Meets pressing community needs by mobilizing caring New Yorkers in volunteer service.

Rising Leaders Council

The Rising Leaders are a vibrant group of young philanthropists committed to the mission of New York Cares. This dedicated group spearheads new volunteer initiatives and raises more than $300,000 annually in support of New York Cares year-round programs.

Member Benefits

  • Attend networking happy hours with other members and their guests across many industries in New York City (e.g. real estate, finance, technology, culinary arts)
  • Receive a special annual session of “Meet the Executive Director”, to connect with and hear from New York Cares’ Executive Director, Sapreet K. Saluja
  • Engagement opportunities with New York Cares Board members
  • Access to RLC Speaker Series featuring talks by notable leaders across industries
  • Exposure to the strategic objectives of the New York Cares Board of Directors, whom the Rising Leaders support on several initiatives to fundraise for the organization;
  • Granted access to volunteer opportunities that New York Cares offers in the areas of education, revitalization, and immediate needs
  • Earn the distinct honor of making an impact on their community while building their own empathy for the New York City community-at-large

Member Expectations

  • Commit to a net impact of $5,000 throughout the fiscal year (10/1 - 9/30), in one or more of the following areas:
    • Pledge a minimum personal financial commitment of $500 across the year of service
    • Raise or leverage donations to New York Cares inclusive of event ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, general individual donations, Cares Champions fundraising, etc.
    • Secure in-kind donations to support RLC fundraising events throughout the year
  • Be an active volunteer:
    • Attend monthly meetings throughout the year, typically held on the second Thursday evening of every month
    • Actively participate in New York Cares calendar programs by volunteering on projects throughout the year
  • Introduce the New York Cares mission to your company by engaging them in our annual events such as the Coat Drive, Winter Wishes, and Stand with Students, or introducing them to our customized corporate programs
  • Serve as an ambassador for New York Cares at special events throughout the year.

Current Rising Leaders Council

Leadership

Co-President

Charles Hemsley, Street Easy

Co-President

Emily Panzer, Pitney Bowes

Membership Co-Chair

Mark Doramus, Centerview Partners

Membership Co-Chair

Lucie Simpson, Salesforce

Soiree Co-Chair

Cynthia Djongoue Kamga, The BP Group

Soiree Co-Chair

Paul Johnson, Northern Trust

 

Council Members

Abasi Aniton, Mid-Market Advisory Group

Romeo Ardimento, Ernst & Young

Megan Asmar, Entrepreneur

Emily Baldwin, Zola

Kaitlin Bergan, BlackRock

Will Breskman, Bregal Sagemount

Becca Connolly, Hum Capital

Elyse Cromer, Entrepreneur

Reilley Dabbs, CNN

Brett Davis, Bennie

Beckylee Dell, Amplify

Will Feng, Brightstar Capital Partners

Nicki Fleischner, Camp Scatico

Nicole Garrett, Sidley Austin LLP

Jimmy Humphrey, GMF Capital

Hari Joy, Blue Haven Initiative

Pradeepa Krish, Thrasio

Amber Lockwood, Rakuten

Nikaline McCarley, US Weekly

Jenna McElhinney, Suvretta Capital

Ashton McLeod, The Door

Lisa Nordfors, Deerfield Management 

Frederico Padilha, J.P. Morgan

Charlotte Savino, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Melody Serafino, No.29 Communications

Scott Silverstein, EQOffice (The Blackstone Group)

Lucie Simpson, Salesforce

Ashu Vats, ICR Capital

 

As of 12/01/2022.

Affiliations for identification purposes only. 

Become a Rising Leader

Interested in joining the committee? Submit the application below to get started.