Town & Country, the Hearst-owned magazine, will kick off its third annual Philanthropy Summit on May 10.
The event, which will take place at the New-York Historical Society here, will feature four panels as well as a host of talks on “hot button issues.”
T&C editor in chief Stellene Volandes underscored the importance of this year’s summit as the magazine turns 170 years old.
“It’s an anniversary year for us and so in planning both the June Philanthropy issue and the summit, we thought a lot about the idea of multigenerational philanthropy and the idea of service as a family value,” Volandes told WWD. “In a year where there were lots of headlines about Avery Fisher Hall becoming David Geffen Hall, we’re doing a panel on how a city’s wealthiest citizens impact its public life. There was massive controversy surrounding the finances and leadership of Wounded Warrior, so we are doing a discussion with two incredibly influential people, Jake Wood and Zach Iscol, who have strong opinions about the kinds of giving and services that can help veterans.”
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Drilling deeper, the first panel, called “Next Generation Philanthropy,” is moderated by Sharna Goldseker and includes Emily Tisch Sussman from the Center for American Progress, Justin Rockefeller from The Impact, Barbara Bush from Global Health Corps and Matthew Reeve of the Christopher Reeve Foundation. Panel two, “Turning a Personal Issue Into a Foundation,” is moderated by Whitney Williams, president and founder of Williams Works, and will include Susan Solomon of The New York Stem Cell Foundation, Katharina Harf of DKMS Blood Cancer Research and Jessica Seinfeld of Good+ Foundation.
Daniel Lurie of Tipping Point will moderate the third panel, “How Private Wealth Fills Public Gaps,” which will comprise Bill Pulte of Pulte Capital, Liz Lefkofsky of The Lefkofsky Family Foundation and Majora Carter of Sustainable South Bronx. Michael Kors will head up the final panel on hunger, and he will speak with Blaine Trump from God’s Love We Deliver and Elisabeth Rasmusson, assistant executive director of the World Food Program.
Gary White of Water.org will serve as a spotlight speaker. Joe Klein will moderate a “hot-button” panel on veterans, which will include Team Rubicon USA’s Jake Wood and Zach Iscol of The Headstrong Project. Dana Farber, one of the summit’s sponsors, will have a hot-button panel called “Commitment to a Cause” on precision medicine, moderated by Amy Robach of “Good Morning America,” who was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. Her panel will include Dr. Levi Garraway of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and a donor named Robert Belfer.
Volandes will lead a talk with Leslie Odom Jr. of “Hamilton” and Princess Grace Foundation executive director Toby Boshak on theater and emerging talent, among other things, while Annie Griffiths, a wildlife photographer, will later address the issue of animal conservation.
The summit is held in partnership with Forevermark, Coty/DKMS, Dana Farber and Michael Kors. A spokeswoman from T&C said the magazine will unveil its June Philanthropy issue and cover star at the event. Tickets can be purchased online at eventbrite.com for between $600 and $800 for the daylong event.