29th Annual celebration gala

ABOUT CELEBRATION

The Edison Ballroom | 6:00 PM -9:00 PM

The
Celebration Gala is Youth NC's signature event, raising millions of dollars to equip hundreds of nonprofit leaders with the tools and resources needed to build strong and sustainable organizations impacting over 250,000 New York City youth each year.
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The John C. Whitehead
LEADERSHIP AWARD

Youth INC is proud to honor Senator Bill Bradley, Managing Director at Allen & Company LLC and former United States Senator, with the John C. Whitehead Leadership Award. The award will be presented at our 29th Annual Celebration Gala on February 7, 2024 at the Edison Ballroom in recognition of Senator Bradley's distinguished career in sports, public service, and lifelong commitment to collective action and civic engagement.
Read the Press ReleaseRead the Press Release

Youth INC to honor Senator Bill Bradley at its 29th Annual Celebration Gala

The John C. Whitehead
LEADERSHIP AWARD

The John C. Whitehead Leadership Award is Youth INC’s highest honor and recognizes individuals who have helped advance social change through philanthropic community engagement.

The eponymous award honors the life and legacy of John C. Whitehead, who made an indelible mark on Youth INC as well as New York City. The award commemorates Whitehead’s humanitarian legacy and vision for the future of young people.

Trail blazers

Partner in Impact Award

Youth INC celebrates the incredible impact of our nonprofit partner, Trail Blazers

For over 130 years, Trail Blazers has cultivated inclusive and accessible activities for youth to enjoy and learn about the world around them. Their values emphasize the importance of teamwork and accountability in the growth of young people and a commitment to progress our communities.

The organization's mission is to help young people grow by connecting with nature. Their various camps, after-school, and leadership/workforce development programs create spaces where youth can engage deeply with themselves and each other free from tech-heavy environments, allowing them to develop the skills and values needed to thrive as adults.

Read the Press Release

Learn More

Trail blazers

Youth INC celebrates the incredible impact of our nonprofit partner, Trail Blazers

Nonprofit Partner: Trail Blazers

For 130 years, Trail Blazers has cultivated inclusive and accessible activities for young people to enjoy and learn about the world around them. Their values emphasize the importance of teamwork and accountability in the growth of our youth and a commitment to progress in our communities.

The organization's mission is to help young people grow by connecting with nature.Their various camps and programs create spaces where youth can engage deeply with themselves and each other free from tech-heavy environments, allowing them to develop the skills and values needed to thrive as adults

CelebrATION VICe-CHAIRS

Will Boothby
Partner
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Kevin Callaghan, Managing Director, Berkshire Partners
Kevin Callaghan
Managing Director
Berkshire Partners
Mrs. John C. whitehead
John Connaughton
Global Head of Bain Capital Private Equity & Co-Managing Partner
Bain Capital
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Mark fedorcik
Co-head of Investment Bank
Deutsche Bank
Adena Friedman
President & CEO
Nasdaq, Inc.
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Jon Gray
President and COO
Blackstone
Jeff Holzschuh
Jeff Holzschuh
Chair, Institutional Securities Group
Morgan Stanley
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Julie Jones
Chair
Ropes & Gray
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Chris Kanoff
Global Head of Investment Banking
Jefferies & Company
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Thomas H. Lee
Founder & Chairman
Lee Equity
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Gregg Lemkau
CEO
MSD Capital
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Ros L'Esperance
Co-Head of Global Banking
UBS Investment Bank
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Ken Moelis
Chairman & CEO
Moelis & Company
Steve Orr, Orr Group
Steve Orr
Co-founder and Managing Partner
Orr Group
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Kevin Penn
Managing Director
American Securities
Richard Schifter, TPG Capital
Richard Schifter
Senior Advisor
TPG Capital
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Alan Schwartz
Executive Chairman
Guggenheim Partners
Mrs. John C. whitehead
David Solomon
Chairman and CEO
Goldman Sachs
Paul J. Taubman
Founder, Chairman & CEO
PJT Partners
Ted Virtue, MidOcean Partners
Ted Virtue
Founder & CEO
MidOcean Partners
Mrs. John C. whitehead
John Waldron
President & COO
Goldman Sachs
Robert Weaver, Advent International
Robert Weaver
Managing Director & Global Co-Head of Limited Partner Services
Advent International
Jonathan Weiss, Wells Fargo
Jonathan Weiss
CEO of Corporate & Investment Banking
Wells Fargo
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Noah Wintroub
Global Chairman
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Mrs. John C. whitehead
Barry M. Wolf
Executive Partner
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Event Co-Chairs

