Building a workforce for the future FY2020 Annual Report
Our mission: Empower New York City’s underserved youth to explore careers and guide them to further their education and become productive citizens.
Our Values Impact We are dedicated to fulfilling our mission and realizing our vision to promote an enduring and positive impact for our students, partners, and community.
Integrity Integrity is fundamental to every action and decision we undertake; we uphold the community’s trust in Futures and Options to do the right thing at all times.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion We are committed to fostering and sustaining a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, welcoming others to share their voices and create a thriving, vibrant community that represents and respects diverse perspectives and ideas, in pursuit of our mission.
Respect We treat all people with the highest respect and utmost dignity and appreciation.
Excellence We continually look to achieve the highest standards in all we do and to fulfill our promises to provide exceptional services for our students, partners, supporters, and team.
High Expectations We believe in the potential and talent of people, propelling them to become confident and have faith in their abilities. Collaboration We emphasize working together in an atmosphere of trust that supports our commitment to excellence. We rely on teamwork and partnerships to successfully achieve our mission.
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Dear Friends, At this moment in our nation’s history, there is no denying the need for our young, motivated, and diverse workforce to be ready to capitalize on professional opportunities and exceed expectations. Since 1995, Futures and Options has strengthened its pipeline of talent connecting our students, who are primarily people of color, with the business community—a community that is seeking access to their input and talents now more than ever. This year our students faced challenges the likes of which haven’t been seen in decades. We are immensely proud of the 2,343 New York City youth we served in partnership with our nearly 400 business partners. We feel incredibly grateful that a record 753 young people were connected to paid, mentored internships with our business partners, and 238 students participated in our afterschool career-readiness program, Career Essentials. Due to the pandemic, we adapted our programming to a virtual landscape, enabling us to continue to engage our students. This feat was accomplished thanks to the generosity of our donors and volunteers as well as the tireless work of our staff, and the support of our Board of Directors, Advisory Council, Junior Board, and our nonprofit and school collaborators. Our students are at the heart of all we do at Futures and Options, and this Annual Report focuses on the short-term student outcomes tied to our theory of change, which demonstrate the important impact of our work, and our students’ growth in five areas we believe are essential for increased employability. • Character and Confidence • Interpersonal skills • Professional work-readiness skills • Exposure to and understanding of academic and professional opportunities • The ability to identify and build networks The interns and alumni featured in this report are excellent examples of Futures and Options influence. As we look toward the future, our goals focus on our impact, on our students, on our business partners, on the workforce of tomorrow. The opportunity to build a better future is now— let’s get to work. With our most sincere thanks,
Stephen E. Hessler Chairman, Board of Directors
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Patricia S. Machir Executive Director
Creating a pipeline of amazing talent Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report | 3
What We Do and Why: Futures and Options believes that all young people deserve a chance to achieve their potential—in life, in school, in careers—and that New York City needs a diverse, prepared workforce. In this effort, we partner with the business community to provide transformative work and valuable learning opportunities to motivated young people who want to develop their skills and knowledge, and gain much-needed access to the working world. Where Do We Start?
Why Does It Work?
By working with nonprofit and school partners to recruit students
We support young people and employers while they work
By teaching valuable professional and life skills in engaging workshops
We foster our students’ self-confidence and faith in their abilities
By learning and understanding what businesses need from the workforce
We enable them to experience firsthand the dignity and responsibility of work
By partnering with businesses and professionals to provide paid jobs, which also bring career exploration, mentoring, and networking opportunities
We prepare them to be competitive in the labor market and meet the diverse needs of the business community
By training other professionals to deliver high-quality career development programs
Because early work experience has a proven, positive impact on a young person’s long-term career and income trajectory
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Our Programs by the Numbers
Flagship Programs The Internship Program provides paid, mentored internships and engaging, relevant career-readiness workshops to youth 16 to 20 years old. Students acquire transitional work-readiness skills and hands-on work experience, and gain entry to small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and multinational corporations, all while earning money.
Career Essentials provides work-readiness training and career exploration to middle and high school students. Students attend weekly workshops on topics like: prepping for an interview, time management, and resume writing. They also go on career exploration field trips to diverse companies in New York City for a firsthand look at the working world.
Our Supporting Programs College Guidance Initiative offers group workshops to prepare high school students for the college application and selection process, including the financial aid process. One-on-one assistance with applications and college selection is also available.
High School Success provides continued work-readiness and career exploration activities to high school students who have graduated from Career Essentials and the Internship Program. These students may also work with a college-aged alumna/ us mentor to help them with navigating college applications, selecting a college, and choosing a major.
College Success supports our students in their first years of college by providing professional mentors who offer guidance as the students navigate their way through school and plan for future careers. Students are also invited to attend events focused on networking, career exploration, and work-readiness skills.
Technical Assistance On the Road allows schools and nonprofits to hire Futures and Options to facilitate workshops from our youth career development curricula, either one-time or as a series, for young people outside of our flagship programs.
753 Youth
238 Youth
159 Youth
63 Youth
49 Youth
1,081 Youth
2,343
Total Youth Served
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Intern Profile Albin Dautaj Leadership and Public Service High School Class of 2021
Boys Club of New York The Internship Program Summer 2020
A
lbin Dautaj was a junior at Leadership and Public Service High School when he first joined Career Essentials and later was accepted to the Internship Program. “Once I heard about the program, I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t let go.” Albin was hired as a Futures and Options intern by the Boys Club of New York where he learned new skills and was introduced to experiences that expanded his viewpoints about possible careers. “I always refer back to my internship because I feel that I learned some essential skills during my time at Futures and Options.” At the Boys Club of New York, Albin improved his practical skills such as using Excel, along with his communication skills when he expressed his creative ideas to his supervisor as they prepared activities for the afterschool program. “We would make programs in different rooms, like a movie room, or a room for the students interested in music. We would set everything up for them so they could explore and learn more. Mr. Aponte would ask me, ‘Albin, think of your favorite movies or your favorite music producers, even ones no one knows about, so we can show the students.’” Albin learned fundamental lessons in work-readiness and explored career paths at the Futures and Options
Career Essentials Fall 2019
weekly career development workshops. “When you don’t have people paving the way for you, it’s like going in blind.” Of the five program outcomes that Futures and Options instills for its students, Albin feels his networking abilities were enhanced the most. “Learning to network is something I’m actually really proud about because when I started my internship at the Boys Club of New York I didn’t know anybody at all. But meeting my supervisor and all the people there and talking to everybody made me feel at home.” Albin used networking skills during his internship. “At one point I was helping with an Aviation Fair to introduce students to that career field. I have a lot of friends that go to Aviation High School in Queens, I asked my friends if they could connect me with their guidance counselors to see if I could get some info from them to get anyone to come to the fair...I was glad I could help!” Albin’s family came to America in the late ‘80s as refugees from Albania, and taught him to view both positive and negative experiences as life lessons. “I’m forever grateful for them because they came here with nothing and they built something.” Albin is excited about what the future holds for himself. “Futures and Options is an astonishing program for young kids like me. It’s one of the best things to happen to me.”
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Intern Profile Aissata Jalloh Frederick Douglass Academy Class of 2020
Manhattan College Class of 2024
A
issata Jalloh, a Bronx native and recent graduate of Frederick Douglass Academy, is grateful for her time at Futures and Options and the way it opened her mind to new experiences. Aissata was introduced to careers in public health— the career path she now wants to pursue—during a Career Essentials field trip. Our Career Essentials field trips offer students exposure to various career options and encourage them to explore professional fields they may not have considered previously. “Futures and Options actually introduced me to the field on one of the career exploration field trips to a public health company. They were telling us what they do and I found it really interesting,” Aissata shared. She was inspired to learn more about the public health sector and is considering majoring in public health at Manhattan College. After completing Career Essentials, Aissata was accepted to the Futures and Options Internship Program, and she enjoyed her work at the Single Parent Resource Center, a nonprofit that provides programming and resources for single-parent families. “All my life I’ve looked for ways to help people. That’s something I want out of a job. The Single Parent Resource Center is all about helping single parents and I really liked that.” Aissata especially liked working with the team at the Single Parent Resource Center and helping the families. “On weekends they had kids come over with their parents for workshops. I would attend those and help them out. I really enjoyed it!” Her internship was an eye-opening experience for Aissata and a stepping-stone as she thinks about her future career options.
