Thank you for attending the 2024 Benefit Dinner!

Chairperson's Award Award Honoree

David Grain Headshot Square

David Grain Chief Executive Office & Founder

Grain Management LLC

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David Grain is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Grain Management, LLC. Prior to founding Grain Management in 2007, Grain led Pinnacle Towers (later renamed Global Signal), transforming it into one of the largest independent wireless communication tower companies in the world. Grain previously served as Senior Vice President of AT&T Broadband’s New England Region and was an Executive Director in the High Yield Finance Department at Morgan Stanley. Grain is former Lead Independent Director, current Chair for Nominating, Governance, and Corporate Responsibility Committee and a Member of the Compensation Committee for Southern Company. He is also Independent Director of Dell Technologies, Director of New Fortress Energy, Fiduciary Trustee of the Brookings Institution, a member of the Advisory Council of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Vice Chair of the Board of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. Grain was appointed as a member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council in 2011 and again in 2024, is a Lifetime Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Grain holds an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, where he serves on the Board of Advisors. He holds a B.A. in English from the College of the Holy Cross, where he served for eight years as a Trustee.

Dream Builder Award Award Honoree

Hakim Thompson Headshot

Hakim Thompson Co-Head of Structured Lending & Financing (SLF) Risk

Barclays

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With over 15 years of experience in the structured finance markets, Hakim is a Global Co-Head of Structured Lending & Financing (SLF) Risk at Barclays, a credit risk focused global team that covers a wide range of client activities and financing solutions across Securitized Products, Structured Credit, and Equities. Hakim co-leads a 40-person global team, who review, analyze, and ultimately sanction financing transactions in both Global Markets and Banking, across the Corporate Investment Bank (CIB). Hakim has a proven track record of managing risk teams, facilitating derivative and structured product trades across FICC & Equities, re-structuring debt facilities, and delivering financing, head of finance, and institutional sales roles at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and various fintech startups. Hakim is also passionate about promoting and protecting affordable homeownership and college preparation for low-income communities, serving on the board of directors for the Center of New York City Neighborhoods (CNYCN) and Summer Search non-profit organizations. Hakim holds an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T) and an AB in Politics from Princeton University. Though born & raised in Washington, D.C., Hakim, his wife Lauren, and three daughters (Thea, Georgia, and Nora) reside in Manhattan.

Scholar Award Recipients

Jeamilett Martinez Judith Berry Griffin Award

Jeamilett Martinez Headshot (1)

St. Mark's School (MA)

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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Jeamilett Martinez is graduating from St. Mark’s School with high honors and a Global Diploma and will be attending Brown University in the fall. An advocate for social justice and the Native community, Jeamilett champions DEI at her school by co-leading the Native American Alliance affinity group and co-teaching a “Native American Experiences Through Film” course. She has also participated as a scholar at the Telluride Association Summer Seminar, the Black and Indigenous High School Summer Institute, and the ACLU Summer Advocacy Institue, where she developed skills in leadership and public speaking. In recognition for her community work, she has been awarded the St. Mark’s School Walter Clair '73 Prize, the Yale Bassett Award for Community Engagement Honorable Mention, and the Princeton Prize in Race Relations Certificate of Accomplishment. Jeamilett plans to study Environmental Science and Native Studies and use her studies to address climate change and advocate for Indigenous peoples and their relationships to nature.

Sofia Gauna-Torres Nancy J. Lucas Award

Sophia Gauna Torres Headshot (1)

Lick-Wilmerding High 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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As a senior at Lick-Wilmerding High School, Sofia embodies the values of commitment and hard work. She participates in advocacy groups, affinity spaces, and volunteers in her community with organizations such as the Catholic Charities Defense Removal Team, which provides support for immigrants across Northern California. Sofia serves as a board member for San Francisco Ignite in Leadership Youth where she mentors middle school students. She promotes the celebration and awareness of Latinx culture at her school as Vice President of Latinos Unidos by organizing workshops and events. Sofia is eager to continue her education by pursuing a degree in Political Science then moving on to study law. Sofia hopes to become a transformative advocate to empower marginalized communities and contribute to a more equitable and inclusive society.

Jaiden Jefferson The Sandra E. Timmons Award

Jaiden Jefferson Sandra E Timmons Award 2024

Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences

The Sandra E. Timmons Award, established in 2024, is awarded to a senior Scholar who exceeds in the classroom and out, demonstrates success in spite of obstacles, is a leader on campus, and hopes to pursue a degree in business and economics.  Further, recipients have taken advantage of the most challenging courses in their schools’ rigorous curriculum specific to business and economics and have demonstrated their academic prowess in doing so. Specifically, awardees will have taken and scored a four or above in two of the following advanced placement (AP) courses: AP Calculus AB or BC, AP Stats, AP Microeconomics, and AP Macroeconomics. Each Award winner receives a gift of $1,500

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Jaiden is a student with entrepreneurial spirit and a heart for service, graduating from the Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences. During her time at Crossroads, Jaiden was in the Students for Sustainability club, President of the Business Club, and President of Upward Bound House where she showcased unwavering commitment to aiding families experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Jaiden is a fashion designer focusing on sustainability. She attended the Otis College of Art and Design pre-college program, the Academy of Art pre-college program, and the University of Southern California Business pre-college program where she learned about fashion business and design. Jaiden showcases her business and design accomplishments through her booth Vintage Pop-Up at the Silverlake Flea Market. Jaiden aspires to establish a sustainable fashion brand that embodies ethical practice and environmental consciousness while studying Business Administration at The University of Wisconsin.

Visentin Scholar Award Recipients

The Visentin Award is named for John Visentin, a dear friend of A Better Chance and the former President & CEO of Xerox. Mr. Visentin was a champion for the transformative power of education and innovation. In that spirit, this award is presented to two senior Scholars who have developed distinctive solutions to challenges faced by their school, community, or family. The Award will preference Scholars who have demonstrated financial need and who are interested in pursuing studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, or math.

Arianna Nelson

Arianna Nelson Headshot (1)

The Madeira School

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Arianna is a senior at the Madeira School where she plays violin, runs Track & Field, and serves as the Head of Boarding. Passionate about robotics, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic bias research, Arianna has participated in the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s iRobotics program and served as the Capstone Project Leader at the National Youth Leadership Engineering Forum at UC Berkeley. Arianna strives to use her interest in technology to benefit society and is currently developing a medical device to monitor symptoms of Lupus. Tracking levels of fatigue, heart rate, and UV exposure, Arianna hopes that this device will improve everyday life for her mom and the millions of others diagnosed with Lupus. Looking ahead, Arianna plans to major in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and minor in International Relations.

Chloe Hayden

Chloe Hayden Headshot

The Archer Schools for Girls

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Chloe is an exemplary student with a commitment to using her passion for technology to make a positive impact on her community. A senior at the Archer School for Girls, Chloe is co-leader of the Robotics Club and co-founded Archer’s first Girls Who Code chapter. As a leader of her school’s InvenTeam, Chloe collaborated on the development of an automatic infrared sprinkler system to address the issue of wildfires in her community. The team was awarded the Lemelson-MIT grant for their device and presented the code at MIT’s EurekaFest. Chloe is committed to service and activism, having received the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Service Awards from her school. She will attend the University of Chicago and major in Computer Science or Chemistry on a pre-med Track and seeks to craft more equitable opportunities for collective human growth.

Academic Achievement Award

Daniel Montano

Daniel Montano

Convent & Stuart Hall - Schools of the Sacred Heart

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Daniel attended Convent & Stuart Hall School in San Francisco. Passionate about writing, global politics, and golf, he takes pride in the work he has done throughout this journey with ABC. Daniel is an active volunteer of over four years at City Hope, an organization that fights against homelessness in San Francisco. During his junior year of high school, Daniel interned with LinkedIn in their Marketing Cohort where he completed a marketing presentation as a group leader. His leadership assisted his group in presenting to the San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Using his creative thinking skills and leadership, Daniel hopes to pursue a career in marketing or civil, contract, or sports law.

Ezinne Okonkwo

Ezinne Okonkwo

The Thacher School

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Ezinne is a student with a deep-rooted commitment to empathy and understanding. While attending the Thacher School, Ezinne co-founded the Medical Club and the Feminism Club where she made efforts to foster environments where everyone feels valued. Ezinne collaborated on research regarding Black designers’ impact on fashion, earned the National African American Recognition Award from the College Board, and twice received the NCWIT’s Aspirations in Computing Award for her computer science projects that included mastery experience with Swift, Java, Python, HTML/CSS, and JavaScript. Currently, Ezinne is coding a website to celebrate the cultural significance of hair in the Black community. Ezinne will attend Columbia University to continue her pursuits in computer science, fashion, and social justice.

Jordan Adeyemi

Jordan Adeyemi

Phillips Exeter Academy

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Jordan attended Phillips Exeter Academy, whose journey exemplifies a profound commitment to leadership, service, and personal growth. Throughout his time with ABC, Jordan was honored with the prestigious ESPYS Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award and was selected to participate in the esteemed Disney Dreamer Academy for national leadership development program that recognizes individuals for their intellectual curiosity, entrepreneurship, generosity, and optimism. Jordan is a Special Olympics Youth Ambassador for the State of Georgia where he exhibits dedication to advocating for the rights and dignity of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Jordan plans to study neuroscience and continue his soccer career at Clark University.