Anu Aiyengar
Anu Aiyengar
Co-head of Global M&A
JP Morgan Chase & Co.
William Derrough
William Derrough
Managing Director and Co-Head of Recapitalization and Restructuring Group
Moelis & Company
Stratton Heath
Stratton Heath
Partner
Oak Hill Capital
Douglas Kaden
Douglas Kaden
Managing Partner
SDC Capital Partners
Barbara Marcin
Barbara Marcin
Youth INC Board Vice President
Emmett McCann
Emmett McCann
Managing Director
Oaktree Capital Management
Robert McCooey
Robert McCooey
Vice Chairman
Nasdaq
Evan Wildstein
Dhananjay M. Pai
President & COO
P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP
Daniel Pine
Daniel Pine
Managing Principal
CS Capital Advisors
Kenneth Prince
Kenneth Prince
Head of Capital Markets, Americas
Advent International Corporation
Adrianne Shapira
Adrianne Shapira
Managing Director
Eurazeo
Wray Thorn
Wray Thorn
Partner
Focus Impact Partners
Evan Wildstein
Evan Wildstein
Partner
Kohlberg & Company
  • Anu Aiyengar, Co-head of Global M&A, JP Morgan Chase & Co.
  • William Derrough, Managing Director and Co-Head of Recapitalization and Restructuring Group, Moelis & Company
  • Stratton Heath, Partner, Oak Hill Capital
  • Douglas Kaden, Managing Partner, SDC Capital Partners
  • Emmett McCann, Managing Director, Oaktree Capital Management
  • Robert McCooey, Senior Vice President, Nasdaq
  • Daniel Pine, Managing Principal, CS Capital Advisors
  • Kenneth Prince, Head of Capital Markets, Advent International Corporation
  • Adrianne Shapira, Managing Director, Eurazeo
  • Wray Thorn, Founder and CEO, Clear Heights Capital
  • Evan Wildstein, Partner, Kohlberg & Company

Benefit committee

  • Sid Assomull, Chief Operating Officer, Bank of America
  • Jeb Bent, Investment Director, Capital Group
  • Dan Gardella, Director, Financial Sponsors Group, William Blair
  • Jeanette Gorgas, Board Director, Youth INC

Past HONOREES

David Mussafer

Advent International
2022 Honoree

Adena Friedman

Nasdaq
2021 Honoree

Roger Ferguson

TIAA
2020 Honoree

Alan D. Schwartz

Guggenheim Partners
2019 Honoree

Dhananjay M. Pai

P. Schoenfeld Asset Management
2018 Honoree

George P. Stamas

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
2018 Honoree

Evan & Amy Wildstein

2017 Honoree

Wray Thorn & Melissa Francis

2017 Honoree

Jeffrey R. Holzschuh

Morgan Stanley
2016 Honoree

Paul J. Taubman

PJT Partners
2015 Honoree

John E. Waldron

 Goldman, Sachs & Co.
2014 Honoree

Alexander Navab

 KKR & Co., L.P.
2013 Honoree

Jonathan G. Weiss

Wells Fargo Securities,LLC
2012 Honoree

Win Neuger

AIG
2011 Honoree

Richard P. Schifter

TPG Capital
2010 Honoree
See the full list

Roger Ferguson

TIAA

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company

Evan Wildstein

Board Co-President,
Kohlberg & Company
See the full list

TOP Sponsors

Beacon Sponsors

Goldman Sachs Gives
Barbara Marcin
Barbara Marcin
Neeti Methukunta & Maheshwar Saireddy
Neeti Methukunta & Maheshwar Saireddy

VANGUARD Sponsors

Canaccord Genuity
Rhonda & Stratton Heath
Rhonda & Stratton Heath
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Champion Sponsors

Emmett & Lindsay McCann
Emmett & Lindsay McCann
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Karen Beldy Torborg
Karen Beldy Torborg

Advocate Sponsors

Barbara Asch & Jonathan Weiss
Barbara Asch & Jonathan Weiss
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Nancy & Alan Schwartz
Nancy & Alan Schwartz
Ropes & Gray LLP
Wray Thorn & Melissa Francis
Wray Thorn & Melissa Francis

