Nine creative initiatives have been selected to advance to the final round of “Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank.” This exciting new challenge offers local students an opportunity to create and implement innovative solutions to community issues and social problems in Palm Beach County.
The students behind the selected programs are now invited to pitch their ideas live, on stage on March 17 at the Harriet Himmel Theater at CityPlace. The public is welcome to attend at no cost, but RSVPs are required. The judges are comprised of four area philanthropists who each personally committed $25,000. William Meyer, Julie Fisher Cummings, Danielle H. Moore and Eric Becker are excited to fund ideas that directly achieve unique and creative solutions. Finalists will have the opportunity to receive up to $15,000 for their idea, and will be mentored by the contributing philanthropist for the year that follows the event.
“We were delighted and pleasantly surprised with the quantity and quality of the students’ submissions. All of the ideas were innovative, and most reflected out-of-the-box thinking which made the job harder to narrow it down to the nine finalists,” said Evan C. Deoul, AB Bernstein’s senior managing director, who co-chairs Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank with Michael L. Kohner, managing director of Andersen Tax.
The finalists are: Atlantic High School – Krishna Madala and Neeharika Madala; the Benjamin School – Madeline Caruso; the Dreyfoos School of the Arts – Sage Albert and Ally Reeves; Glades Central High School – Je’Cynthia Nonar; Grandview Preparatory School – Katherine Berlatsky, Andrea Lacher, Caitlen Macias, Sigi Macias, Eva Oliveri and Sydney Sloan; the Rosarian Academy – Meredith Anderson, Gemma Conroy, Bella Vega-Dadurian, Hope Diffenderfer, Devyn Dyett, Gabriela Faber, Jack Fields, Isabella Fiorentino, Marlowe Flom, Liam Groth, Bettina Johnston, Sofia Mendez, Drew O’Brien, Thomas Raymond amd Jack Shepherd; Royal Palm Beach High School – Jaslyn Dominique; St. Andrew’s School – Sabrina Tesalona; and Wellington High School – Daniel Clein.
Finalists gathered together for the first time on Feb. 7 to meet with mentors from API and will have approximately six weeks to perfect their pitches.
Sponsors for this inaugural event include Braman Motorcars, Gunster Law Firm, AB Bernstein, Quantum Foundation, FPL, Celedinas Insurance Group, O’Donnell Agency, Otis Elevators, Lennar and Publix. The challenge is co-produced by the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.
To RSVP for the March 17 event, e-mail events@odonnell.agency.