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Career Essentials Spring 2019
The Single Parent Resource Center The Internship Program Fall 2019
Aissata’s experience at Futures and Options broadened her career prospects, and enabled her growth in several of our key program outcomes—like confidence and networking. “A skill I mastered that I never would have without Futures and Options is eye contact.” Aissata felt her confidence skyrocket after the mock interview activities, which strengthened her skills. “I definitely became more confident—especially with interviews. When I started the Internship Program, I had three interviews back to back and I feel like that really helped me. By the third interview, my supervisor said I did perfectly. I looked him in the eyes and I was able to tell him everything I wanted to tell him.” Aissata is also proud of the networking skills she developed at Futures and Options. “Before Career Essentials and my internship, I really did not network at all.” Now, she has a LinkedIn account and connected with her supervisors and her program coordinators at Futures and Options. Preparing for her freshman year at Manhattan College, Aissata found ways to network and get to know her future classmates before stepping on campus. “I’ve been able to get in contact with some of the students at Manhattan College and we started a group chat where we all talk to each other.” Aissata even used her network of friends to help her land her summer job at the popular restaurant chain Sweetgreen! When she reflects on her Futures and Options experiences, Aissata calls the program a “beautiful opportunity.” She is sure that they’ll pave the way to her future career. “Futures and Options has definitely set me up to do what I want to do.”
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Intern Profile Afiwa Afandalo University Heights Secondary School Class of 2020
Lehigh University Class of 2024
A
Career Essentials Spring 2019
Futures and Options The Internship Program Fall 2019
fiwa Afandalo participated in Career Essentials in spring 2019 as a junior in high school, and found the program to be the perfect opportunity for her to develop professionally and personally. “I first joined Career Essentials to learn professionalism, but I learned much more than that. I learned how to be confident, how to manage my time, and how to communicate.”
confident and certain of her life goals. While interning at Futures and Options and helping Career Essentials students, Afiwa realized that she was interested in working in a field where she could directly connect with and help people. “When students would come up to me to help them, it made me think about my future career. Futures and Options helped me find my vision for what I want to do, and how I want to help people.”
Afiwa heard about Futures and Options from one of her classmates and immediately jumped on the chance to participate in a program that could help her achieve her goals. “I had a really good time in Career Essentials! I’m a person who thrives in a good, supportive environment and Futures and Options provided that for me.”
After interning at Futures and Options, Afiwa worked as a student researcher at The Rockefeller University’s Summer Science Research Program, which provides high school students with hands-on research experience and mentorship with leading scientists in their biomedical research facility. Afiwa feels the lessons she learned at Futures and Options give her a tremendous advantage. “I’m participating in their Summer Science Research Program and one thing I carried over from Futures and Options is how to communicate effectively with my peers and my supervisors.”
Program Coordinator Lenisa Patterson recognized Afiwa as an exemplary student and recommended her for one of the Career Essentials assistant positions. The chance to be an intern at Futures and Options, an environment in which she felt comfortable, was an exciting opportunity for Afiwa. “Since I was interning at Futures and Options during my senior year, there was a lot of stress coming from AP classes and college applications. But coming to work every Wednesday and Thursday was a big stress reliever because at the office everyone is so welcoming and easy to talk to.” During her time as a student in Career Essentials and then as a Futures and Options intern, Afiwa grew more
Afiwa believes one of the best parts of her Futures and Options experience is that the program impacts much more than professional development. “You have a wide network of people who are here to help you whether it is at the Futures and Options office or your internship site and that support is not limited to the workspace. Futures and Options is here to offer their support in your personal development as well.”
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Who We Serve Futures and Options addresses the gaps low-income youth face when seeking employment with a combination of engaging, relevant work-readiness training and paid, highly supported work opportunities. We work with New York City youth who would otherwise not receive access to early work experience and adequate preparation for success at work: primarily students of color from low-income households, under-resourced schools, or high-risk communities.
Level of Schooling
2.3
Race/Ethnicity
1.4%
Middle School Students
High School Students
96.5
%
25.1%
27.4% 2.3%
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Black or African American
0.4%
5.8%
6.4%
Caucasian
Female
1.2
%
31.3%
Arab/Middle Eastern
American Indian or Alaska Native
Gender
%
College Students
Mixed Race
Male
Hispanic or Latino
Other/Not Listed
Not Listed
0.2% 64.3%
Borough of Residence Manhattan
Bronx
33.3% Queens
12.8
%
19.5
%
35.5% Immigrants
26.2
%
Students
English as a Second Language
Staten Island
28.5
%
1.1%
Students
Public Housing NYCHA
Brooklyn
33.3% 12 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
10.5
Students
%
Supervisor Profile Dinah Jacobson P RO J E C T M A N AG E R MOUNT SINAI D O W N TO W N Dinah Jacobson, who has been at Mount Sinai Downtown for five years, has supervised more than 200 interns—50 of whom were Futures and Options students. “I was drawn to this hospital because it is community oriented and mainly serves an under-privileged community,” Dinah said. “I want to be part of an organization that makes life better for the people with whom I share the streets of New York.” Mount Sinai Downtown has a close relationship with the High School for Health Professions and Human Services a few blocks away—students there are invited to career panels and one-on-one mentorship opportunities, and get a chance to experience the different work days and responsibilities that hospital departments face. Dinah recognizes the impact a supervisor can have on their intern and how best to broaden a student’s perspective at work: “My role, in part, is to ensure that the students have meaningful jobs here, never just busy work.” Interns at Mount Sinai Downtown are given wide-ranging tasks and projects from data entry, to creating videos on hand washing
protocols, to posing as patients for Mount Sinai doctors to train for mass casualty incidents. Interns are trusted to be contributing members of the Mount Sinai team. “I feel that most of the students are very capable and they’ve taken on projects that many of the supervisors like to do, but they don’t have time to do. Our supervisors have a lot of fulfillment showing and teaching the interns and seeing them blossom and even work independently,” Dinah shared. “It’s provided much needed support to the staff, plus they’re young, they’re enthusiastic, and they create a very positive atmosphere. We really enjoy having them.” The relationships our students build with their internship employers last much longer than the six-week Internship Program, and their experiences inform their future careers. “The supervisors will sometimes help students with a school project, or write college recommendations. To give students a connection they might not have had. The students see role models. They see people doing jobs they might not even have known existed—everyone
knows about doctors and nurses, but they might not have known about respiratory therapists, physical therapists, or speech therapists, so they are exposed to lots of different parts of healthcare, and I think that’s really beneficial to the students.” Benefits from an internship go beyond the job to the classrooms: “I work very closely with their teachers—we try to have them utilize skills that they’re learning in school at Mount Sinai, and bring back skills they learn here to the classroom,” Dinah shared. “When we have monthly meetings, we encourage students to talk about their backgrounds, what they’re studying in school, what their aspirations are. It’s not just them listening to the speaker—it’s an interactive experience. I can tell by the questions they ask, that they’re thinking. You see a bulb go off—and they get it.”
