STUDENT FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR SECOND ANNUAL PALM BEACH PHILANTHROPY TANK
After an overwhelming response from Palm Beach County students eager to participate in this year’s event, Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank has announced that its submission review process is now complete, and nine innovative and socially impactful solutions have been selected to be presented by young philanthropists at the second Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank. This “Shark Tank”-style competition for students enrolled in grades 7-12 in Palm Beach County empowers and equips students to develop and execute high-impact and sustainable community betterment projects. The finalists will “pitch” their ideas during a live event to a panel of four local philanthropists, and they are eligible to receive up to $15,000 and 12 months of one-to-one mentoring.
The finalists will gather for an initial meeting with the philanthropist-investors and coaches on February 5 at Palm Beach Atlantic University and will have a month to prepare for the live event scheduled for March 8 at Florida’s acclaimed Maltz Jupiter Theatre. The teams will participate in pre-event workshops where they will receive coaching and professional support to craft and deliver a winning presentation. During the weeks leading up to the event, the selected 2017 presenters will meet regularly with coaches from Advisors for Philanthropic Impact (API), who will provide pre-competition mentoring. The four judges who also serve as the philanthropist-investors and mentors for this year’s competition are: Julie Fisher Cummings, William (“Bill”) Meyer, and Christine Stiller of Palm Beach; and Avy Stein of Jupiter. Together, they have agreed to fund up to $15,000 per project and 12 months of mentoring to support ideas that directly achieve unique and creative solutions to the issues we face as a community.
“I am truly delighted to participate in the second annual Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank,” said Julie Fisher Cummings, returning Philanthropist-Investor. “Investing in our youth in a real-world manner and helping to facilitate their success was so rewarding last year. In the past 12 months I’ve witnessed real passion on the part of both students and my fellow mentors to make a positive impact on the world. I can’t wait to see what the students have in store for us this year.”
Philanthropist-Investor Bill Meyer added that the students he mentored in 2016 showed ingenuity and perseverance well beyond their years, and that “helping to channel the drive and initiative these students demonstrated was exciting for me, personally. I’m someone who gets excited about innovative ideas that can actually be implemented, and we helped to develop some future stars last year.”
To be considered for a spot in the finals, applicants were required to submit a description of their project that addressed community impact, program feasibility, solution creativity, sustainability and team strengths. The types of social issues addressed by the selected students include hunger, homelessness, medical care, education for underprivileged students, education for emotionally and/or physically challenged youth, and public health and welfare. The finalists are:
- Atlantic Community High School:
Raveena Pandhare - Atlantic Community High School:
Alexis Fisher
Baron Fisher
Bricen Fisher - Forest Hill High School:
Natalie Gonzalez
Lauryn Mejias
Elizabeth Pino - John I Leonard High School:
Princesse De Rossignol
Jehan Hussein
Jorian Rivera
Willmar Escalante - Jupiter Community High School:
Jordan Borenstein
Seth Rodgers - Palm Beach Day Academy:
Liz Cloninger
Miranda Green
Liana Stoll
Peyvie Wexler - Pine Crest School:
Ava Goldstone - Spanish River Community High School:
Julian Lichtenfeld - Homeschool
Holly Moritz
Annual sponsors for the second annual Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank event include AB Bernstein, Braman Motorcars, Gunster Law Firm, Lennar, Otis Elevators and Quantum Foundation. Event sponsors include Andersen Tax and Ronnie and Susan Pertnoy. Partners of Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank include the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.
About Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank
Developed by Advisors for Philanthropic Impact (API), the fundamental aims of Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank (PBPT) are to help shape students’ leadership paths and, through their creative solutions, address and improve social issues in our community. PBPT challenges, empowers and equips them to develop and execute high impact and sustainable solutions to these problems.