Anchor Sponsors

Advent International
Advent International
Anu Aiyengar
Anu Aiyengar
Allen & Company
Allen & Company
Allen & Overy LLP
Allen & Overy LLP
Alvarez & Marsal
Alvarez & Marsal
Antares Capital, L.P.
Antares Capital
Apollo Global Management Inc.
Apollo Global Management Inc.
Ares Management
Ares Management
BMO Capital Markets
BMO Capital Markets
Bank of America
Bank of America
Contemporary Leadership Advisors
Contemporary Leadership Advisors
William Q. Derrough
William Q. Derrough
Daniel S. Evans
Daniel S. Evans
Freshfields
Freshfields
Mark Gallogly & Lise Strickler
Mark Gallogly & Lise Strickler
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Goldman Sachs & Co.
HSBC Securities
HSBC Securities
Jeffrey & Mary Helen Holzschuh
Jeffrey & Mary Helen Holzschuh
Douglas M. Kaden
Douglas M. Kaden
Steve & Amy Lipin
Steve & Amy Lipin
The Madison Square Garden Company
The Madison Square Garden Company
Howard S. Marks
Howard S. Marks
Kathleen McCabe & Dana LaForge
Kathleen McCabe & Dana LaForge
Milbank LLP
Milbank LLP
Christina Minnis
Christina Minnis
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
David & Marion Mussafer
David & Marion Mussafer
National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
Stephen & Carol Orr
Stephen & Carol Orr
Parts Authority LLC
Parts Authority LLC
Paul Hastings LLP
Paul Hastings LLP
Mike Perry
Mike Perry
Peterson Philanthropies
Peterson Philanthropies
Daniel Pine & Lindsey Acree
Daniel Pine & Lindsey Acree
Ken Prince
Ken Prince
RelPro
RelPro
Santander Corporate & Investment Banking
Santander Corporate & Investment Banking
Jennifer D. & Richard P. Schifter
Jennifer D. & Richard P. Schifter
Seabury Capital Group LLC
Seabury Capital Group LLC
TD Securities
TD Securities
The TJX Companies Inc.
The TJX Companies Inc.
Ted & Dani Virtue
Ted & Dani Virtue
Amy & Evan Wildstein
Amy & Evan Wildstein

Anchor Sponsors

PILLAR SPONSORS
  • Blackstone Credit
  • Blue Owl Capital
  • Citizens Capital Markets
  • Stephanie & Mark DiMilia
  • Adena & Mike Friedman
  • Brian Friedman & Suzanne Peck
  • Greenhill & Co LLC
  • John Greenwood
  • Hilton
  • Houlihan Lokey
  • Nitin Jindal
  • Kohl's Cares
  • Miller Buckfire & Co.
  • Moelis & Co.
  • The MUFG Foundation
  • John Overdeck
  • Suhail A. Shaikh
  • Adrianne Shapira
  • Shulte Roth & Zabel LLP
  • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
  • Mike Roth, Sixth Street
  • Solebury Capital
  • Valuation Research Corporation
  • Matthew Verrochi
FRIENDS SPONSORS
  • John Amato
  • Bob Baltimore
  • Vivek Bantwal
  • Barclays
  • Jonathan Barry
  • Benefit Street Partners
  • Jonathan Bilzin
  • Michael Blake
  • David Blitzer
  • Bradford Portraits
  • Niharika Cabiallavetta
  • John Campbell
  • Richard Chambers
  • Citi
  • Leon & Toby Cooperman
  • Romy Coquillette
  • Crystal Financial Institution, a division of Alliant
  • Daniel Doctoroff
  • Roger Ferguson & Annette Nazareth
  • Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
  • Cyril Goddeeris
  • Golub Capital
  • Google
  • Gray Foundation
  • Harris Williams & Co.
  • Alan & Carrie Holtz
  • Jefferies LLC
  • Rajiv Kamilla
  • Ken Langone
  • Brian & Beth Levine
  • Peter Lyon
  • Macquarie Capital
  • Mardal Investments
  • John Manzi
  • Mayer Brown
  • Robert McCooey
  • MCJ Amelior Foundation
  • Amy Miller
  • Steven Moffitt
  • Thomas Nakashian
  • David Nissenbaum
  • Notch Partners LLC
  • Oak Hill Advisors
  • QuinStreet
  • Raya Prabhu
  • Perella Weinberg Partners
  • Riverbend Energy Group
  • Chris Solomon
  • Tailwind Capital
  • Taubman
  • Wendel Cares
  • Miriam Wheeler
  • Willkie Farr & Gallagher
  • Adam Zotkow

supporting our nonprofit partners

Raising Our City
Youth INC accelerates the most promising youth-development organizations across New York City. Our 80+ nonprofit partners deliver high-caliber programming to more than 250,000 young people. Our partners provide access to opportunity for youth to build the skills and confidence needed to succeed in life.

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