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14 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
Intern Profile Bademba Barry Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics Class of 2021
B
ademba Barry is a rising senior at the Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics, a two-time intern for Farmers Insurance Agency, and loves a challenge. “Last summer I had two internships and I found out that I really enjoyed working, especially in business. When I heard about Futures and Options, I wanted to see if I could still do well in school and have a job—as a challenge to myself,” Bademba shared. “There was a lot to get accustomed to in the beginning—my job was to manage the books, basically all of their accounts, and it was hard to use QuickBooks. I’d go home and use YouTube to find tutorials. It was all my own research, but after two weeks it became much easier.” Interning twice with Farmers Insurance Agency, Bademba experienced both an in-person and virtual internship—Bademba’s second time working with Farmers was interrupted by COVID-19 in March. “Being virtual you have to have a lot of self-motivation because it’s really easy not to work, or slack off,” Bademba said. Though he may have preferred the in-person experience, Bademba still felt supported by his boss and coworkers. “We use Slack, email, Zoom calls and Microsoft Teams to stay connected. My boss also gave me his phone number, so if I ever need something, I just call him.” “When you’re working remotely, it’s important to have a to-do list,” Bademba emphasized, “because without it, you might not be as motivated, or more prone to distraction. I most enjoyed having a boss. For me, I’m always very independent, but even I need
Farmers Insurance Agency The Internship Program Fall 2019 and Spring 2020
someone to fall back on sometimes. Having a mentor like George was a very good experience for me.” For students like Bademba, being an independent worker allows them the opportunity to develop and reinforce skills on their own but having an involved supervisor—one who patiently answers questions or gives honest feedback—can be a career, even life-changing experience. With these mentorship opportunities comes the chance to build a larger network, making connections that could last a student’s entire career. “I first heard of the concept of networking in my first internship, and I never knew it was a thing, but everyone was talking about it. At Futures and Options, I created a LinkedIn page and connected to a lot of people from all my past internships. I’ve seen that having a network is really important and valuable,” Bademba shared. “I now have people who can write recommendations for me, people I can turn to when I have financial issues or just life issues.” Bademba finished his internship in July 2020 and spent the rest of his summer writing college essays and studying for the SAT—he hopes to attend a liberal arts college, then head to law school. For other students who are thinking about Futures and Options, Bademba advises: “Keep an open mind. Try everything you can to be really connected to your boss because even if you don’t love the experience, it’s still an experience. You’ll know in the future that it’s not something you want to do, but you can keep it on your resume. So just keep an open mind.”
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Intern Profile Sarake Dembele University Heights High School Class of 2020
B
Ithaca College Class of 2024
efore joining Futures and Options, Sarake Dembele was unsure of what kind of career she wanted to pursue. “I was torn between being a nutritionist, physical therapist, or an architect. All three of these careers involve helping people, but in different aspects.” However, her eye-opening internship with Breaking Ground allowed her to find her passion for architecture. Throughout her internship, the Bronx native was exposed to different aspects of the housing and development industry. “They took me to construction site meetings and I was able to see the buildings they were working on.” This hands-on experience only further solidified Sarake’s passion for the industry and as an incoming freshman at Ithaca College she plans on continuing her education in the architectural field. “My intended major is architecture and I want to focus more on the sustainability side because of my internship at Breaking Ground.” Sarake worked on a project to help Breaking Ground decide if they should purchase and develop a plot of land, which sparked her interest. “I had to research what a Block and Lot number was, if it needed a Brownfield grant, and then what type of building would they build there. I ended up making a presentation and a paper that they were considering using as a proposal and I also ended up getting to show the CEO!” The supplemental lessons Sarake was learning during Futures and Options workshops also had an impact
Breaking Ground The Internship Program Fall 2019
on her interest in the world of architecture. “Through Futures and Options’ workshops, I learned that a person’s home is their foundation. A home needs light, space, and other necessary functions to be sustainable. Whether or not we realize it, our living conditions may affect our spending, where we work, what schools we attend, and more.” The Internship Program not only expanded Sarake’s knowledge and experience, but contributed to a growth in her character. “I gained a lot of confidence and trusted myself more.” The confidence Sarake built during her internship began showing up in other aspects of her life. “Senior year, after finishing my internship everyone noticed I was kind of a different person. I got a lot of leadership positions at my school. I was class president, in student government, part of the senior committee, and I held the first AfricanAmerican talent show at our school.” Confidence and character are two of the key areas of growth Futures and Options students can develop as participants in Career Essentials and the Internship Program. Sarake’s journey to a stronger sense of confidence and clearer definition of her personal values will reap benefits as she heads to Ithaca College and beyond. Sarake realized the powerful impact the Internship Program had on her self-image and her vision of the future. “You learn a lot about yourself. It’s a lot of work and it’s intense, but you come out wiser and have a different perception of the community around you. It made me want to be more involved with youth recreation and sustainability.”
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Intern Profile Jalene Pena Leadership and Public Service High School Class of 2020
Mercy College Class of 2024
J
alene Pena is a Brooklyn native, growing up in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, and a freshman at Mercy College studying finance. “I like finance because it’s so broad. I’m trying to find my way still, so I don’t know if I’ll stay in finance, but I’m just waiting to see if I actually like it.” Jalene, an avid baseball fan and former softball player, is also excited by sports writing. “I’m interested in telecommunications and broadcasting, but they don’t have it as a major at my school. I’d want to be a sports reporter—I like how they get to interview the athletes, get to know someone, and there’s a lot of travel, too.” Through her internship with Futures and Options at BIAO Skincare, Jalene was exposed to an early beauty start-up company and the demands of being an entrepreneur. Though she quickly realized that the start-up culture, especially one for a small business, may not be for her, she walked away from the experience with tangible skills, close friends, and a supervisor she felt comfortable approaching for career advice in the future. “I used to not apply to things because I thought I wouldn’t be accepted, and now I just apply to anything, because you never know what might work out,” Jalene shared. “Putting yourself out there is better than hiding yourself. Now I’m comfortable speaking out loud, projecting my voice, asking questions when I need help—I’m way more confident.” Internship opportunities for our students can have a number of important impacts—they can show students career pathways they may not have known about before, reinforce professional skills learned in Futures and Options workshops, and they can also provide a chance to take on new challenges. As an intern, Jalene was trusted to take the lead on a photoshoot for the BIAO brand. She discovered a new passion for art directing—telling people where to go, how to stand and pose for the photoshoot—and
18 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
BIAO Skincare The Internship Program Fall 2019
her supervisor trusted her to take on the challenge. “I learned a lot. You need to come out of your comfort zone because you might not know what task you’re going to get at any job and you have to be open to any type of working environment. Now, I’m less of a procrastinator and I’m less nervous during interviews.” Jalene was drawn to apply to Futures and Options because of her previous mentorship experience through Big Brothers, Big Sisters. “I wanted to learn more about how to be successful with speaking, with interviews, because I usually get nervous.” With Futures and Options high-touch career-readiness training, Jalene was given hands-on support to develop these skills in her workshops, and then take them back into the workplace to be reinforced and strengthened. Some of these lessons do not always seem like the “bigger ticket” items, like learning to answer the phone, or responding to an email, but practice in these areas reinforces those larger ideas of professionalism in our students. “Now I am professional in my emails—it may be a small thing, but to me it is something huge because it shows how I can stand out from other people and how I carry myself as a young adult.” Jalene spent her summer working at Wegman’s—a job she enjoyed, but found difficult as an essential worker, though she was able to walk to work in the Brooklyn Navy Yard from her home in Fort Greene—and taking an Oral Communications class at Mercy College to help fulfill her major’s course requirements. Jalene plans to get her masters at Mercy as well, hoping that it will give her a boost in the job market, and round out her leadership skills. “To me being a leader is guiding young people, telling them if they want to do something, they should just do it. That’s what I found with Futures and Options—I gave it a shot, and I liked it a lot.”
