2023 Fall Benefit Dinner

Donate Tickets Honorees Awards Committee Sponsors

2023 Fall Benefit Dinner 60 Years of Opening Doors

With great pride, A Better Chance is honored to announce the 2023 Fall Benefit Dinner to be held at Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City on October 20, 2023, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST!

We invite you to join us for an iconic evening as we celebrate 60 years of opening doors! The Benefit Dinner will bring together members of the A Better Chance Community for an event in support of making education more equitable and inclusive.

With the opportunity to hear from our scholars and this year’s honoree, Alumnus Marty H. Nesbitt, Senior Partner, Co-Chairman, and Co-CEO of The Vistria Group. This is an event you don’t want to miss. Please join us!

Where

Ziegfeld Ballroom
141 W 54th St, New York, NY 10019

When

October 20, 2023
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Sponsor the Event

Sponsorships starting at $15K are available. Learn More.

Purchase Tickets Alumni Tickets Purchase Sponsorship Can’t Attend? Donate!

Chairperson’s Award Honoree

Martin H. Nesbitt Senior Partner, Co-Chairman, & Co-Chief Executive Officer

The Vistria Group

Click here to learn more Marty Nesbitt is a founding Partner and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Vistria, LLC, a private investment firm focused on building market leading companies in the healthcare, knowledge & learning, and financial services industries. From 1998 to 2012, Mr. Nesbitt served as President and CEO of TPS Parking Management, LLC (dba The Parking Spot), an owner and operator of off-airport parking facilities. Mr. Nesbitt conceptualized and co-founded The Parking Spot with Penny Pritzker and was responsible for running all strategic and operating aspects of the company. Prior to launching The Parking Spot, Mr. Nesbitt was an officer of the Pritzker Realty Group, L.P. (“PRG”), the real estate group primarily responsible for Pritzker family business interests. Prior to joining PRG, Mr. Nesbitt was an Equity Vice President and Investment Manager at LaSalle Partners with a variety of responsibilities, including investment management for regional retail properties and management and leasing for office projects and parking. Mr. Nesbitt currently serves on the Board of Directors of CareMetx, ForwardLine Financial, Help at Home, Media Source, Treliant, Vanta Education and is a Trustee of the University of Phoenix. He also serves on the Board of Directors of CenterPoint Energy, Chewy, Inc. and American Airlines Group. Mr. Nesbitt is a Trustee of Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, a Trustee of Rush University Medical Center and serves as Chairman of the Barack Obama Foundation. He is a former member of The University of Chicago Laboratory School Board, former Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Housing Authority and a former board member of the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee. Mr. Nesbitt has been active in Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and has served as Chairman of the DuSable District of the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Nesbitt was the national treasurer of President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. Mr. Nesbitt received a B.A. degree and honorary doctorate from Albion College and an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Founder’s Award Honoree

Linda Carter Griffith Associate Head of School for Equity, Inclusion and Wellness 

Phillips Academy

Click here to learn more Linda Carter Griffith is the Associate Head of School for Equity, Inclusion, and Wellness at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. Linda first started at Phillips Academy in 1986 as an English teacher in the (MS)2 (Math and Science for Minority Students) program, a summer program that advances diversity in the STEM fields by developing the competencies and self-confidence of outstanding high school students of color. She joined the full-time faculty in 1990 as an instructor in English, assistant basketball coach, and house counselor. Prior to her appointment as the school’s first Assistant Head for Equity and Inclusion in 2015, followed by a promotion to Associate Head in 2018, Griffith served as Dean of Community and Multicultural Development (CAMD). In CAMD, she developed programming to raise awareness and encourage understanding of differences in race, gender, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, geographical origin, and sexual orientation. She currently teaches in the Theatre and Dance Department. Griffith served as a residential Dean for 10 years, helped develop the Life Issues curriculum (social-emotional education program), and taught in the summer African Institute in Kenya and Tanzania through the International Academic Partnership. Her commitment to underserved students began when she spent summers working for MIT’s Upward Bound Program. While teaching at Boston Latin School, Griffith also worked as the Associate Director of Project LASER (Learning Activities for Science and Engineering Readiness) at Emmanuel College. She holds a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.Ed. from Cambridge College. She also serves on the TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools) Board and is a former Board member at the Andover ABC House.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Click the image below for more information! Questions? Please email: development@abetterchance.org

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2023 Fall Benefit Dinner

Register

Scholar Award Recipients

Ahlanna Jackson The Judith Berry Griffin Award

St. Timothy’s School

The Judith Berry Griffin Award, named for Judith Berry Griffin, President of A Better Chance from 1982-2003, carries with it a monetary award of $5,000 and is awarded to a senior who has shown exceptional and steadfast determination to achieve. The recipient demonstrates success through perseverance toward personal objectives, in spite of obstacles that might have impeded his or her progress.

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Meet Ahlanna Jackson

Ahlanna Jackson is a highschool senior and scholar of the International Baccalaureate program who is passionate about creating change in society by advocating for underrepresented communities. She is an active volunteer in her school community with over 200 service hours completed in highschool, reflecting her intrinsic enjoyment of contributing to the betterment of her local environment. She participates in three, year-long sports such as softball, dance, and basketball, all which she has obtained one or more leadership positions in. She also engages in several extracurricular activities, one of them being her role as member of the National Student Council at the accredited non-profit organization, GLSEN. She dedicates her time and energy to the activities and clubs she is a part of while maintaining a high standing GPA of 4.6. Her academic interest best aligns with the field of political science as she hopes to one day be a foreign service worker and agent of change on a global scale.  

