Annual fundraiser to recognize strivers and doers who have curated programs for diverse and marginalized adolescence.
ATLANTA, GA, August 9, 2021 — INROADS, Inc., a global solutions provider for addressing diverse talent pipeline issue challenges, is inviting the public to help celebrate this year’s 50th Anniversary Benefit Gala, presented by Procter and Gamble (P&G) and powered by BET. Taking place on Thursday, August 12th, at 7 p.m. EST, the Benefit Gala will honor INROADS alumni, corporate, and community partners who have achieved the legacy of the mission and are creating a positive impact within their community and nation and bring together civic leaders and visionaries.
The Benefit Gala will present the various awards virtually to INROADS alumni and trailblazers who exemplify the INROADS mission in their life and their work. The 2021 honorees include the Frank C. Carr Humanitarian Awardee: Thasunda Brown Duckett, President and CEO of Teachers Annuity Association of America (TIAA); Corporate Partner of the Year Awardee: L3Harris Technologies, a global aerospace and defense technology innovator; Alumni of the Year Awardee: Aloe Blacc, award winning musician, singer and songwriter; Social Justice Awardee: L.P. Green, II, CEO and Founder of Savoy Venture Partners; and Rising Star Awardee: Michal Weaver, Jr., Associate at Federal National Mortgage Association. The evening will be hosted by prominent news anchor, reporter and INROADS Alumna, Lisa Gonzales from Sacramento KCRA 3, an NBC-affiliate network.
“For more than 50 years, INROADS has been at the forefront of shaping diverse talent in Corporate America, creating pathways of opportunities in the Black community, and helping to close America’s racial wealth gap,” said Forest Harper, President and CEO of INROADS. “We are grateful to our INROADS alumni, sponsors and broader network for their commitment to our organization’s mission. We have made a tremendous impact to date and look forward to celebrating our award recipients and inspiring the next generation of INROADS leaders.”
All proceeds from the Benefit Gala will directly support over 4,000 underrepresented, industrious high school and college students to receive leadership training, coaching, mentoring, and opportunities for paid corporate internships acting as a conduit for wealth creation. As a result of these efforts, INROADS is able to produce diverse leaders who enhance the composition and culture of business through diversity, equity and inclusion.
“BET is committed to supporting organizations that empower our audience and bring issues that matter to the forefront,” said P. Sean Gupta, SVP, Strategy & Business Operations, BET. “BET is excited to partner with INROADS to power this gala with our production expertise and stream and feature it across our digital platforms for viewers to see Black excellence. We look forward to harnessing the power of our ViacomCBS brands to address the diversity gap across various industries and equip diverse communities to take ownership of their success.”
INROADS is proud to have the support of Procter & Gamble, who is the presenting partner for this year’s Benefit Gala, and BET, who is powering the event and making it more accessible to audiences through its platform. Other sponsors include Dollar General, Lockheed Martin, Pfizer, PwC, UnitedHealth Group, UPS, Purchasing Power, The Home Depot, Chevron, Accenture, Ironwood, L3Harris, Truist, Cetera, Burson Cohn and Wolfe (BCW), Anterix, Taylor Solution Group, Executive Help Now and EY.
To learn more about the Benefit Gala and to register, please visit https://inroads.org/benefitgala/.
About INROADS
INROADS is the world’s largest nonprofit organization committed to developing the leadership of talented and underrepresented youth. With more than 30,000 alumni worldwide, INROADS has contributed to increases in the number of C-suite executives in corporate America. Founded in 1970, INROADS’ record of impact extends more than 50 years. For more information, please visit https://INROADS.org/.
ABOUT BET
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET+, BET.com, BET HER, BET Music Networks, BET Home Entertainment, BET Live, and BET Mobile.