New York, NY – October 29, 2020: The Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF) celebrated its 16th Annual Gala last night, the first as a virtual event. Focused on Innovation and Disruption, honorees Eric Schmidt, Former Executive Chairman & CEO of Google and Co-Founder of Schmidt Futures, and Alexandra Alger, Board Member of HEAF and Alger Funds were recognized for exceptional advocacy in education and making strides toward disrupting the status quo.
The event marked HEAF’s first-ever virtual gala. Online attendees had the opportunity to hear from the honorees and other thought leaders across business and the nonprofit world on critical social justice and education issues, including an honest and in-depth discussion about racial inequity and socio-economic disparities contributing to gaps in education from the earliest grades through to leadership opportunities in business featuring Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President & CEO of TIAA, joined by Ursula Burns, former Chairman & CEO of Xerox and VEON, Senior Advisor at Teneo, and Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation.