The Opportunity Network’s Fourth Annual “Night of Opportunity” gala, held on April 11, 2011 at Capitale, attracted 450 influencers and raised nearly $800,000–a record for the organization, which has grown rapidly since its founding eight years ago. Designer and American icon Tommy Hilfiger was the keynote speaker at the event, which increasingly attracts big names from diverse New York circles, including arts and entertainment, Wall Street, politics, journalism and education. A prominent attorney and an international executive were honored at the sold-out gala.
“We’re thrilled that such an accomplished and diverse group of professionals gathered again to support The Opportunity Network,” said Jessica Pliska, Founder and Executive Director of the organization, which provides access for talented, underserved high school students to career development, professional networks and college guidance. “The annual gala continues to draw remarkable guests who recognize the opportunities we provide for students to realize their true potential. The generosity of these supporters and the access to their networks enable more students to achieve in ways they never imagined possible.”
Tommy Hilfiger, joined at the gala by wife Dee Hilfiger, sister Betsy Hilfiger, and brother Bobby Hilfiger, offered inspiring words to the crowd that packed downtown venue Capitale. The self-taught designer, who opened his first chain of stores while in high school, launched The Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation in 2005 and has supported The Opportunity Network for several years.
The Opportunity Network (OppNet) honored Toni Cook Bush and Jessica C. Isaacs at the event. Ms. Bush is a partner who heads the Communications Practice Group at the international law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where she spear-headed a firm-wide mentoring program. She chairs the board of The HistoryMakers, inspiring young people with the voices of African-American heroes. Ms. Isaacs is the Senior Vice President of the Chartis International Personal Lines Division of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). She is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Executive Leadership Council, , which advances African-Americans in senior corporate positions, and on boards of Fortune 500 companies and has been recognized by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the “Top Most Powerful Women in Business.”
Thirty Opportunity Network students and alumni practiced their networking skills as they mingled and shared their personal stories with the 450 attendees, including these guests: Opportunity Network chairman Michael MacDougall, Partner, TPG Capital, L.P.; Vernon Jordan, Jr., advisor to former President Bill Clinton and Senior Managing Director of Lazard Freres & Co.; Alan Patricof, Founder of Greycroft, LLC, and Apax Partners, LLC; Kimberly Guilfoyle, Fox News Personality and Anchor; Ainsley Earhardt, Fox News Correspondent; Gigi Stone, Bloomberg TV Correspondent; Ben Silverman, Founder and CEO, Electus, and former Co-Chairman, NBC Universal; Jack Martin, Global Executive Chairman, Hill & Knowlton, Inc.; Charles Warfield, President, ICBC Broadcast Holdings; Jack Sullivan, Chairman and CEO, Broadway Video; Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President, Global Inclusion Strategy and Chief of Staff, Nickelodeon, MTV Networks; Sheryl Adkins Greene, Vice President, Global Brand Development, Mary Kay, Inc.; Jon Patricof, COO, Tribeca Film Festival; Beata Bohman, Fashion Designer; Susan Shin, Shin Advisors; Brian Weinstein, Opportunity Network Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus, and Senior Executive, Strategy and Business Development, Creative Artists Agency; Jason Wright, Partner, Apax Partners; Bettina Yiannakourou; Peter Allan Adkins and Roger Aaron, Partners, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, LLC; Guy Vickers, President, Tommy Hilfiger Foundation; Gillians Sandler, Chairman and CEO, Todobebe, Inc.; and many others.
Two students, who have taken life-changing paths that might not have been possible without their participation in OppNet, stood before the crowd to share their stories:
Mohamed Bah was a refugee from war-torn Sierra Leone when he came to New York at age 14 without any family or friends, speaking little English. A teacher at his high school took him in and became his legal guardian, and he was accepted to OppNet at age 15. He excelled in school and through OppNet he earned an internship at Mount Sinai hospital last summer, shadowing doctors and performing simple procedures. On an OppNet college tour, he discovered Franklin & Marshall College and, with OppNet’s guidance and mentoring, was accepted early admission for this fall. Mohamed wants to be a doctor and return to Sierra Leone to help those less fortunate there.
Yazmine Nichols was diagnosed at age eight as emotionally disturbed and put in special education; her schools had low expectations of her, given her behavioral issues. With her mother’s strong support and guidance, she turned a corner in seventh grade and began to thrive, scoring so high on a state standardized test that she was place back in regular education. Since joining OppNet at age 15, she has grown into the highest-achieving senior in her Brooklyn high school class. Yazmine, who wants to be a lawyer, secured an internship last summer through OppNet at the law firm Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, where she learned about everything from corporate law and international arbitration to public interest law. Last month, she was accepted to Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin and Haverford, all with full scholarship, and will make her decision shortly.
Opportunity Network Director Jason Wright, Opportunity Network Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus Brian Weinstein, Alan Patricof, Adam Sloan, David Birnbaum.
Richard Roberts, Jacqueline Rosa, honoree Toni Cook Bush, William Kapfer.
Renee Dominique and Opportunity Network Director Betsy Hilfiger.
Anne Wilson, Roslyn Allison.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, Gigi Stone, Ainsley Earhardt.
Vernon Jordan, Jr. and Jan Rubino.
Julia Tucker, John Tucker.
Stacy Alphonso and Nubiaa Shabaka.
Susan Shin, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Beata Bohman.
Anisha Lakhani and Billy Kreitsek, Jr.
Bettina Yiannakourou and David Greenfield.
Mary Kate Frank, Micah Sommers, Adam Heyman, Jane Nussbaum.
Photos: Image 7: Gregory Partanio, ManhattanSociety.com. All others by Adriel Reboh/PatrickMcMullan.com
