Michelle Sie Whitten is the co-founder and executive director of th
Global Down Syndrome Foundation
in Denver, Colorado. Whitten started the Global Down Syndrome Foundation along with her parents, Anna and

John J. Sie John J. Sie is a Chinese-American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman of Starz Entertainment Group LLC. Early life Born in Nanjing, China, Sie and his family escaped from Mainland China during the Chinese Civil War ...

, the founder of

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

, in 2003, shortly after the birth of her daughter, Sophia Kay Whitten, who has Down syndrome. Since 2005, Whitten has served as the Executive Director of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation (AJSF), one of the major sources of funding for Down syndrome research and programs, as well as medical care.

Education

Whitten holds an M.A. degree in regional studies (East Asia) and a graduate certificate in business administration, both at Harvard University. She holds a B.A. in Asian studies at Tufts University and she studied Mandarin at

Peking University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...

Career

She worked in the cable industry from 1993 until 2005. Whitten was President and CEO of Encore International, Inc., then the China arm of

Liberty Media Corporation Liberty Media Corporation (commonly referred to as Liberty Media or just Liberty) is an American mass media company controlled by chairman John C. Malone. The company has three divisions, reflecting the company's ownership stakes in Formula One ...

Awards

Whitten received the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award and the Women in Cable & Telecommunications Walk of Fame Award as well as the 40 Under 40 Achievement Award. For her work on behalf of individuals with Down syndrome, Whitten received the 2011 ICON awards for the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show, the National Football Foundation Community Outreach Award, the 2010 Rainbow of Hope Award from Keshet of the Rockies, the 2009 Developmental Pathways Frances Owens Family Involvement award, the 2007 National Down Syndrome Congress' Exceptional Meritorious Service Award, and the 2007 Arc Thrift Community Leadership Award.

Board service

Whitten sits on the boards of ARC Thrift of Colorado, Challenge Day Denver, and the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitten, Michelle Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Down syndrome American women chief executives Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences alumni Peking University alumni Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Activists from New Jersey Harvard Business School alumni 21st-century American women