UNCF "A Mind Is..." Chicago Gala 2021 Program Book by captainchicago

“A MIND IS...”

CHICAGO | 2021 CELEBRATING 21 YEARS

@UNCFChicago

#UNCFChicago

WHO WE ARE

60,000 students

attending more than 1,100 colleges and universities and receiving UNCF scholarships

10,000+ scholarships

awarded annually through more than 400 programs

37HBCUs

serving more than 50,000 students

100,000+ annual donors

including major companies, foundations and individuals

ADVOCACY

for minority colleges and minority students

SUPPORTING HBCUs AND STUDENTS IN NEED LEARN MORE UNCF.ORG/CHICAGO

@UNCFChicago

#UNCFChicago

Dear friends, On behalf of UNCF, its 37 member HBCUs, the over 60,000 students who depend on UNCF’s support for their education, and the more than 500,000 men and women who have earned degrees at UNCF institutions and with UNCF scholarships, welcome to the Chicago Virtual UNCF “A Mind Is...”® Gala. A year ago, when we celebrated our 76th anniversary, we could not have foreseen the obstacles the coming year would present. A pandemic that forced our schools and businesses to close, isolating us all from one another and bringing everyday life to a standstill. Civil unrest that brought people back to the streets to march together again in the name of justice and equality. An election year that would bring even further division, but ultimately bring us to the historic swearing in of our nation’s first Black and first female Vice President. Through all of the events over the past year UNCF has continued our efforts to champion our 37 member HBCUs and the students we serve. Helping our students navigate this confusing time and keep them on the path to achieving their dreams of a higher education. None of what we have accomplished over the past year would have been possible without the support of partners and supporters like those we honor here this evening. Tonight, we recognize our “A Mind Is…” Corporate Honoree – Wintrust and the first ever “A Mind Is…” Trailblazer Honoree – Mary Spio, CEO & CTO of CEEK VR. A special thank you to our gala sponsors: Gala Co-Chairmen – Anthony Davis, Derrick Rose and Tim Hardaway Jr.; Chancellor Sponsors – ITW and Peoples Gas; President Sponsors – ALDI, BMO Harris Bank, US Bank and Allstate; Trustee Sponsor – ComEd; Professor Sponsors - Nicor and Wintrust; and lastly our In-kind sponsors – American Airlines, NBC 5 Chicago and CEEK. They are among the millions of Americans who have invested in UNCF and better futures for our students. Their support enables all of us to live up to the ideal expressed in our motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Sincerely,

Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D. President and CEO, UNCF

@DrMichaelLomax

HONORARY CO-CHAIRPERSON Good Evening! It is my honor to welcome you to UNCF’s fabulous “A Mind Is…” Gala. I would like to begin by greeting you with a traditional African salutation from the Masai People, “Kasserian Ingera!” It means, “And how are the children?” The Masai know that if the children are well, the entire village is well. For more than 75 years, UNCF has been working tireless to help ensure that the children are well and reaching their full potential. Last year was like no other because of the unique challenges caused by the pandemic. UNCF reacted quickly and positively to ensure that as many college students as possible continued to learn through remote instruction and other COVID-conscious methods. Governor Pritzker and I are committed to working alongside UNCF because we know that collaboration for the cause of equity in education not only elevates the quality of life of students and their families but provides a path for brilliant individuals to give back to their communities, our state, and our country. The work and impact of UNCF has been nothing short of amazing. I hope that you will continue to join me in supporting this proud and indispensable organization. Remember, getting involved makes a difference. Tonight’s scholarship gala is a wonderful way to do just that, so please enjoy and have a safe and fun evening. Respectfully,

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton

HONORARY CO-CHAIRPERSON As President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and on behalf of the residents of Cook County, I offer warm greetings to all those in attendance this evening at the 2021 Chicago UNCF “A Mind Is...”® Gala. UNCF continues to give thousands of students the opportunity to earn college degrees by offering scholarships, providing financial support to historically black colleges and universities, and through advocacy work for minority education and helping these important institutions to thrive. I wish to extend my gratitude to the volunteers, friends and supporters of Chicago UNCF for all the work that has been done to improve the lives of the young people of Cook County and throughout our Country. Please accept my best wishes for an enjoyable and successful event. Sincerely,