Joshua Paz

Joshua Paz

The Kew-Forest School

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Through his academic curiosity, inquisitive nature, and passion for understanding the world around him, Joshua demonstrated his leadership and collaboration throughout his time at The Kew-Forest School. Joshua is an active member of Youthbridge, a leadership development program dedicated to advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Inspired by his work with Youthbridge and his commitment to addressing healthcare disparities, Joshua joined the NIH-SEPA Fellowship at the New York Hall of Science to learn about social determinants of health. Joshua participated in the Carleton CLAE program, Experiment in International Living in Italy, and the Morgan Stanley Career Preparation Program. Joshua plans to obtain a degree in human biology, public health, and history.

Natalia Somma Tang

Natalia Somma Tang

Culver Academies

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Natalia attended Culver Academies as a Batten Scholar, where she was heavily involved with DEI advocacy and spiritual life. During her senior year, Natalia was elected as Diversity Council Chair, which allowed her to work closely with the administration to make Culver a more equitable and affirming place. Natalia held leadership positions in Quiz Bowl, Ethics Bowl, history club, and the women’s rugby team. While at Culver, Natalia volunteered at Insight Myanmar, where she advocated for democracy, completed an independent research project on Buddhist scripture and nationalist discourse in Myanmar with Oberlin College, and served as the Vice President of the Indiana branch of International Youth Tobacco Control. Natalia will attend Yale University to continue her social justice advocacy

Benefit Committee

A Better Chance thanks the following individuals who are devoting their time and talent to making this year's Benefit Dinner a success!

Committee Co-Chair

  • Roger G. Arrieux Jr. 
  • Peter and Laurie Atkins
  • Daniel and Alexis DiBiasio
  • Rob and Ellen Fullerton 
  • Ekene Ezulike
  • Gennell Jefferson
  • Theo Killion*

  • Sheila Marmon Heuer* and Steve Heuer
  • Karen Price-Ward 
  • Kurt and Roxanna Van Wagenen
  • George Wilson* and Andrea Nixon

* 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 the 2024 Benefit Dinner.

Presenting Sponsor

  • Xerox

Valedictorian Sponsor

  • Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Summa Cum Laude Sponsor

  • Brookfield Asset Management
  • Deloitte
  • Daniel and Alexis DiBiasio
  • Eryn Ament Bingle and Michael Bingle 
  • Malik Ducard
  • Peter and Laurie Atkins
  • Rob and Ellen Fullerton
  • Kirkland & Ellis
  • Morgan Stanley 
  • Theo Killion*
  • The Vistria Group
  • Sheila Marmon Heuer* and Steve Heuer
  • Danielle Lee 
  • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
  • Kurt and Roxanna Van Wagenen
  • Stephen Wolf
  • TD Securities
  • UPS
  • Wells Fargo

Magna Cum Laude Sponsor

  • Bank Street Group
  • Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
  • CoBank
  • Michell Gittens
  • Guggenheim Securities
  • CVS Health
  • Robert and Jane Julius 
  • Mr. Hakim and Mrs. LaurenThompson
  • LightRiver & Summit Broadband
  • Martin Nesbitt
  • Kate and Bob Niehaus
  • Evercore Partners 
  • Phoneix Tower International
  • PJT Partners
  • Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
  • Siebert Williams Shank
  • Spectrotel
  • Stanley Black & Decker
  • Teneo

Cum Laude Sponsor

  • Alston & Bird LLP
  • Mark Bowling
  • Covington
  • SMBC
  • Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation
  • Innisfree M&A Incorporated
  • Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
  • KPMG LLP
  • Mckinsey & Company
  • Nokia
  • TEG Consulting

Digital Journal Advertisement Sponsor

  • Casaly and Parent Charitable Fund
  • Crane Charitable Funds
  • Stefan Kaluzny
  • Leigh Abramson
  • Sycamore Partners
  • Marsh McLennan
  • Network Wireless Solutions
  • Quintillion
  • Wiggin and Dana LLP

Salutatorian Ticket

  • Alvarez & Marsal 
  • Brown Advisory
  • Fifth Third Bank
  • Whit Clay
  • National Basketball Association (2)
  • Nicole Melwood
  • Robert and Sydney Kinder Foundation
  • Richard Lennox
  • Jimmy Haber
  • WilmerHale
  • Ronal Pressman
  • Alan Schwartz
  • Michael Rogan and Susan Schaffer
  • Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius
  • Tim McChristian and Deborah Steer (2)
  • David Sutphen 
  • Don and Jennifer Torey
  • Brian Wolfe

Watch The 2024 A Better Chance Benefit Dinner Today!

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