Pratham Promotes Education and Equality at NY Gala Featuring Senator Kamala Harris

On Friday, September 28, 2018, more than 600 business and community leaders gathered for a magical evening in celebration of Pratham. The event, held at the elegant Cipriani Wall Street, raised over $3.6 million for our transformative education programs.

California Senator Kamala Harris, who gave the night’s keynote address, connected with the audience through a deeply personal speech that reflected on her upbringing both here in the US and in India. She spoke about her family’s lineage as well as their commitment to “standing up for what’s right” and urged those in attendance to join the “collective fight” against hate and division, declaring, “The vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.”

Pratham CEO Dr. Rukmini Banerji touched on similar themes as she described Pratham’s plans to bring communities across India together through our Hamara Gaon (our village) initiative. “From California to the beaches in Chennai…to the hospital in Chandigarh…to the work we do…we truly are connected,” she explained. “If you don’t have a community which is strong, it will be very difficult to build long-term foundations of both productivity and equity.”

Mentalist and motivational speaker Oz Pearlman delighted the crowd with a unique mind-reading performance, which blended magic and humor. The night also featured very successful live and silent auctions.

“What an amazing evening!” remarked Pratham New York Tri-State chapter president Gagan Singh. “We are absolutely overwhelmed by the support we received, and the money raised through this event will have a profound and lasting impact on the lives of millions of children.”

The gala had many corporate sponsors including Dome Equities, Kirkland Ellis LLP, Synechron, Blackrock and EY.