Toni Preckwinkle President, Cook County Board of Commissioners

HONORARY CO-CHAIRPERSON Dear friends, On behalf of the City of Chicago, I am honored to welcome all those gathered for the UNCF 2021 “A Mind Is ...® Gala. Founded in 1944, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) works to inform and uplift hardworking students and their families through involved programs, academic scholarships, and multifaceted support. As one of the nation’s oldest organizations dedicated to higher education access and advocacy UNCF lays the foundation for a successful career and instills the values for a rewarding life. This year’s event presents the opportunity to come together to celebrate the work done over the past year while also looks ahead towards the future. Over the past 21 years, UNCF has raised more than $16 million that has helped to equip students with the tools to succeed and thrive. I am proud to congratulate Mary Spio, CEO and CTO of CEEK VR, this years “A Mind Is ...® Trailblazer Award recipient; and Wintrust Bank, this years “A Mind Is ...® Corporate Award recipient for their ongoing commitment to our students and community. I commend the United Negro College Fund for their ongoing commitment to education. I hope your event is memorable and enjoyable. Best wishes for continued success. Sincerely,

Mayor Lori Lightfoot City of Chicago

GAL A CO-CHAIRMEN

Dear friends and supporters of UNCF, It is our honor to serve as honorary co-chairs for the 2021 “A Mind Is...” Gala. UNCF has been on the forefront of supporting underserved and deserving college bound youth with scholarships that could make their road a little easier. We each have been contributing to UNCF Chicago for several years as individual contributors as well as presenting sponsor and have made a pledge to continue to support in the years to come. We believe students need to be supported now more than ever and require all hands on deck to make that happen. As NBA players and recipients of athletic scholarships we understand that without the support of institutions like UNCF, too many students would not be able to either attend or complete their college education due to a lack of financial resources. 2020 was devastating to many but prayerfully our commitment along with other supporters will continue annually to help our youth accomplish their higher education goals. We hope you all enjoy this virtual gala and be mindful to pay it forward for those that are coming behind you that could use a little help with their educational financial needs. UNCF is the perfect vehicle in which your donations would be impactful. May this evening and its donations from you all be a blessing to many. Hope to see you back next year. Sincerely,

Anthony Davis Los Angeles Lakers, NBA

Tim Hardaway Jr. Dallas Mavericks, NBA

Derrick Rose New York Knicks, NBA

Welcome everyone, Thank you for joining us. Tonight, we are excited to celebrate UNCF’s 77th Anniversary during the Chicago, “ A Mind Is…” Gala. In its 21st year, the continued success of the Gala demonstrates the unwavering commitment and longstanding generosity of the Chicago community. I am proud to again join our Gala Co-Chairs, Anthony Davis, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Derrick Rose this year in hosting you for a special evening. While this year’s event is quite different and we will not be together in person, we are grateful that you joined us to celebrate our remarkable honorees and over seven decades of working together to ensure students from Chicago, across Illinois and around the country get to and through college. With your partnership, UNCF remains essential and relevant in supporting the country’s HBCUs and its students. Evidenced during our 2020-2021 campaign, many of Chicago’s corporations, foundations and individuals maintained their support during the pandemic and helped UNCF have one of its strongest fundraising years in history. This record-breaking support allowed UNCF to provide significant resources to our member institutions and students during a time of exceptional need and extraordinary circumstances. Thank you, Chicago! To our esteemed honorees, Mary Spio, CEO CTO of CEEK VR and Wintrust, it is our great pleasure to recognize your commitment to education and support of the Chicago community. We thank you and your organizations and look forward to celebrating your impact and generosity this evening. I also extend special thanks to our three Gala Co-Chairs for their continued leadership and support. In their third year in this important role, their investment is significant and meaningful, and truly sets the tone for making tonight such a tremendous success. To our Gala Leadership Committee, media partners, and volunteers whose support and commitment never ends, thank you. Finally, thank you to the entire Chicago Area Development team for your hard work and dedication each day and for your many contributions to making the Gala and wonderful success. Kudos! Sincerely, Fred D. Mitchell, Vice President, Development Mid-Atlantic/Midwest Divisions, UNCF