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20 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
Intern Profile James Ly Stuyvesant High School Class of 2022
J
ames Ly, now a junior at Stuyvesant High School, was part of the first Futures and Options cohort to experience remote Career Essentials. “It was a little difficult to transition and strange to see everyone on a virtual screen and not interact with them, but we still had all of our workshops, we still did all of our work, and we had Kahoots, which was really fun.” Kahoots—a game-based learning platform—helped the Futures and Options team run pop quizzes and polls with the students to bring a sense of fun and liveliness to their virtual classrooms. James first learned about Futures and Options through his school counselor’s mailing list where they often share internship and academic opportunities. “I read how Futures and Options would help its students develop important skills that I wasn’t as good or familiar with,” James said. “I also read how there would be a Create-A-Company project—I always wanted to start my own company, so really it was a dream come true.” James and his Create-A-Company team went on to win the competition—their project, called “COVID Saviors,” was a two-staged platform, one educational where students could find tutors or other sources of academic support, the other an entertainment field where they could play games and virtually interact with friends. “Working with my team was by far my favorite memory of the program because they were supportive, communicated well, and provided great insight and feedback that we used to create our company.” The transition from holding in-person workshops to going fully remote was not without its technological hiccups or planning struggles, but the Futures and Options team was up to the task. An important part
Career Essentials Spring 2020
of the Career Essentials experience is the opportunity to visit workplaces and hear from employees about their individual career paths. It was hard to imagine how these career exploration field trips could still take place in a remote world, but our Futures and Options team and our dedicated business partners made it work through Zoom panels and virtual tours. James’ cohort met with representatives from Oliver Wyman, Solamere Capital, and Voya Financial to hear about their professional lives, and to network and build their skills with the employees. “I was able to have the chance to have a mock-interview with professionals from companies like Voya Financial and Solamere Capital, who offered advice on how to improve on my interviewing skills. With the Oliver Wyman trip, I was exposed to the new world of consulting, helping companies solve their problems.” James was excited to see the diverse backgrounds of Oliver Wyman’s staff—people who had majored in computer science, marketing, even literature and cultural studies, all working together on similar projects. For James, it opened a new way of seeing his career path. “When I went to Oliver Wyman, I took like three pages of notes. I just remember scribbling whatever I could down. I still have those notes and I look back on them.” For now, James is focused on preparing for the school year ahead—studying for the SAT, joining Debate Club, and preparing for classes. James has dreams of one day working for a big tech company, like Apple, Google, or Tesla. “I would like to be part of a dynamic, open work setting. I want to be in a place where it’s different every day, where there’s something new to do or solve. I like a fast-paced environment, always being on my toes, and learning a lot.”
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Sector & Industry Breakdowns Futures and Options’ mission is to empower under-resourced youth to explore careers. We believe that all young people deserve a chance to achieve their potential in life and a career, and that we need a diverse and prepared workforce. To this end, we partner with the business community to provide transformative work and learning opportunities to motivated young people who lack the skills, knowledge, or access needed to be prepared for and succeed in the world of work.
Sector Breakdown
54%
For-Profit
Internships
22 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
40% Nonprofit
6%
Government
Arts & Culture
Financial Services
Public Administration
Building Materials & Construction
Food & Beverage Production
Retail
Communications
Healthcare
Social Services
Community Development
Legal Services
Technology
Education
Media & Entertainment
Youth Services
Fashion Design & Textiles
Professional & Business Services
Supervisor Profile Carol Cate V P O F P RO D U C T I O N AMC NETWORKS W E t v C R E AT I V E SERVICES Carol Cate and AMC Networks first began working with Futures and Options in 2014, and since that time, she has witnessed the Internship Program’s success with each of her student interns. “I feel like Futures and Options has really gotten to know us more. Six years later, Futures and Options is much more in tune with the kinds of students that work well with us.” As an intern supervisor, Carol takes a hands-on approach when she hires our students. She identifies the right candidates for her team and assigns them to supervisors who will leverage their interests or strengths and manage the interns’ onboarding process. “I have regular checkins with the students and their WE tv supervisors during their internship, and always offer myself up for one-on-ones.” Carol and her team strive to create opportunities for interns to experience different aspects of the media industry. “We do make sure that all interns get to spend some time in various meetings— creative, production, finance, marketing, and others—so they can experience as many parts of the company as possible.” The relationships built with students during the Internship Program are some of the most satisfying aspects for Carol. One intern,
Emily Freire, performed particularly well, and Carol offered Emily the opportunity to stay at AMC after her internship through Futures and Options ended. “We hired Emily as an independent intern for an entire summer and fall semester, building a friendship with her that continues to this day.” Carol was impressed by another Futures and Options intern, one who identifies as transgender. “She was our first transgender intern and we had to ‘check’ our assumptions. She required more hands-on supervision than we usually give, but she was a valued member of the team and our staffers made a concerted effort to involve her and include her in their work. It was a moving experience for us.” Making sure that the workplace was both inclusive and creatively engaging made all the difference for our student, as well as for Carol’s team. “We partnered her up with one of our LGBTQIA producers and she talked to her about navigating the work environment as someone who identifies as LGBTQIA.” Carol noticed her passion for design animation and went out of her way to find opportunities to explore and develop this interest. “Our Design Director is also a member of LGBTQIA community and she took her under her wing, showed her the Adobe software and had her make an animated short that she presented at the end of her internship.” Being given
positive examples of her career possibilities by the WE tv team made her internship that much more meaningful. “People were crying at the end of her internship with us.” Experiences like these with students make Carol value Futures and Options. “The kids in this program, for the most part, need exposure to the many industries out there that they could work in and Futures and Options provides this.” Providing exposure to new opportunities and support for our students’ professional development makes Futures and Options work more important than ever. Carol remarks, “All of us at some point in our lives got help from somewhere. It is our moral responsibility to pay that back and help the next generations succeed and grow.” Carol finds her work with Futures and Options and directly impacting a young person’s future are particularly fulfilling. “It’s a chance to pay it forward, especially if we’re going to address in a meaningful way the lack of diversity in (most) of our industries.”
Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report | 23
Program Outcomes Since 2015, our Career Essentials and Internship Program students have shown statistically significant improvement in key positive youth development outcome areas. Our students find that they don’t just learn the practical skills and knowledge needed for success at school and work, but by pushing themselves to try new things, meet new peers and adults, and explore new environments, they gain the self-confidence to imagine and pursue educational and career goals. Character and Confidence Being a role model, doing what’s right, handling peer pressure, self-worth, making good decisions Interpersonal skills Listening, teamwork, consideration of others, conflict resolution, communicating with adults and peers, meeting new people Professional work-readiness skills Time management skills, professional behavior, phone and email etiquette, organizational skills, computer skills Exposure to and understanding of academic and professional opportunities knowledge of careers and educational paths, opportunities to meet with a variety of professional adults, having new, revised, or confirmed education or career plans The ability to identify and build networks Understanding the importance of networks, interacting with new professional adults, building new peer relationships, making plans to stay in touch
24 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
Empowering a diverse workforce
Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report | 25
Employer Partners
Internship Employers In FY2020, 312 public, private, and nonprofit businesses welcomed 753 Futures and Options interns. #GoBeyond
Bottomless Closet
32BJ
Boys’ Club of New York
A & H Technology Group
Breaking Ground
Accenture
BRIC Art Media
Accurate Communication
Bronx Borough President’s Office, Ruben Diaz Jr
ACT Care Group Acuta Digital Adam Leitman Bailey Advantage Property Management Advernation AfroGist Media Ajoy Management Allergic to Salad AlphaRidge Amanda Bohan Marketing AMC Networks
Bronx Council on the Arts
Brooklyn Justice Initiatives Brooklyn Public Library Build A Better Planet Build America Mutual Building Beats
Caitlin Robin & Associates, PLLC
Associated Supermarket Group Assured Guaranty Corp. At Your Beat Bank of America Merrill Lynch Barclays Capital Inc. Battery Dance Battery Park City Authority Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center Biao Skincare Big Bad Boo Black and Latino Filmmaker’s Coalition Black Women’s Blueprint BlackRock Bleu Life Media Blutrane Consulting Boomi Environmental
Career Gear Caribbeing Cause Effective CB-Emmanuel Realty LLC Center For Employment Opportunities Center for Psychotherapy Chapin Home for the Aging Child Center of NY Children’s Tumor Foundation Citi Citizens Committee For New York City City and Country School City Bar Justice Center City Parks Foundation CITYarts
Hedaya Capital Group, Inc.
