A New Birth Of Freedom: Rebuilding Americas Base

WASHINGTON DC-- In the spirit of the momentous drive for change sweeping the nation, BASE will facilitate an Inaugural Celebration consisting of valuable exchanges between BASE Scholars, Educators, Legislators, Executives, and Celebrity Guests. A New Birth of Freedom: Rebuilding America's BASE," will celebrate President-Elect Barack Obama’s plight to presidency. Obama’s transition to presidency is the ultimate illustration of the American Dream, the notion that every individual can dream big and inevitably achieve. BASE, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth to recognize their true potential and developing future leaders, seeks to foster further program support to change the lives of inner city youth, while educating constituents about BASE and celebrating the new President-Elect. The January 20, 2009 Program initiates with a 10:00 A.M. PRESEDENTIAL BRUNCH and WALK THROUGH HISTORY Art Exhibit that pays tribute to integral people in American History hosted by Hollywood Actor Rockmond Dunbar. At 4:00P.M. Segment Two, PHILANTHROPY, BUSINESS, & POLITICS features Hollywood Actor Morris Chestnut, Actress Taraji P. Henson, and Noted Professionals’ William Schroeder, Keith Clinkscales, Roslind Blasingame-Buford, Martez Moore, Claire Bennet, Debra Langford, and Kerry Knee. Segment three, the culminating event and Official After-Party, INAUGURATION UNPLUGGED, is an exclusive red carpet affair with Celebrity Disc Jockey Kid Capri and intimate performance by Five-Time Grammy Recipient and Musician John Legend. "A New Birth of Freedom: Rebuilding America's BASE” will support BASE and enable the National Organization to continue to enrich the lives of inner city at-risk youth by providing access to post secondary options. For full event details and ticket purchases visit www.dcgala.com About BASE Business Advancement & Social Entrepreneurship Inc. (BASE) founded in 2005 possesses a mission to increase high school and college graduation rates of low-income, under-achieving students nationwide. BASE operates a comprehensive, eight-year pipeline program for at-risk youth beginning their freshman year of high school extending through their senior year of college. BASE possesses a 100% graduation rate and post secondary entry rate of BASE Scholars. For complete program information and data on BASE Scholars visit www.basenational.org. About the SPEAKERS William Schroeder is Special Counsel at Sullivan and Cromwell LLP. William E. Schroeder joined Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in 1986 after graduating from Fordham College (B.A. 1973), Columbia University (M.S. 1974) and Rutgers-Newark Law School (J.D. 1986). He became a Special Counsel in 1997. Mr. Schroeder teaches “Transnational Litigation and Dispute Resolution” and “International Law and a Just World Order” as a Part-Time Lecturer of Law at the Rutgers Law School Keith Clinkscales is Senior Vice-President of Content Development & Enterprises at ESPN. Keith Clinkscales is a community leader and consultant, specializing in media, marketing and cultural communications. As head of ESPN Content Development, Mr. Clinkscales launched a new ESPN media lab designed to develop and create new sports-driven content for all ESPN media platforms; expanding the ESPN Content Development brand. Roslind Blasingame-Buford is Executive-Associate Director of Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development Inc. She possesses a progressive 12-year history of selfless, dedicated, and holistic work to empower urban youth and communities. For the past six years, Mrs. Blasingame-Buford has lead program operations at BUILD, Inc., a youth development agency that works in eight Chicago communities to engage gang-affiliated and other highly at-risk youth, in the schools and on the streets, so they can realize their educational and career potential and contribute to the stability, safety and well being of our communities. Martez Moore is the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development with BET Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc., a world leader in creating programming and content across numerous brands such as BET, BET J, BET Gospel, BET Hip Hop, BET International, BET Digital Media Group, BET.com, and BET Mobile. Mr. Moore is responsible for crafting corporate strategy and executing organic and acquisition growth initiatives across the media and technology sectors for the entire BET Networks portfolio. Claire Bennet is Senior Vice-President of Global Marketing at American Express. As Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, Ms. Bennett leads worldwide marketing programs for American Express, including advertising and media, sponsorships, agency management, and marketplace research. She is responsible for driving marketplace demand for American Express products and services at both the brand and product levels in the United States and across 22 international markets. Debra Langford is the Executive Director of Strategic Sourcing and Talent Management at Time Warner. As Executive Director, Debra Langford is in the unique role of a matchmaker bringing individuals together in a match made in corporate heaven. Langford considers her role as that of a connecting force, someone who is constantly building bridges, connecting people with opportunities and connecting people to people. She is in the enviable position of introducing superstars to Time Warner Executives. Langford built and leads Time Warner’s Strategic Sourcing practice, which identifies top-tier Executives, both internally and externally, for all units of Time Warner globally. Kerry Knee is Chief Executive Officer of Flirty Girl Fitness™. Kerry Knee has revolutionized women’s fitness with Flirty Girl Fitness TM a chain of exercise and entertainment studios opened in partnership with sibling, Krista Knee. An MBA graduate from Concordia University in Montreal, Kerry has 12 years of experience working with business start ups, focusing on marketing, business development and product development for both large and small companies. Kerry’s specialty is in taking industry-first products to market and forming partnerships with Fortune 500 companies like HP, Microsoft, Pfizer, Merck, and Sanofi-Aventis. About the HOSTS Lori-Anne Ramsay is the Chief executive Officer of BASE. Lori-Anne Ramsay focused on infrastructure and social development of economically disadvantaged communities and evaluated the sociology of education and income inequities across the United States during her tenure at Bates College. As a junior, nineteen year-old Ramsay co-founded Business Advancement & Social Entrepreneurship (BASE) Inc, with Michael Ellison. The organization spawned out of the development of her Bates College honors thesis on “The Multiple Barriers that youth from Economically Distressed Communities in Boston Face in the Employment Process.” Now a national organization, BASE serves adolescents and young adults in Boston and New York City. Micheal Ellison is Vice-President and Co-Founder of BASE. Originally from Scarborough Maine., Ellison focused on disciplines of philosophy and economics while studying at Boston University. As a sophomore at Boston University, Ellison began pursuing studies in economics and business management. His major focus at the time was to understand the underlying causes of economic inequality. Ellison used his background of poverty and homelessness to drive his passion for change. It was at this time that Ellison and Lori-Anne Ramsay, a student at Bates College, partnered to conduct research for her senior thesis that blossomed into the founding of non-profit organization Business Advancement & Social Entrepreneurship (BASE). While at BASE, Ellison has spearheaded all operations and much of the organization's strategic planning. For complete biographies visit www.dcgala.com


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