INROADS Announces 2024 Benefit Gala Award Recipients

ATLANTA, GA (January 17, 2024) — As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and head into Black History Month, INROADS is proud to announce the 2024 award recipients of its annual Benefit Gala, to be hosted May 2, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. EST at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Presented by P&G, this year’s Benefit Gala recognizes change-agents doing breakthrough work to create a more equitable world and achieve the dream of opportunity for all. The black-tie event will bring together corporate partners, supporters, and alumni, all of whom share the common goal of the pursuit of equity. 

The 2024 INROADS Benefit Gala award recipients include:  

• Corporate Social Responsibility & Equity Partner of the Year: Joan Higginbotham, INROADS alumna, retired NASA astronaut and rocket scientist, and current President and Founder of Joan Higginbotham Ad Astra, LLC 
• Alumni of the Year: Saaima Khaliq, INROADS alumna and Managing Director & Private Equity CFO at New Mountain Capital, managing over $30 billion in private equity AUM (assets under management)
• Rising Star Award: Evan Malbrough, INROADS alumnus, Organizing Manager at Our Turn focused on education equity, former Research Fellow at the U.S. Department of Defense serving at the Pentagon
• Frank C. Carr Award: Dollar General, a key partner that contributed over $1 million in grant funding to INROADS, supporting educational, scholarship, career development, and internship programs that open doors to opportunity for diverse students across the country

Angela M. Hill, Emmy-Award Winning Senior Producer at The Washington Post and INROADS alumna, will host the event as Master of Ceremonies.  

“Our INROADS founder, Father Frank C. Carr, attended Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech during the March on Washington over 60 years ago. This motivated him to leave his corporate job and found INROADS. He is among a renowned group of awardees, including former U.S. president Bill Clinton, to receive the ‘Salute to Greatness’ award from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Father Carr’s vision of an America that is inclusive remains a key principle in our work today,” said Forest T. Harper, Jr., President and CEO of INROADS. “During our annual Benefit Gala, we’ll celebrate the achievements of distinguished leaders, INROADS alumni and corporate partners who are making history and achieving our founder’s legacy of impact.”  

This year’s Benefit Gala theme, Illuminating Pathways of Opportunity, highlights the work INROADS does to create equitable access to career opportunities for underrepresented students. Proceeds from the Benefit Gala support thousands of diverse high school and college students with leadership training, coaching, mentoring, paid internship opportunities, and connections to a powerful network of more than 40,000 INROADS alumni. Through these programs, INROADS prepares the next generation of leaders who will make a significant impact in their careers and communities.  

INROADS is proud to have the support of presenting sponsor Procter & Gamble for this year’s Benefit Gala. Other sponsors include Bayer, UnitedHealth Group, Zoetis, and MetLife. 

To learn more about the Benefit Gala and how you can support or register, visit https://inroads.org/BenefitGala/. 

Media Contact: Tyra Lang
E: [email protected]

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About INROADS  
Founded in 1970, INROADS delivers innovative programs and creative solutions that identify, accelerate, and elevate the development of underrepresented talent throughout their careers. Through this development, students become equipped for corporate and community leadership that affects community renewal and social change and elevates economic status and quality of life. INROADS has more than 40,000 alumni and over 900 interns and serves 6,000+ students and 200 corporate clients. Learn more at INROADS.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn: @INROADSInc.