NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/RtREndofImpossible?src=hash” target=”_blank”gt;#RtREndofImpossiblelt;/agt;–Room
to Read, a global non-profit that believes World Change Starts with
Educated Children®, held its annual New York Gala last night at Bay Room
with honorees Amber Tamblyn, author, actress, director and activist; and
Tidjane Thiam, CEO of Credit Suisse. Grammy Award winning singer,
songwriter, musician and humanitarian, Wyclef Jean and 11-year old
powerhouse, DJ Switch Ghana were in attendance and performed at the
event. The evening brought New York’s elite business and philanthropic
communities together with the media industry to raise $3.2 million,
which will support 64,000 children on Room to Read’s programs in
literacy and girls’ education, it was announced by Dr. Geetha Murali,
Room to Read’s CEO. Event co-chairs were Scott Kapnick, CEO, HPS
Investment Partners, LLC and Marc Seidner, CIO Non-traditional
Strategies, PIMCO. Speakers included Room to Read New York Regional
Board members, Samantha Barry, Glamour Editor-in-Chief and Sara Eisen,
CNBC anchor.
Tamblyn was presented with the Superhero Award for her commitment to
empowering women and girls. An avid proponent of gender equality, she is
a founding signatory of Time’s Up, a reviewer of books of poetry by
women for BUST Magazine and is a poet in residence at Amy Poehler’s
Smart Girls. Tamblyn’s memoir “Era of Ignition” was recently published
and she will next be seen in the FX sci-fi drama series “Y: The Last
Man” which is set for a 2020 premiere.
“I believe all girls and women are superheroes and am honored to accept
this award from Room to Read,” said Tamblyn. “Room to Read is activating
the voices of the next generation of female leaders so they can drive
progress and imagine new possibilities for their lives beyond those that
have been forced upon them by tradition or societal bias.”
Thiam, on behalf of Credit Suisse, was presented with the Champion Award
for Credit Suisse’s transformational impact on literacy and girls’
education through a 14-year partnership with Room to Read. Credit
Suisse’s Global Education Initiative supports programs that improve the
quality of educational opportunities for young people. Together, Room to
Read and Credit Suisse have benefitted over 138,000 children across Asia
and Africa. In 2017, Room to Read became a key implementing partner in
Credit Suisse’s Financial Education for Girls Program which aims to
increase girls’ financial capability and awareness of their social and
economic rights, and helps girls build better futures for themselves and
future generations.
“Credit Suisse is incredibly proud of our long-term partnership with
Room to Read, which was founded in a shared vision of a world where all
children have access to a quality education, regardless of where they
live or their economic circumstances,” said Thiam. “We believe that
education is key to creating meaningful jobs, stimulating economies,
transforming communities and developing the next generations of leaders.”
“Room to Read is making it possible for children around the world to
unlock their potential through education, and tonight we recognize
Credit Suisse and Amber Tamblyn for their meaningful and impactful
support to further our vision of a world in which illiteracy and gender
inequality no longer exist,” said Dr. Geetha Murali, Room to Read CEO.
Red carpet photos are available here.
Photos from inside the event are available here.
About Room to Read
Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated
Children®, Room to Read’s innovative model focuses on deep, systemic
transformation within schools in low-income communities during two time
periods that are most critical in a child’s schooling: early primary
school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls’
education. We work in collaboration with local communities, partner
organizations, and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of
reading among primary school children and ensure girls can complete
secondary school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life
decisions. Room to Read has benefited 16.8 million children across more
than 37,000 communities in 16 countries. Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.
Contacts
Jacqueline Pezzillo
Room to Read
[email protected]
+1
(415) 839-4401
