During the second annual The Root 100 Awards ceremony gala at the Tribeca Rooftop on Nov. 15, some of those in attendance spent time relaxing and chatting in The Root 100 Lounge, which was sponsored by Smartwater. Check out who made a pit stop there on a night when The Root honored its list of the most influential African Americans between the ages of 25 and 45.
The Rev. Delman Coates, a 2012 honoree and an outspoken advocate of same-sex-marriage legislation in Maryland, with his wife, Yolanda.
Jamil Smith, a producer for Melissa Harris-Perry and The Root 100 honoree in 2011.
Bridgette Howard (left), a marketing manager at Birchbox, and friend strike a pose.
Gala guests kick back on one of the white couches in The Root 100 Lounge sponsored by Smartwater.
Another reveler stops by the lounge.
Ayanna Pressley, a 2012 honoree who became Boston's first-ever councilwoman of color, with her husband.
Partygoers pose for the camera.
A view of The Root 100 Lounge sponsored by Smartwater.
The camera caught 2012 The Root 100 attendees networking in The Root 100 Lounge sponsored by Smartwater.
Kurstin Mendez, digital marketing manager at the Washington Post, and her husband, Rob Rodriguez, took a time-out in the lounge to sample some hors d'oeuvres.
Some guests stopped to talk in The Root 100 Lounge sponsored by Smartwater.
Other attendees enjoyed appetizers before the gala's main event.