeting in the segment with Ike from March 27th!

Oh, and wildly enough,h my sister happened to be at Drew’s show that same day, and this happened.; )

The last shoutout of my day is to

Allie Evans

who gave me an endorsement on the back of my book and someone I also mentor and have known for a longgggg time. I will share more about us and the journey of friendship and collaboration with Allie in another newsletter, as I am at copy length. But check out her amazing new Substack. You will love it!

XO,

Stacy Igel