A Better Chance Hosts 2024 Fall Benefit Dinner to Support Educational Access October 28, 2024

New York, NY – October 22, 2024 – A Better Chance, the preeminent organization for identifying, recruiting and developing leaders among underrepresented young people of color throughout the United States, hosted its highly anticipated 2024 Fall Benefit Dinner last night at Gotham Hall in New York City. 

This iconic evening brought together esteemed members of the A Better Chance community, including scholars, alumni, staff, board members, business leaders, and donors, and this year’s distinguished honorees, all united in their shared goal of creating a more inclusive and equitable future in education.   

There were many powerful moments celebrating the accomplishments of several A Better Chance scholars Jeamilett Martinez, Sofia Gauna-Torres, Chloe Hayden, and Arianna Nelson. There were also moving speeches from Honorees David J. Grain, CEO of Grain Management LLC, who received the Chairperson’s aAward and Hakim Thompson, Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Structured Lending & Financing Risk at Barclay’s, who received the Dream Builder Award. 

The event successfully raised over $1.32 million to further the organization’s mission. President and CEO Francisco Tezeén noted says “This dinner is not just a celebration of our scholars’ remarkable accomplishments, but a testament to the power of providing equitable access to quality education.I am deeply honored to lead an organization that continues to empower young leaders of color and transform educational opportunities for future generations.”. 

The evening was closed by Sheila Marmon, the Founder & CEO of Mirror Digital, who isand the newly appointed Chairman of the A Better Chance Board. An alumna of the program herself, and the first female to hold this role in the organization’s history, Marmon shared her personal connection to the organization and its transformative impact:. “  

With an unwavering commitment to educational equity, A Better Chance continues to shape the future of young leaders of color, helping them achieve their academic and professional dreams. My story is proof that this program works”  

shared Marmon. 

The next edition of the Benefit Dinner – the Kaleidoscope Ball on June 25, 2025 at Gotham Hall. 

For more information about A Better Chance and how to support the organization’s mission, visit [www.abetterchance.org]. 

Media Contact:  
Media@abetterchance.org

About A Better Chance 

Since 1963 A Better Chance has been the preeminent resource for identifying, recruiting and developing leaders among underrepresented young people of color throughout the United States. The oldest and only national organization of its kind, we select, prepare, place and support high-performing middle and high school students of color in some of the most rigorous and prestigious independent day schools, boarding schools and public schools in the country. As the nation’s oldest and only organization solely dedicated to this mission, A Better Chance has impacted the lives of over 20,000 alumni and their families.