Datonics
Her Agenda
dbc
Here to Here
DCT Marketing Group
Hereditary Disease Foundation
Digital Girl
HilltopSecurities
DNA Learning Center, Harlem DNA Labs
Houlihan Lokey
DoRight Learning It
Impower Improv
Downtown Psychiatric Group Dr. Melva L Baker Podiatry, PC Dr. Rob Gotlin
Ecogy Energy Elewatv Elites Optimization Services Elliott Berman Textiles Empire State Development Corporation enCourage Kids Foundation Envirosell Eriksen Translations Evercore Partners Exact Capital Group EZ2EAT Fabmill FabScrap Farmers Insurance Sainteus Agency
iEarn USA Infor Informa inSpirAVE InStyle USA IPG Mediabrands Jefferies & Company Joanna Pertz Landscape Architecture Johnson Security Bureau JoyCon1st JPMorgan Securities, LLC Kaede NYC Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP Keren Or Keys to Abundant life Kids in the Game Kings Security Services Inc. Kirland & Ellis LLP Kirrin Finch KNect365 Kota Alliance - CEPAZ Krasdale Foods KS JAMM
Fashion Class
KUUMBA
Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
Legal Hand Lemle & Wolff, Inc.
Ferzan Company
LifeZone Television
Finn Partners
Local Development Corporation of East New York
Fitch Ratings Forest Hills Dermatology Frasca & Associates, LLC Futures and Options Goldman, Sachs & Co. Good Counsel Services Inc
Cohen’s Fashion Optical
Great Performances
Community Healthcare Network
Guidehouse Habitat for Humanity
Complete Wellness
Hair Etiquette Boutique
Cool Nerd Media
Hannabi Creative
Cowan Consulting
Harlem Skin & Laser Clinic
26 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
Healing and Discovery Foundation Hemophilia Association of New York, Inc
East Village Community Coalition
Brooklyn Borough Hall
HB Studio
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Brookie’s Cookies
Amie Gross Architects
Arte Fuse
Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance
Dyvine Essence Spa
Caine Mitter & Associates Inc.
Art Strong NYC
CTE Deparment of Education Office
Dyvine Essence Beauty Supply
American Museum of Natural History
Argee America
Hawkins, Delafield and Wood LLP
Crown Trophy
Brookdale Hospital Medical Center
BUPeriod
AreaProbe
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Dreams Animation
American Cancer Society
AO Textiles
Harlem’s Heaven
Bronx Pro Group
Bumble Bear
Andromeda Advantage
Cowboy Bear Ninja
Loews Corporation Long Island City Partnership Longi Engineering Loop Capital Markets, LLC Lower East Side Coalition Housing Development Lucille Lortel Foundation M&M Environmental Magic Cool Bus Maiarelli Studio Maiden Lane Medical Maimonides Medical Center
Manhattan Sideways
Office of Attorney General
Entertainment
MAR Architecture & Engineering P.C.
Once Upon a Jewel LLC DBA Diáfano
Spoke The Hub
Marie Pense Center
Ozone Park Quality Care Medicine
Spruce Technology
Marymount School of New York MediHealth Medical PC Metro NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority Millennium Hilton
Pan American Musical Art Research, Inc., (PAMAR)
Park Avenue Post
TD Securities
Parodneck Foundation
TechComm Solution Services
Mindz Productions and Creative
Persaud Medical PC PFM Financial Advisors
Mindz Yoga
PineBridge Investments
Mizuho Americas
The Pinkerton Foundation
Moody’s Investors Service
Polina Porras
Morgan Stanley
Possibility Project
Mount Sinai Beth Israel
PostNet
MUFG
PRAG
Museum of Moving Image
Premium Therapy
Neufeld Scheck & Brustin, LLC
Pride Optical
New Destiny Housing
Profile Industries
New York City Economic Development Corporation New York City Housing Development Corporation New York City Office of Management and Budget New York Housing Conference New York Peace Institute New York Presbyterian
Prime Clerk Prosper Digital TV Public Health Solutions Queens Botanical Garden Queens Community HouseKew Gardens Rainbow Leather Randall’s Island Park Alliance Raymond James RBC Capital Markets Recycle Track Systems
New York State Assembly District Astoria Office
Regal Heights Rehabilitation and Health Care Center
New York State Veterans Nursing Home at St. Albans
Resilience Advocacy Project Rise of the Broken Woman
New Yorkers for Parks
RoomTurn
Noho Medical
Roosevelt & Cross, Inc.
Norton Rose Fulbright
Rose Garden Events
Novita PR
S&P Global
NY Family Practice Physicians PC
Safari Restaurant
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Department of Records and Information Services NYC Health + Hospitals/ Bellevue NYC Health + Hospitals/ Metropolitan NYC Law Department NYC Top Building Management, Inc. NYCHA
Stonestreet Studios Super Cell
Mindweaver
New York City Comptroller
Steady Buckets
Pan-African Community Development Initiative
People’s Elementary
New Filmmakers
Spring Bank
Samuel A. Ramirez and Co., Inc. Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co. SIFMA Silvercup Studios North
Sweet Generation
The Independent Filmmaker Project The Law Firm of Ryan J. Walsh & Associates The Port Authority of NY & NJ Tiffany Joy Murchison & Co Media Boutique
Career exploration field trip hosts Our students visited 31 unique businesses to learn from their employees about career pathways, education choices, and varied work opportunities.
Timberlake Studios
Adaptive Design
Transcon International
Alavarez & Marsal
Travel Edge
Bank of America
Trickle Up Tryon Entertainment TSC Training
The Bank of East Asia Brown Brothers Harriman
Tutors on Wheels
Change for Kids
Two Bridges Neighborhood Council
Dolce Vita
UBS Umoja Events University Diagnostic Medical Imaging
Clarity Recruiting Dragados Essence Magazine Fashion Institute of Technology
Upflex Inc
Friends of the High Line
Urban Health Plan
Ghost Robot
Urban Upbound Youth Pathways
Infor
Ventura Associates
JP Morgan Chase
Vineyard Theatre and Workshop Center
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Vote Run Lead Voya Financial Wayne Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing WearWorks Webline Designs Wells Fargo Wellth Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
LMHQ Macquarie Mark DeGarmo Dance Millennium Hilton Downtown Navigant Consulting, Inc Neighbors in Action New Lab The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Wing + Weft Gloves
New York Stock Exchange
Yabu Pushelberg
NYC Department of Records and Information Services
Single Parent Resource Center
Young Boss Media Activists Institute
SJ Solutions Security & Protection Services Inc
Youth Advocacy Corps
Penguin Random House
Zaro’s Family Bakery
Snailz
Zina Lanay LLC
The Pinkerton Foundation
Society of the Educational Arts, Inc.(SEA)
Oliver Wyman
Salesforce Zurich Insurance
SoHo Playhouse Son of a Gun! Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report | 27
Aspiring to Higher Education
College Guidance Initiative Curriculum The Futures and Options College Guidance Initiative prepares our high school students for the college process, including filling out applications, writing personal statements, selecting the best fit school, and garnering a better understanding of financial aid packages. In a series of 12 workshops, students focus on the various areas of preparing for the college experience, including: The College Search & Choosing A Major, Writing a Strong Application, FAFSA, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Navigating the First Year, and Financial Literacy
for College others.
Students,
among
Students come to Futures and Options with a spectrum of knowledge about the college process and experience—some are first-generation, others have older siblings who’ve navigated college before them, or they’ve pursued research on their own or with friends and family. With that in mind, we try to address our students’ individual needs through activities and discussions about what to expect while applying, and how they can have successful, supported years while in school.
One of our workshops, “Application Process and Navigating the First Year,” opens with a “snowball” activity where students write down their fears about college on slips of paper, throw the paper around in a circle—creating that “snowball” effect—then pick up a “snowball” slip and read it out loud to discuss with the larger group. This activity allows our students to retain their anonymity, while also giving them an opportunity to address those pressing concerns or fears and encouraging open, honest conversations with their peers and our program coordinators.