Malachi Neal The Nancy J. Lucas Memorial Award

Friends Select School

The Nancy J. Lucas Memorial Award was established in loving memory of our Senior Program Coordinator who served the New York Metro Area from 1985 to 2002. Ms. Lucas’s family, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sisters, A Better Chance colleagues, and countless Alumni who benefited from her services have endowed this award. The award, and the $3,500 that accompanies it, is given to a Scholar who demonstrates leadership in promoting equity and justice at his or her school or offers special encouragement to peers.

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Meet Malachi Neal

During high school, Malachi Neal committed himself academically, athletically and civically. While maintaining a 3.75 GPA, Malachi spent time competing soccer in Europe and the United States. He helped his team earn a spot in the prestigious MLS Cup and rank as top ten in the country.  Malachi became a fervent mentee at 100 Black Men of America-Philadelphia.  There, he won a Culture Challenge competition and presented a social justice speech at the 2020 National Convention. As an older mentee at 100 BMOA, Malachi now offers motivational speeches and hosts skills clinics providing soccer access for inner city youth. In 2023, he delivered a speech at the W.E.B. Dubois Day in Philadelphia. Malachi will attend the University of Pennsylvania this fall where he will major in Economics and play soccer. He hopes to continue his quest to gain a larger platform to help underserved youth while there. 

Visentin Scholar Award Recipients

Skylar Maier

The Hockaday School

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Meet Skylar Maier

Skylar is an exceptional student dedicated to community service. She founded the Discovering Beauty Club, aiming to redefine beauty standards and promote self-love, earning the Sudie Duncan Award for her dedication to her school community. Skylar has 240 hours of community service, tutoring at Anne Frank Elementary and volunteering at an animal shelter. She participated in a research program at the Marine Biological Laboratory, studying aquatic invertebrates for human stem cell research. Skylar founded the Detroit Menstrual Project, providing menstrual products to Detroit students. She earned notable awards such as the Silver Medal in the National Spanish Exam and the Bronze Medal in the Presidential Service Award. Skylar will attend Bowdoin College in the fall, studying Oceanographic Studies and will row, a sport she has competed in for seven seasons. With her impressive achievements and commitment to service, Skylar has the potential to create a meaningful impact on the world. 

Colby Wilson

Menlo School

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Meet Colby Wilson

As a poet, athlete, and scholar Colby has always been passionate about medicine and science.  She is equally passionate about humanities – how the arts and movement can augment her scientific career. She plans to major in Africana studies while following the Pre-med track because she believes empathy and understanding are fostered through broad knowledge. The healthcare industry needs diversification in the foundational aspects of the treatment of minorities. Multifaceted, real-world issues require a layered approach matching the problem’s complexity. She hopes to layer her education with the sciences’ analytical nature and humanities’ creative outlook. By educating herself on the histories of many different cultural experiences, she seeks to provide holistic care to all patients. She will step away from the traditional medical gaze- a narrow focus on disease- and cultivate awareness of the patient’s life story. A patient’s unique health journey will factor into her diagnosis and treatment plan. 

Academic Achievement Award

Ari Marrero

Whitefield Academy

Gabrielle Erawoc

Andover A Better Chance

Ivory Wang

Friends Seminary

Julian Reyes

Friends Seminary

Kennedy Academia

International High School

Nasir Young

New Roads School

Benefit Committee

A Better Chance thanks the following individuals who devoted their time, and talent to ensuring our 60th anniversary is as exceptional as possible!

Committee Chair

• Danielle & Mitch Lee*
• Gerald Keefe
• Laurie & Peter Allan Atkins
• Malik Ducard* & Althea Beaton Ducard
• Martine Ferland (Mercer)
• Rob Fullerton
• Roxanna & Kurt J. Van Wagenen
• Sheila Marmon Heuer* & Steve Heuer
• Theo Killion*  
• Tim McChristian* and Deborah Steer 

Committee Co-Chair

• Allison Lawrence (SBD)  
• Lawrence J. Richardson*
• Matthew & Alena Sachs  
• The National Advisory Council*

* denotes A Better Chance Alumni

Thank You To Our Sponsors

A Better Chance’s work is not possible without the generous support of our donors and partners. We thank the following individuals, Alumni* and institutional and corporate partners who made significant contributions to 60 years of Opening Doors.

Presenting Sponsor

• Stefan Kaluzny and Sycamore Partners
• Xerox

Summa Cum Laude Sponsor

• Danielle & Mitch Lee*
• Deveal Patrick*
• Elevance Health
• Gerald Keefe
• Kirkland & Ellis
• Malik Ducard* & Althea Beaton Ducard
• Mercer
• Laurie & Peter Allan Atkins
• Loop Capital
• Rob Fullerton
• Roxanna & Kurt J. Van Wagenen
• Sheila Marmon Heuer* & Steve Heuer
• Stanley Black and Decker
• State Street
• The Hartford
• Theo Killion*
• Tim McChristian* & Deborah Steer

Dean’s List Package

• Blue Cross Blue Shield Alabama
• LightRiver Technologies 

60th Anniversary Sponsor

• Carol Sutton Lewis and William M. Lewis, Jr.* 
• The Vistria Group

Cum Laude Sponsor

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama
• CVS
• GenNx360 Capital Partners, LLC
• Herbert Mines Associates
• Marsh McLennan
• The Hartford
• Voya Financial

Salutatorian Ticket

• Brown Advisory
  • Jonathan Gardner*
• Mansueto Foundation
• Mona Sutphen

Highlights From Last Year’s Benefit Dinner

Watch The 2022 A Better Chance Benefit Dinner Today!

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