The GameChangers Ball 2022

CO-CHAIRS

HOST COMMITTEE

Welcome to the 6th annual GameChangers Ball.

Since 2005, the New Heights community has worked tirelessly to create opportunities for underserved student-athletes to break barriers and become leaders throughout their lives. Through education, mentoring and the development of athletic and life skills, we help them discover and nurture their talents to support academic success, physical and mental health, and economic mobility.

Tonight, we join together to celebrate the game-changing programs that empower young people to rise to their potential on and off the basketball court, and to honor the GameChangers who make every victory possible.

We also celebrate the one-year anniversary of our move to a permanent home at the Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Community Center in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. With three full-sized basketball courts, classrooms and administrative offices, our new home has allowed us to expand our College Bound program and introduce new services to help thousands of additional youth access the tools and resources that they need to reach their dreams.

As we look to the future, New Heights will continue to plant roots in our new community, strengthen our engagement with corporate and community leaders, and deepen our impact not only in Brooklyn but throughout New York City.

On behalf of the entire New Heights family, especially the young people who we serve, thank you for being a part of this journey. Changing the game is not easy, but with your support, everything is possible.

In appreciation,

Mark Patricof Board Chair Ted Smith Executive Director

New Heights is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit based in New York City. Our mission is to educate and empower promising underserved youth to be leaders, champions and student-athletes by developing the skills necessary for success in high school, college and life.

OUR MISSION WHO WE SERVE

New Heights serves boys and girls, ages 9-21, who reside in many of the most socio-economically disadvantaged communities in New York City. Over 85% of participants identify as African-American, Latino/Hispanic or multi-racial, and many will be the first in their families to graduate from college.

OUR SCOREBOARD

413 student-athlete program graduates

403 graduates have matriculated to college

100% high school graduation rate

98% college matriculation rate

78% college graduation rate

$65M+ in scholarship/financial aid awarded to student-athletes

THE HONOREES

JAMES FELDEINE

NEW HEIGHTS CLASS OF 2006 / QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY CLASS OF 2010 PROFESSIONALBASKETBALLPLAYER ALUMNI GAMECHANGER AWARD

James Feldeine grew up in Washington Heights, 10 blocks from IS90, the school where New Heights was born. James’ older brother, David Trottman, was one of the first student-athletes to join what was then known as the Washington Heights Warriors. James joined the program in 6th grade and continues to be an active member of the New Heights community. His mother, Niki Padilla, has been an ardent supporter, volunteer and advocate for New Heights over the past 20 years.

Since joining New Heights, James attended Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx and went on to attend and graduate from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college. At Quinnipiac, James barely played his first year, but after a coaching change, he went on to have a storied career there. He was a three-year starter, averaged over 17 points per game his last two seasons, was named the league’s Most Improved Player his junior year and was a First-Team All-League selection as a senior.

Prior to his arrival, the team had little success and generated little support in the community. His senior year, they won the regular season championship and played his final home game in front of a sellout crowd on ESPN. He scored over 1,300 points in his Quinnipiac career and is recognized as one of the greatest players in school history.

Since graduating in 2010, James has enjoyed an illustrious professional basketball career. His 12 seasons have taken him to Spain, Italy, Greece, Israel, Serbia, Puerto Rico and Kuwait. He played for two legendary Euroleague teams, Panathinaikos in Athens and Red Star in Belgrade.

He has won countless championships during his pro career and is recognized as a veteran leader who mentors younger players. He is currently recovering from a serious knee injury and hopes to be back overseas in January.

James is also involved in various community activities, sponsoring uniforms for his middle school team at Incarnation in Washington Heights. In addition, he has run several basketball clinics for aspiring basketball players in Northern Manhattan.

KEIA CLARKE

CEO,NEWYORKLIBERTY GAMECHANGER AWARD

Keia Clarke is Chief Executive Officer of the New York Liberty, where she leads and manages all business aspects of the Liberty organization, including strategic planning, revenue, P&L and operations. Additionally, Clarke works closely with stakeholders on key elements of team business, including growing the fan base, maximizing sales and fan engagement, and improving business performance.

As CEO, Clarke oversees all business-related operations for the Liberty, including the management of the team’s partnership deal with its official regional TV partner, YES Network. In 2019, Clarke led negotiations to ink a first-of-a-kind deal with YES, as there had never been a WNBA game on the network prior to the 2019 season.

Clarke is entering her 12th season with the Liberty, previously serving as the team’s Manager of Marketing for four seasons, prior to her promotion to Director in 2015, and Vice President for Team Business Development in 2017. In her marketing roles, she collaborated with Marketing Partnerships, Ticket Sales, Event Presentation, and Community Relations to deliver first class experiences for Liberty fans each summer.

Among her many awards, Clarke was recognized by Crain’s New York Business as a 2019 “Notable Woman in the Business of Sports”. In 2020, Clarke was also named to INvolve’s 2020 list of Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executives and Sports Illustrated’s The Unrelenting list. Additionally, she serves on the Sports Innovation Lab Women’s Leadership Board.

Clarke attended Canisius College where she was a four-year member of the women’s basketball team, graduating in 2003 with a degree in Marketing. She went on to earn a Master’s in Sports Business from New York University in 2006.

Clarke resides in New Jersey with her husband, Brian, and their two children, daughter Avery and son Gavin.

SEAPORT GLOBAL

INAUGURALCORPORATE HONOREE CORPORATE GAMECHANGER AWARD

This year, we are excited to spotlight a Corporate GameChanger, Seaport Global, at the 6th annual GameChangers Ball. Seaport Global is a tremendous New Heights partner and has made a significant impact on our youth, not only through financial support but also employee volunteering and engagement.

Seaport is an independent institutional sales and trading powerhouse, matching bold strategies with tenacious commitment to client success. Seaport’s leadership and professionals are industry veterans who share a deeply held belief in listening closely to clients and acting decisively — and with absolute integrity — on their behalf. Years of experience and thought leadership mean they deliver seamless market coverage and razor-sharp trade execution along the investment grade - high yield - distressed continuum.

As part of New Heights’ strategy to expose its program participants to new people, ideas and experiences that broaden their understanding of the world and help them develop stronger communication and interpersonal skills, New Heights partnered with Seaport Global to help design and deliver workshops on financial literacy.

Through these workshops, Seaport was able to share its expertise and insight with New Heights’ student-athletes as they began to explore college and career options.

WILL BLODGETT

FOUNDERANDCEO,TREDWAY NEW HEIGHTS BOARD MEMBER GAMECHANGER AWARD

Will Blodgett is an empathetic and passionate entrepreneur focused on making a difference. As the Founder and CEO of Tredway, Will builds and preserves high-quality and high-opportunity housing across America.

In addition to being a successful venture capital investor, Will was a founding partner of the real estate development firm Fairstead, where he led the acquisition and development of more than 20,000 units and $4 billion in real estate across the United States. Previously, Will managed the acquisition, financing, and development of over 4,500 units for The Related Companies Affordable Housing Group and served as a Special Advisor to the New York City Housing Authority.

A champion of the underdog, Will is deeply committed to causes that support underserved youth and emphasize the connection between sports and academics. His own experience as a student-athlete who used sports to access educational opportunities is an inspiration to all of us at New Heights, and especially to the young people in our program. He is deeply connected to our mission, and demonstrates a strong commitment to changing the game for underserved youth.

In addition to New Heights, Will is proud to serve on the boards of The American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM).

Will holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA from MIT.