An initiative spearheaded by Melania Trump has almost exactly the same name and mission as another company her stepdaughter, Ivanka Trump, promoted during the first Trump administration, it has been revealed.
In September, Melania rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange while launching Imperia, her new project aimed at bringing together and advancing female business leaders.
“Together, we can convert individual success into collective momentum to create new opportunities, support each other’s growth, and drive lasting economic power,” the first lady said.
Marc Beckman, Melania’s senior adviser, dubbed the initiative “Davos for Women,” referencing the annual World Economic Forum event in Switzerland, where thousands of CEOs, heads of state, and other global leaders gather.
Melania Trump was joined by female leaders from major companies to launch Imperia in September.
However, as noted by The New York Times, Imperia’s name and mission statement are very similar to those of Imperia Global, a company that sought to bring together female business leaders and whose founder left the U.S. last year when the Trump administration cracked down on diversity, equity and inclusion(DEI) programs.
Imperia Global, launched in 2015 by Jennifer Forbes Iannolo, states on its website that its aim is to connect female entrepreneurs, business leaders and innovators to outline a “future where they work not just for those visionary women founders, but for everyone.”
During Trump’s first term, Forbes Iannolo was invited by the State Department to represent Imperia Global at events in Greece and Finland as part of a directive overseen by then-White House adviser Ivanka to promote female entrepreneurs.
The first Trump administration worked with Imperia Global years ago under Ivanka’s direction.
Forbes Iannolo said the first lady’s team did not contact her about setting up another initiative with almost the same name as hers.
“People were checking in to ask if I’d sold my company,” she told the Times.
She added that Imperia Global is now registered in Britain but has all but scaled back its work and is not currently holding any events. “It is alive but asleep,” Forbes Iannolo said.
Ironically, after Imperia Global left the U.S. over fears of being targeted in the Trump administration’s anti-DEI pushback, Melania’s gender-oriented leadership and development initiative also seems to be infringing the same crackdown.
“This is completely confusing for employers trying to navigate the administration’s civil rights priorities,” David Cohen, president of DCI Consulting Group, which advises companies how to comply with federal regulations on discrimination, told the Times. “I support the first lady in her initiative but are employers going to run afoul of the administration if they follow it?”
In response to the DEI concerns, Melania’s spokesman Beckman told the Times: “Imperia has nothing to do with the issues you raised.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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