The Barbara L. Christen Scholarship 2 02 0 B A RB A RA L . C H RI S T E N S C H O L AR
Mariam Touray 2 02 0 FI N AL I S T S Farrukh Abdinov Mashiha Akther Chowdhury Jovenson Jermone
Futures and Options awards college scholarships to exemplary high school seniors who have participated in Career Essentials, the Internship Program, or Futures Academy. The Barbara L. Christen Scholarship Panel, comprised of Futures and Options board and advisory council members, seeks to honor young people who embody the six hallmarks of a Futures and Options student: communication,
Voya Scholars 2 02 0 VOYA S C H O L A R S
John Eshirow University of Virginia Zuwei Li University of Pennsylvania
28 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
Voya Scholars is Voya’s higher education scholarship and careerreadiness program for students who have previously participated in a Voya Financial or Voya Foundation charitable program.
integrity, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and an interest in exploring careers. This college scholarship is named in honor of our founder, Dr. Barbara L. Christen, and is funded by our Junior Board’s annual fundraiser A Toast To Brighter Futures. Since 2012, Futures and Options has awarded more than $80,000 in college scholarships.
We are incredibly proud that two Futures and Options students were named Voya Scholars, each of whom received a $10,000 scholarship for college.
The Places They’re Going Alfred State College Babson College
Fashion Institute of Technology
Manhattan College
Smith College
Medgar Evers College
Spelman College
Mercy College
St. Francis College
Barnard College
Fingerlakes Community College
Barry University
Fordham University
Mercyhurst University
St. John’s University
Baruch College
Middlebury College
St. Joseph’s College
Bates College
Franklin and Marshall College
Monroe College
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Binghamton University
Full Sail University
Morehouse College
Stanford University
Borough of Manhattan Community College
SUNY Geneseo
SUNY Morrisville
Stony Brook University
Georgetown University
Boston College
SUNY New Paltz
Syracuse University
Gettysburg College
Boston University
The New School
Thomas Jefferson University
Brandeis University
Guttman Community College
New York City College of Technology
Tufts University
SUNY Brockport
Hamilton College
Bronx Community College
Haverford College
New York Institute of Technology
Brooklyn College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
New York University
University at Buffalo
Northeastern University
University of Bridgeport
Hostos Community College
NYU Shanghai
University of Chicago
Buffalo State College
Howard University
Old Dominion University
University of Connecticut
Carnegie Mellon University
Hult International Business School
SUNY Oswego
University of Michigan
Parsons School of Design
University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California
SUNY Broome Community College
Case Western Reserve University
Hunter College
Union College University at Albany
Centenary University
Indiana University
Pellissippi State Community College
City College of New York
Iona College
SUNY Plattsburgh
University of Virginia
Clark Atlanta University
Ithaca College
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Clarkson University
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
SUNY Potsdam
University of WisconsinMadison
College of Mount Saint Vincent The College of Saint Rose
Juniata College Kingsborough Community College
Utica College
Purchase College Queensborough Community College
Vanderbilt University Vaughn College Villanova University
Lafayette College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Cornell University
LaGuardia Community College
Rider University
SUNY Cortland
Lawrence University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Washington University in St. Louis
Dickinson College
Lehigh University
Saint Joseph’s College
Emerson College
Lehman College
Emory University
Loyola University Maryland
The Savannah College of Art and Design
Farmingdale State College
Macaulay Honors College
School of Visual Arts
College of Staten Island Columbia University
Wake Forest University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University York College
Simmons University
Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report | 29
Strategic Partners Futures and Options provides Career Essentials and the Internship Program for its strategic partners, leveraging our expertise in youth career development and allowing for more effective programs and increased opportunities for New York City students. This year, we were excited to partner with the following schools and organizations: M I D D LE S C H O OL PA RTN E RS Launch Expeditionary Learning Charter School H I G H S C H OOL PA RTN E RS
Bronx School for Law and Finance
JP Morgan Chase Investment Banking
Frederick Douglass Academy
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
High School for Fashion Industries
Morgan Stanley
High School of Hospitality Management
New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare
In-TECH Academy
Opening Act
Leadership and Public Service High School
Summer Search
Marble Hill School for International Studies Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School WHEELS BUS I N ESS & NONP ROFI T PA R T N ER S
The Municipal Forum of New York
Voya Financial COLLE G E PAR TNE R S CUNY BMCC Workforce Training Center ON THE ROA D A ND TE CHNI CA L A SSI S TA NCE PAR TNE R S
CTE Industry Scholars Program (Grant Associates)
Breakthrough New York
Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics
EHTP
Arts Connection
Here to Here
MESA Charter High School
JP Morgan Chase The Fellowship Initiative
Partnership for After School Education
Bronx High School for Law and Community Service Bronx Latin High School
WHEDco
Futures and Options Junior Board Our Junior Board is a group of passionate young people who are committed to helping New York City’s underserved teens explore career and college possibilities. Through fundraising and volunteering, our Junior Board helps to engage Futures and Options students, alumni, and other young professionals, using their talents and networks to make a positive impact for Futures and Options and the young people we serve. We’re grateful for their hard work and their commitment to Futures and Options’ mission to guide underserved youth onto career and college pathways.
30 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
Financials 2020
2019
Without With Donor Donor Restrictions Restrictions
SUPPORT AND REVENUE: Special event Event revenue
Total
Without With Donor Donor Restrictions Restrictions
Total
1,517,111
-
1,517,111
1,060,683
-
1,060,683
(184,316)
-
(184,316)
(187,570)
-
(187,570)
1,332,795
-
1,332,795
873,113
-
873,113
Contributions
612,701
221,445
834,146
768,851
731,750
1,500,601
Contributions in-kind
351,851
-
351,851
-
-
-
1,160,517
-
1,160,517
792,094
-
792,094
37,300
-
37,300
47,046
-
47,046
309
-
309
261
-
261
716,810
(716,810)
-
406,195
(406,195)
-
$4,212,283
($495,365)
$3,716,918
$2,887,560
$325,555
$3,213,115
Career development— intern wages/stipends
672,269
-
672,269
659,428
-
659,428
Career development— other
2,243,655
-
2,243,655
1,721,771
-
1,721,771
Total program expenses
2,915,924
-
2,915,924
2,381,199
-
2,381,199
532,749
-
532,749
376,209
-
376,209
175,210
-
175,210
170,214
-
170,214
$3,623,883
-
$3,623,883
$2,927,622
-
$2,927,622
Increase/(decrease) in Net assets
588,500
(495,365)
93,035
(40,062)
325,555
285,493
Net assets, beginning of year
538,549
766,517
1,305,066
578,611
440,962
1,019,573
$1,126,949
$271,152
$1,398,101
$538,549
$766,517
$1,305,066
Less: event expenses Net special event income
Program service revenue Government grants Interest Income Net assets released from restriction Satisfaction of purpose restrictions Total support and revenues EXPENSES: Program expenses
Management and general Fundraising Total expenses
Net assets, end of year
2020 Expense Breakdown
80.5%
Program Expenses
14.7%
Management & General
4.8%
Fundraising
Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report | 31
The Barbara L. Christen Founder’s Circle Futures and Options relies upon the generosity of corporations, foundations, and individuals to support its programs. The Barbara L. Christen Founder’s Circle recognizes our donors—all of whom make it possible for Futures and Options to provide high-quality career development programming to New York City teens, and reach more students each year. This list reflects donations received in FY2020 (July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020). Every gift helps. We thank you for your continued generosity.
Corporate & Foundation Support
Birch Lake Partners, LP
$100,000+
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
The Charles Hayden Foundation
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Stroock and Stroock and Lavan LLP
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Newmark Knight Frank
Dechert LLP
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Rothschild & Co.
