Presented by Mercedes-Benz, The Smidt Foundation, Moelis & Company and Ken & Julie Moelis
We are pleased to announce that Tony Ressler, Co-Founder &Executive Chairman of Ares Management Corporation & Principal Owner, of the Atlanta Hawks was inducted into the JASoCal Hall of Fame during the inaugural event for JASoCal on November 10th.
As part of the evening’s event, Ressler spoke on an exclusive panel on how corporations can be a solution to the education and access gap. Joining Ressler on the panel was the CEO of AltFinance Corporation, Marcus Shaw, JASoCal alumni, and Ph.D. Candidate, Warren Jones and moderated by Belva Anakwenze, Founder & Principal of Abacus Financial Business Management, Writer and Host of “The Earn Up” on YouTube, and JASoCal Board Member.
Junior Achievement has a long history of Hall of Fame Laureates recognizing the most respected leaders for their commitment to and investment in the community. Mr. Ressler was recognized as the 2022 Laureate for his commitment to creating educational pathways leading to more access and inclusion in alternative finance careers through his participation in the initiative: “Alt Finance-Investing in Black Futures”.
Dr. Les McCabe, President and CEO of JASoCal said, “Tony Ressler has had a tremendous impact and influence in removing barriers that have limited underrepresented youth from being able to access opportunities in business and industry. He has done so by demonstrating how private sector companies can work in partnership with higher education and nonprofits, like Junior Achievement, to remove barriers, and create more inclusion and diversity in their industries through financial support, mentorship, and skill training. This leadership by example, gives us hope that other businesses in our community will take an active role in the work we are doing at JA. Using his model, the private sector can help our society make significant advances in providing equitable access to life-changing opportunities, particularly in communities of color. It was an honor to have Tony as our Hall of Fame Laureate.”
The JASoCal Hall of Fame Celebration benefits Junior Achievement of Southern California and their vision to systematically re-engineer education and expand economic mobility and opportunity for all students by empowering students with the skills, mindset, and connections to build thriving communities. The event is the largest fundraiser for the local Junior Achievement organization.
Included in the evening was a featured performance by Loren Allred, an American singer, songwriter, and actress who made her Billboard Hot 100 debut with the multi-Platinum selling “Never Enough” from the musical soundtrack to “The Greatest Showman”.
Presenting Sponsors of the event included Mercedes-Benz, The Smidt Foundation, Moelis & Company and Ken & Julie Moelis.
Additional event sponsors include Ares Management, Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, Harris Philanthropies, HB Sports & Entertainment, LightBay Capital, Anderson Holdings, The Belldegrun Family Foundation, Gordon Brown Fellowship, Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine Family Foundation, Crescent Capital, UCLA Anderson School of Management, City National Bank, Honda Financial Services, Banc of California, Cathay Bank, Canyon Partners, CBRE, First Citizen’s Bank, Comerica Bank, Frank & Katherine Baxter, Delta Air Lines, Financial Partners Credit Union, KPMG, McCarthy Cook, Carolyn and John Tipton, US Bank, Wells Fargo Whittier Trust, JP Morgan Chase, Leonard Green & Partners, Gallagher, IBM, Rick & Suzanne Kayne Foundation, Beneficial State Bank, Gensler, VerityPoint and the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation.