Katherine Lo's Eaton Workshop Hotel DC Workshop Hosts May 19 Black Moms' Toxic Birth Event

Founder of Eaton hotels, Katherine Lo. Photo by Eden Batki

Washington DC hotelier Katherine Lo found her purpose, getting lost on a hike in the Himalayas. The 21-year-old Yale anthropology student spent nine hours searching for a path back to the Ladakh Oriental Guest House. Facing failure, her Canadian and Australian companions joined Lo in throwing together a makeshift camp inside a cave, deciding it was a great — and perhaps goddess sent — opportunity to talk about their goals for the rest of their lives. Conde Nast Traveler shares Lo’s story.

"I told them I wanted to be an activist, and work on campaigns that have social impact regarding the environment, and racial and gender equality," Lo says, reflecting on that unforgettable night, "though a part of all of us thought we'd die up there."

They didn’t die and Katherine Lo, the daughter of Langham hotel founder Lo Kah-shui, has opened her Washington DC Hotel Eaton Workshop. AOC profiled Lo in July 2018, sharing both her philosophy and plans for three more Eaton Hotels in Hong Kong, San Francisco and Seattle.

Lo has prioritized a series of talks and events that focus on the issues such as equal rights and gender equality as part of the brand's weekly operations. "I want to create a space where artists, journalists, politicians, and people of all ages and classes can come together, learn and grow," she says. 

Today’s entrepreneurs often throw around words like purpose and human values, but Katherine Lo is raising the bar. For example, on May 19, 2019 from 2-4pm, the Eaton Workshop DC is hosting ‘Avoiding Toxic Birth: Rethinking How Black Moms Give Birth’.

The statistics are staggering--Black women are three to four times more likely to die from childbirth than non-Hispanic white women, and socioeconomic status, education, and other factors do not protect against this disparity.  Tickets are $50.

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