Evercore
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
The Stony Point Foundation
JP Morgan Chase & Co. The New York Community Trust
Bulldog Ventures, Ltd Centerbridge Partners, L.P. Centerview Partners LLC
The Pinkerton Foundation
FTI Consulting
The Rosenkranz Foundation
Guggenheim Partners
Salesforce Foundation
The Herbert and Sarah M. Gibor Charitable Foundation
$ 5 0 , 0 0 0 - $ 9 9, 9 9 9
Houlihan Lokey
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
The Hyde and Watson Foundation
Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP Solon E. Summerfield Foundation
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
White & Case LLP
Macquarie Group Foundation Marble Ridge Capital LLC Michael Tuch Foundation, Inc. Morrison & Foerster LLP Mudrick Capital Management Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Teneo Capital Vinson and Elkins LLP
Work Progress Program
$ 5 , 0 0 0 - $ 9, 9 9 9 Angelo Gordon
$ 2 , 5 0 0 - $ 4 ,9 9 9 Bank of East Asia Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
Citi
ATL Partners
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Barclays Capital Inc.
Voya Foundation
KCC
Bracewell LLP
$ 2 5 , 0 0 0 - $ 4 9, 9 9 9
Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C.
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
The Lawrence Foundation
Chilmark Partners
Mayer Brown LLP Mizuho Americas Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Colgate-Palmolive Company
P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP
Latham & Watkins LLP
Diameter Capital Partners
Perella Weinberg Partners
PIMCO Foundation
M-III Partners, LP
DLA Piper LLP
Reed Smith LLP
Ropes & Gray LLP
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
Ducera Partners LLC
Stonehill Capital Wilkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
$ 1 0 , 0 0 0 - $ 2 4 ,9 9 9 AlixPartners Alvarez & Marsal Aristeia Capital
$1,000 - $2,499
Navigant Consulting
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
The Patrina Foundation
Goldman Sachs
Colbeck Capital Management LLC
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
The Good Shepherd of Darien Foundation
Emerald Capital Advisors
PJT Partners
King Street Capital Management
Prime Clerk
32 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
Bank of America
Gap Foundation Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
OPTIMISTS
James Morgan
Maureen & Michael Clancey
Micron Technology, Inc.
$ 1 5 , 0 0 0 - $ 24 ,9 9 9
Alexandra Munroe
Ellen & Casey Cogut
PwC
Jennifer & Thane Carlston
Alison & Ben Schrag
Moira Dorst
Yabu Pushelberg
Debra Fierro & David Trucano
Zurich American Insurance Company
Colleen Hsia
Kate Nadolny Settle & Matthew Settle
Anna Durrett & Daniel Magliocco
Anders Nemeth
Louise & Jerry Faust
$500 - $999
Frederica & Efrem Sigel
Priscilla & Daniel Pombo
Robert Fear
Downtown Lower Manhattan Association, Inc. Mattos Filho
Debra Regan & Paul Wasinger
BELIEVERS $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 - $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 Anne Benedict
Tinamarie Kruse Feil
MENTORS
Jenny & Daniel Fuchs
$ 2 , 5 0 0 - $ 4 ,9 9 9
William Gallagher
Ruchy & Vipul Adlakha Kristin & Didric Cederholm
$1 - $499
Cameron Brodie
AmazonSmile
Caroline Cruise
Amie Gross Architects
Lynne & Stephen Goldstein
BlackRock, Inc.
Jennifer & David Johnston
East Village Community Coalition
Claire Laudone & W. Greg Thonsen
The Chitrang Purani Family
Global Strategy Group, LLC
Anthony Horton
Allison & Roopesh Shah
Hildy & Marc Sheinbaum
Michelle Hylton & Hugh Nelson
Greater Washington Community Foundation
Erin & Paul Teske
Richard Chesley
Daniel Giamouridis Sarah-Jane & Trevor Gibbons Philip Giordano
Clare Cullinane
Annette & Jonathan Goldstein
Karla Esleeck
Ali & Kenneth Goldstein
Michael Grant
Robert Hallagan
Philip Gund
Mark Lawrence Jessica Ma Nora & Mark Muller
Ryan Machir
Jennifer O’Neil
Vikram Mody
Carsten Otto
Erin Murphy & Sean Connolly
Martha & Mark Patricof
$ 5 , 0 0 0 - $ 9, 9 9 9
Phannee Noiplai & Steven Sperber
Edwin C. Sagurton
Stephanie & S. Gregory Boyd
Scott Porter
Heather Scheer & Nicholas Breault
Scott R. Brakebill
Laura & David Schiff
Mitch Soiefer
Individual Donors
John Colas
Poonam Shah & Adam McCoy
Laura & Todd Filsinger
Richard Sokolow
Carla Solomon & Antonio Magliocco
Kevin Genda
Nanar & Anthony Yoseloff
VISIONARIES
Krisztina Geosits
$50,000+
Susan & Tony Gilroy
Dave Miller
Inna Gordin & Alex Kogos
Stephanie & Stephen Hessler
Lisa Grushkin
Karen & Charles Phillips
Bethany & Ketan Kapadia
CHAMPIONS
Beth Friedman Lurie & Mark Lurie
$25,000+
Edward Machir
Cathy & Tom Bendert
Patty Machir
Jennifer & Jason New
Katie & Patrick Machir
Lori & Paul Zemsky
Stacie & Vivek Melwani
Marsh & McLennan Companies Society of the Holy Child Jesus Shearman & Sterling LLP
Vanessa Wilson
DREAMERS
Jackie Stepper John Thompson
A D V O C AT E S
Reverend Branan Thompson
$1,000 - $2,499
Teri Ann & Paul Quinlan
Yvette Auyeung Bart Battista Martha Battles Christopher Biasotti Jennifer Box
Eleanor & Mark Walfish Melody Wang & Ben Schulte Goldburn Williams Leslie Williams & James Attwood
Gary Brewster Rick Chavez Alice & Patrick Chu
Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report | 33
ADVISORS
Liliana Nunez
Daniel Bruck
Sara & Webb Hayes
$500 - $999
Corinne O’Brien
Andreas Boye
Irma Herrera
Jeannine Ali
Jack O’Brien
Cathy Callender
Paris Heymann
Wariz Anifowoshe
Deirdre O’Connor
Meghan Carbone
Catherine Higgins
Shreeya Bhatia
Navid Rahgozar
Susan Changer
Joseph Hill
Marianne & Stephen Busby
Sue Ann Levin Schiff
Caitlin Charos
Judith Hunt
Megan Callanan
Amit Sinha
Suzanne Christen
Elaine Hutchinson
Kate Christen
Diana Solash
Julia Cormier
Veronica Ifrah
Michael Condyles
Ben Spiegelman
Steven Cox
Oliver Jakob
Byron Cordes
David Spiegelman
Colleen & Ben Coulter
Liam Jenkins
Lori & Douglas Deutsch
Margaret & Thomas Teske
Emily Crossan
Melanie Jones
Bob Dolfi
Kevin Thompson
Enrique Davila
Michelle Jones
Max Fater
Kaj Vazales
Paul Deutch
Aaron Keith
James Flynn
Scott Vogel
Laurie Dien
Matthew Kelsey
Karen Freedman & Roger Weisberg
Dashawn Walker
Laura Dillon
George Kirsch
Bill Welsh
Bob Dolfi
Matthew Klopfer
Lillian Xu
John Dougherty
Christine Kwon
Andrew Zatz
Betina Dowdell
Jake Lader
Libby & Brian Duffy
Meg Langan
Michael Duncan
Zachary Larson
James Duplissie
Igor Las
Krish Dutta
Ann Leddy
Patty Farmer
Courtney Leimkuhler
Rachel Fish
Lorraine Lettieri
Nancy Fisher
David Levine
Maggie Fitzpatrick
Colleen & Seth Levitz
Patricia Fitzpatrick
Eli Lipcon
Caitlin & Timothy Fitzsimmons
Sue & Kim Little
Rachel Fix
Anthony LoFrisco, Jr.