A MESSA GE FROM UNCF’S CHICA GO AREA OFFICE

Greetings, It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 21st Annual “A Mind Is…” Gala! Thank you for so generously supporting UNCF Chicago. You make incredible opportunities possible for young people both here in our city and across Illinois. While we excitedly gather together virtually this evening to recognize our esteemed honorees, Mary Spio, CEO and CTO, CEEK VR and Wintrust Financial, and are excited for you to meet tonight’s UNCF Scholars, this evening is also a celebration of you. In a year unlike any other, you have continued to demonstrate your incredible commitment to our mission. It is because of you that we are able to fulfill our goal of giving deserving students the financial resources to go to and through college and help to close the gap of education inequality. The dream of a college education for minority students and their families is only realized-together. We extend our appreciation to our Gala Co-Chairs, Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Derrick Rose of the New York Knicks, and Tim Hardaway, Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks. We are grateful for their leadership, vision and support. Very special thanks to the Gala’s Honorary Co-Chairs, Lt. Governor, Juliana Stratton, Cook County Board of Commissioners President, Toni Preckwinkle and Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, City of Chicago, for their unwavering dedication and commitment to education. Thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors, individual donors, volunteers, and the many partners who joined us this year to make the Gala such a success. We are very grateful to work alongside an incredible UNCF family and the Chicago office team who work tirelessly to fulfill our mission. Together we can change the lives of young people and make our futures better, one college graduate at a time. Thank you, Chicago. Have a wonderful evening! Warmest regards,

Priscilla Stratten Area Development Director

Christal H. Stinson Area Development Director

“A M I N D I S . . .” ® C O R P O R AT E A W A R D AWARD HONOREE

Edward J. Wehmer, Wintrust Founder and CEO When we started Wintrust in 1991, it was with the intention to open a bank that would be a pillar of the community. With each passing year since, we have taken more inclusive approaches to broadening “community,” from Lake Forest where the bank started to now being in most communities across Chicagoland and southern Wisconsin. While we’ve maintained a very specific footprint as an organization, we’ve grown well beyond that first location into a family of more than 170 community banks and additional divisions offering specialized financial services to the larger Chicagoland area, hiring locally and expanding access to banking for all. Throughout that growth, one thing has remained: We are committed to doing our part to strengthen the area we call home. Part of the way we do that work is through partnerships with organizations, like UNCF, that are focused on improving the lives of the people and advancing both equity and equality. Giving back and getting involved isn’t just a responsibility for us; it’s at the foundation of who we are as a company. It’s an honor to receive the “A Mind is…” Corporate Award for the ways we’ve partnered to support UNCF’s important work. A recognition like this is a wonderful affirmation that the contributions we make are meaningful. We believe wholeheartedly in UNCF’s guiding motto: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in.” We know that to be true, because we’ve been lucky enough to work closely with some of the UNCF scholars who have joined our internship and rotational financial analyst programs. These are young adults with tremendous talents who have made such wonderful contributions to our organization. Education is something we care deeply about. This past year, as part of our effort to combat financial inequity and, hopefully, diversify the banking industry, we expanded our UNCF relationship to include a named scholarship. The first two recipients are smart, promising young women from Chicago. One an Economics major at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The other a Finance major at Howard University. I have no doubt, these emerging professionals will go on to accomplish great things in their careers and in their communities. It brings me joy that Wintrust was part of their success and the solid educational foundation they are receiving. Everyone deserves a chance to develop into the best version of themselves. UNCF’s work ensures that more underrepresented and underserved students get that chance. We are humbled and honor to be your partner. Thank you for this recognition, but more importantly, thank you for all that you do.

“A M I N D I S . . .” ® T R A I L B L A Z E R A W A R D AWARD HONOREE

MARY SPIO

CEO AND CTO, CEEK VR

Mary Spio is the CEO and Founder of CEEK VR Inc (a streaming platform for virtual events and experiences that verifies content usage on the blockchain. A Deep Space Engineer: Mary helped create Boeing’s industry changing digital cinema technology, which revolutionized how movies are distributed. Mary is on the Board of Facebook’s Oculus VR for Good, Amazon’s Launchpad and is a scientific reviewer for the Department of Defense (DOD). Mary is the inventor of the World’s First 4D Audio Headphones for VR, ASMR, Music and more. Ms. Spio is the author of It’s Not Rocket Science – 7 Game changing Traits for Uncommon Success (Penguin). Mary has been awarded over 10 Technology Patents in satellite streaming, virtual reality and 4d audio technology.

