Putting our Beauty and Gifts into Action
Give Beauty Wings is a non-profit that runs workshops in conjunction with schools, corporations, and governments since 2010
80+
Organizations Impacted
150+
Workshops Planned
15,000+
Students Served
The video that started it all
A Story About Disability and Real Beauty
After witnessing many of her incredibly talented friends struggle with self-esteem, body image, and depression, especially those with disabilities, Xian set out to reshape beauty standards, especially through the beauty industry. Her first step in advocacy was pitching Dove for the Real Beauty campaign to include women with disabilities.
Xian’s Dove Love letter to all unrepresented beauties, especially those with disabilities: hungry for positivity and a voice in the beauty industry campaign proposal video, which went semi-viral in late 2010. The video has more than garnered 25,000 views and counting.
Since then, Xian began leading a self-esteem course through NYU’s Initiative for Women with Disabilities, which later evolved into a non-profit providing workshops and events for more organizations.
Let’s get into
What We Do
Over the past decade, Xian’s Give Beauty Wings programs evolved into a non-profit, which offers self-esteem courses with an emphasis on leadership for people from all backgrounds, especially traditionally marginalized groups such as women, people of color and people with disabilities.
We offer
- Self-Esteem Courses and Mentorship
- Corporate Workshops and Speaking
- Employment Workshops
Give Beauty Wings offers self-esteem programs for all ages that are tailored to individual and organizational needs. We encourage the universal beauty of everyone and the individual gifts and full potential of every participant (especially those with disabilities).
Taught by founder Xian Horn and special guest speakers and mentors, GBW Workshops focus on discussions and hands-on activities on a variety of topics: rethinking and examining culture, judgment, self-judgment, perfection, ability, disability, authenticity, gifts, career, and life purpose.
Our Partners
Give Beauty Wings has presented workshops at United Cerebral Palsy, the Center for the Independence of the Disabled NY, the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, M.S. 131 in Chinatown, the Jewish Community Center Manhattan, the Thomas Jefferson School in Missouri, the Lower East Side Girls Club, the Standing Tall school (a school for non-verbal children), the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities in Indiana, and at the New York City Lab School, where she served as its commencement speaker in 2014.
Past and Current Partners
NYU, State of Indiana, NBC Universal, Target, Amazon, NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, Goldman-Sachs, Xandr, Accessible Dispatch, Zappos, Estée Lauder
Our Events
In 2019, Give Beauty Wings hosted its inaugural event, a storytelling celebration featuring seven speakers with disabilities called “Finding Your Superpower,” for roughly 200 attendees. This was made possible with the support of Xandr, Goldman-Sachs, Accessible Dispatch, and generous individual donors.
In 2023, Give Beauty Wings will be hosting both in-person and virtual events to support employment, the arts, mentoring and financial literacy especially for people with disabilities. Stay tuned for our programming schedule!
“Xian is a gifted teacher who knows how to create the best learning experience. She brings out the best in others by leading with infectious positivity, authenticity, and empathy. Her words continue to inspire many.“
— — Dr. Yumi Shimabukuro, Director, Urban & Social Policy Program. Faculty, Columbia University
Get Involved
Give Beauty Wings is always looking to partner with organizations and individual passionate about the empowerment of all marginalized groups, especially those improving the lives of people with disabilities!
We’d love to hear your ideas and find ways to collaborate.
Support People with Disabilities
givebeautywings@gmail.com
Give Beauty Wings 