Story by Liesel Schmidt | Portrait by Jonathan Thorpe
Jude Maboné is a serious lover of the law with a fun side hustle—and one incredibly important mission. She thrives professionally at her day-to-day as part of the marketing team at Seward & Kissel LLP, but finds her creative fulfillment in her candle business, Old Flames Candle Company. But it’s charitable causes that are closest to her heart.
Having been crowned Miss District of Columbia 2023, Maboné has used her platform to provide CPR and AED education, lobby for life-saving legislation and advocate for preemptive heart screenings and heart-healthy lifestyles. “I spend the majority of my time working to advance heart health equity in the DMV and nationwide and serving the greater Washington region,” she says.
"As a woman who is living with heart disease, the Go Red Movement means giving representation to the over 60 million women in the United States like me. I love seeing people really support a cause that’s so near and dear to my own heart."
- Jude
The mission is a personal one for Maboné. “This work is my life’s work,” she says. It’s more than a platform—it’s an integral part of my identity. I had my first heart attack when I was 16 years old and had suffered six heart attacks before the age of 18. Every day that I’m here is a miracle, so I use each day to enact the change that I want to see.”