Sweet Sixteen Honoree
Janet Middleton Montag

Janet Middleton Montag is a community leader, philanthropist, former corporate finance banker with JP Morgan and a passionate champion of girls’ and women’s rights. Janet has been part of Girl Rising from the very beginning, supporting the original Girl Rising film and social impact campaigns in India, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

 

Janet was a catalyst funder for Girl Rising’s Future Rising programme, which worked at the intersection of girls’ education and climate resilience. Through her support, Girl Rising launched three cohorts of Future Rising Fellows — young leaders advancing climate justice through community projects, advocacy, and local action.

 

As a member of multiple domestic and international boards, Janet’s priority interests include increased access to education for women and girls, mental health, nature, arts, and the environment. As a long-term trustee and vice chair of the Asia Foundation, Janet enjoys seeing the hands-on delivery of women’s empowerment programs.  

 

Janet is a founding member and former chairman of the advisory board of the Global Mental Health Program at Columbia University, which promotes mental health and the assessment and treatment of mental illness worldwide. She is also a board member of the New York Botanical Garden, where she serves on its Executive Committee and chairs the Exhibitions Committee, as well as a board member of The Nature Conservancy Hawaii Chapter. 

 

Girl Rising is thrilled to honor Janet at this milestone gala in 2026.