EMCEE AND SPECIAL GUEST HOST Stefan Holt

Anchor, NBC 5 Chicago

Award-winning journalist Stefan Holt returns to his hometown to anchor the NBC 5 News every weeknight at 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. He anchors with Marion Brooks, and Allison Rosati. Holt rejoins the NBC 5 news team after spending more than four years working for WNBC-TV in New York. Prior to that, he was in Chicago for nearly five years, where he anchored the NBC 5 News Today with Zoraida Sambolin. Holt was born in Chicago and spent his childhood growing up in Lincoln Park. Stefan is the recipient of several Chicago and New York Emmy Awards, and was recognized with a national Edward R. Murrow Award as part of team coverage during the deadly 2019 police standoff in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was one of the first U.S. journalists to report live from Havana following the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro. He also co-anchored news coverage from the 2017 Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C. Stefan’s career in local news began in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he served as a weekend anchor and reporter for WPBF-TV. An avid aviation enthusiast, he is an instrument-rated pilot and frequently reports on the airline industry and transportation safety. Stefan graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast telecommunications and a B.A. in political science from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. That is where he met his wife, Morgan, while both were attending the university. The couple is thrilled to be back in Chicagoland with their two sons.

SPECIAL GUEST HOST Samuel L. Jackson

Stage and Television Actor

SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMANCE Kenny Lattimore

ENTERTAINMENT Teresa Griffin

UNCF is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 private member colleges and universities and advocates for the importance of minority education. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 18 % of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,000 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org.

UNCF-MEMBER INSTITUTIONS Allen University Columbia, SC

Morris College Sumter, SC

Benedict College Columbia, SC

Oakwood University Huntsville, AL

Bennett College Greensboro, NC

Paine College Augusta, GA

Bethune-Cookman University Daytona Beach, FL

Philander Smith College Little Rock, AR

Claflin University Orangeburg, SC

Rust College Holly Springs, MS

Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, GA

Saint Augustine’s University Raleigh, NC

Dillard University New Orleans, LA

Shaw University Raleigh, NC

Edward Waters College Jacksonville, FL

Spelman College Atlanta, GA

Fisk University Nashville, TN

Stillman College Tuscaloosa, AL

Florida Memorial University Miami, FL

Talladega College Talladega, AL

Huston-Tillotson University Austin, TX

Texas College Tyler, TX

Interdenominational Theological Center Atlanta, GA Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS Jarvis Christian College Hawkins, TX

Tuskegee University Tuskegee, AL

Johnson C. Smith University Charlotte, NC

Virginia Union University Richmond, VA

Lane College Jackson, TN

Voorhees College Denmark, SC

LeMoyne-Owen College Memphis, TN

Wilberforce University Wilberforce, OH

Livingstone College Salisbury, NC

Wiley College Marshall, TX

Miles College Birmingham, AL

Xavier University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA

Morehouse College Atlanta, GA

THANK YOU TO OUR GAL A SPONSORS GAL A CO -C H A I RM E N

Anthony Davis

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Derrick Rose

Los Angeles Lakers, NBA

Dallas Mavericks, NBA

New York Knicks, NBA

CHA NC E LLO R SP O N SO R S

PRESI DE N T SP O N SO R S

TRUST EE SPONSOR

P RO F E SSO R SP O N SO RS

IN K I N D SP O N SO R S

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS WHO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT UNCF UNCF Chicago would like to give a special thanks to all of our sponsors, gala co-chairmen, honorary co-chairs and notable honorees for their outstanding contributions to the success of the 2021 UNCF Chicago Virtual “A Mind Is…”® Gala.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS EMCEE AND SPECIAL GUEST HOST

HONORARY CO-CHAIRS

Stephen Holt, Anchor – NBC 5 Chicago

Juliana Stratton, Lieutenant Governor, Illinois

SPECIAL GUEST HOST

Toni Preckwinkle, President, Cook County Board of Commissioners Illinois

Samuel L Jackson, Stage and Television Actor

Lori E Lightfoot, Mayor, City of Chicago

GALA CO-CHAIRMEN Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Derrick Rose, New York Knicks, NBA Timothy Hardaway Jr., Dallas Maverick, NBA