Chris Freeberg
Jimmy Lowery, Jr.
Douglas Friske
Kally Lyons
Damini Ghosh
Maggie & Timothy Machir Jeff Manchester
Leah Friedman Linda & Louis Foundos Anne & John Goldsmith Catherine & Richard Herbst
COACHES
Janine & Tom Higbie
$100 - $499
Junchan Hong
Anonymous
William Iwaschuk
Jean Aaron
James Jack
Jess Aaronson
Michael Johnson
Shamoun Afram
Adam Kalinsky
Rachel Albanese
Mitesh Kapadia
Nancy Anderson
Jonathan Kartus
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William Kim
Michael Babakitis
Brian Kinney
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Marianna Koval
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Jeffrey Berk
Brian Griffith
Robert McHugh
Rohil Bhatnagar
Lucy McLoughlin LeBlanc & Cameron LeBlanc
Jeffrey Boaz
Alexandra Hakim & Christopher Snyder
Sam Breuer
Aaron Hamburger
Jason Briceno
Marina Harrop
Michael McKeown Evan Middleton
34 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
Harper Matheson & Robert Schiff Teresa McCasllin Douglas McGovern Claire McGuire Carol & Frank McIntyre
Bruce Mendelsohn
Deborah Thonsen
Jeanne Fitzpatrick
Akshita Verma
Miles Merwin
Chris Toeplitz
Thomas Fitzpatrick
Peter Vilim
Chris Miceika
Lucy & Chris Trombino
William Fitzpatrick
R.J. Virata
Anne Moore
Mary Tuttle
Ryan Foo
Jeffrey Wahl
Clare & Michael Mullarney
Patrick Venter
Allyson Forshee
Joshua Yerkes
Joanna Munoz-Woods & Michael Woods
Tracy Vo
Peter Friedman
Thomas Walper
David Funk
Joan Walsh
Sarah Furminger
In-Kind Donors
Karen Wang
Edward Gordon
John Whitman
Sarah & Daniel Gurney
James Wiant
Meagan Harris
Meagan Wilson
Bryan Hertzog
Virginia Wong
Evelyn Javier
Foxwoods
William Wood
Spencer Jennings
Goldbar
Eric Woodworth
Janet Joyce
In Good Company
Elaine Wu
Patricia & Bob Karmozyn
Jonny Lennon
Louise Yelin
David Kelly
Patrick Machir
Zhe Zhao
Udayant Khemani
Melissa Joy Manning
Bonnie Kong
Jason New
Jeffrey Kosofsky
NY Jets
Karolina Kumiega
NY Knicks
Cherrie Nanninga Frank Nash Christopher Nelson Ashley Niness Lorenza Nunez Socrates Okonkwo Cathy O’Rourke Yolanda Orozco Rebecca Palmer David Pfeifer Jeff Pierson Michael Porte Grace Rainey
FRIENDS
Jason Ridloff
$1 - $99
Rick Rieder
Vanessa Arthur & James Gurney
Sydney Rose Erin Roth & Chris Licata Ricardo Salmon Joan & Michael Salzman Jeremy Schneider Denise Shearer Matt Siegel Matthew Sigel John Knight Smith Lauren Soiefer Nina Spiegelman Andrew Squire Valerie Sun Gopal Sundararaman Isaac Sutton Bob Szuhany Morolake Thompson
Josh Lavan
Atlantis Hotel Brooklyn Nets Bustan Restaurant City Winery Dozen Roses
The Plaza Rent the Runway
Ryan Atwood
Shirley & Alan Levitz
Tim Baker
Danielle Limer-Nies
Seth Berman
Genesis Nunez
Farah Bernadin
Kelly O’Grady
Tarra Bernadin
Zach Pearce
Kush Berry
Jessica Perez
Robbie Birns
Eric Peterson
Ellen Casey
type:social
Amy & David Pollack
Woodstock Chimes
Vianna Chan
John Reilly
Myrna & Ram Changar
Krishna Shah
Futures and Options makes
Samantha Chase
Sebastian Sheng
listing of contributors is complete
Catherine & John Cullinane
Ali Slagle
Julia DiFranza
Amanda Smith
Marybeth Dulany
Paul Stephensen
If we have accidentally omitted
Kathleen & Robert Ellis
Maggie Strauss
your name, please call Nell Schwed
Randye Farmer
Alex Thomas
Khalil Favard
Scribner’s Catskill Lodge Simon Showroom Soul Cycle Sweetwater Social Tao Group Justin Teodoro
every effort to ensure that our and accurate. The donors listed contributed in FY2020 (July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020).
at 646-880-6694 or email nschwed@futuresandoptions.org.
Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report | 35
Board of Directors OFF I C E RS
D I R ECTORS
Stephen E. Hessler Chair
Thane Carlston
Ben Schrag
Stephen Goldstein
Matthew Settle
Cathy Bendert Vice Chair, Resource Development
Lisa Grushkin
Roopesh Shah
Anne Benedict Vice Chair, Program
Colleen Hsia
Marc Sheinbaum
William Iwaschuk
Efrem Sigel
Paul Zemsky Vice Chair, Strategy
David Johnston
Paul Teske
Daniel Magliocco
John Thompson
Erin Murphy Secretary
David Miller
W. Greg Thonsen
Jason New
David Trucano
Jennifer O’Neil
Paul Wasinger
Daniel Pombo
Patricia S. Machir Ex Officio, nonvoting member
Christopher M. Snyder Treasurer
Chitrang Purani
Advisory Council Yvette Auyeung
Ketan Kapadia
Hugh Nelson
Antonio Cunningham
Adam Kostrinsky
David Schiff
Karla Esleeck
Jessica Ma
Poonam Shah
Krisztina M. Geosits
Patrick Machir
Steven Sperber
Michael Grant
Zhe Zhao
Staff Patricia S. Machir Executive Director
Taylor Heideman Business Engagement Manager
Jessica Mischkot Program Director
Fareesa Abbasi Business Engagement Coordinator
Katherine Herman Program Coordinator
Joanna Munoz Director of Institutional Advancement
Shirley Ariza Program Coordinator
Shakina Kirton Program Assistant
Socrates Okonkwo Salesforce Administrator
Meghan Becker Program Manager
Cameron LeBlanc Special Projects Associate
Jacques Onanga Program Coordinator
Jessy Berkhoff Administrative Assistant
Sasha-Lee Lewin Assistant Program Coordinator
David Pfeifer Director of Finance and Administration
Tyler Brockington Development Assistant
Willa Mayo Senior Program Coordinator
Shavanna Reid Assistant Program Coordinator
Amber Davila Business Engagement Assistant
Natalie McGuire Bookkeeper
Nell Schwed Development Associate
36 | Futures and Options FY2020 Annual Report
About the Artist Justin Teodoro Justin Teodoro is a New York City based artist, illustrator and designer. Graduating from the Parsons School of Design in 2006, Justin built a successful career as a Womenswear Fashion Designer at Tuleh, Cynthia Steffe, and Kenneth Cole Productions. After 8 years in the fashion industry, Justin decided to merge together his two passions: Art and Fashion, into
a new career as a fashion illustrator and artist. His illustrative work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Vogue, W Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Women’s Wear Daily, and OUT Magazine. As a creative consultant, Justin works with clients to create illustrated, graphic imagery and campaigns that are infused with his own unique
sensibility. His list of clients includes: Barneys New York, Diane von Furstenberg, Hill House Home, Jason Wu, Kevyn Aucoin, Lancome, Louis Vuitton, M. Martin, Martone Cycling Co, Moschino, R/R Studio, Reebok, Shiseido, Latest Revival, SoHo House, Susan Foster Jewelry, and YouTube.
Vision: Our career development program makes it possible for students to acquire transferable professional skills, pursue higher education, and successfully compete in a global 21st century economy.
FUTURES AND OPTIONS