Longstanding corporate partner Lenovo honored; Lenovo announces four-year initiative
(May 9, 2019 – New York, NY) – NAF, a national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure that high school students are college, career, and future ready, held its 16th annual Benefit on Wednesday at the Mandarin Oriental, New York. This year, global tech leader Lenovo was honored for its long-standing corporate partnership with NAF and the Lenovo Scholar Network.
NAF Chief Executive Officer, JD Hoye, said, “NAF is proud to honor Lenovo at this year’s Benefit and celebrate our long-standing partnership. Together, we are driven by a shared commitment to developing a stronger workforce and providing students from all backgrounds with equal opportunities. Thank you, Lenovo, for making a tremendous difference for so many young people and bringing the power of opportunity to life for our future leaders.”
Lenovo Scholar Network supports NAF mission
NAF and Lenovo have partnered on the Lenovo Scholar Network since 2014, originally serving 10 NAF academies and 400 students, and for this 2018-19 school year, growing to 133 NAF academies in all themes and 6,000 students. The Lenovo Scholar Network’s signature program engages NAF students in developing mobile applications, a collaborative effort with Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab App Inventor. The initiative features a nationwide mobile app development competition, involving a panel of judges from different sectors and an online “Fan Favorite” component. Participating academies develop apps on Lenovo’s ThinkPad notebook PCs and Yoga brand tablets.
Additional NAF-Lenovo engagements include a 1:1 mentoring program pairing NAF students with Lenovo employee volunteers. Thirty NAF school students will join Lenovo starting in June for paid internships. This marks the third year that Lenovo has employed NAF students from the Research Triangle, North Carolina region.
Lenovo, NAF announce four-year initiative to expand opportunities for NAF students
In his remarks at Wednesday’s Benefit, Matt Zielinski, President of Lenovo North America Intelligent Devices Group, announced Lenovo’s four-year, $1 million-dollar commitment to create internships for NAF students at post-secondary institutions in North Carolina, one of Lenovo’s worldwide headquarters.
This commitment aligns with NAF’s priority to increase college readiness opportunities and partnerships for future leaders. The initiative emulates the partnership NAF has developed with the University of California, Berkeley to launch a multi-summer residential program this June that will provide high school students with exposure to college and career pathways in STEM fields. These important initiatives will help bridge the divide and open a world of opportunities for NAF students.
“If it weren’t for the internships and opportunities many of us had along the way, we would not be where we are today,” Zielinski said, citing his own internship experience while he was a student at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. “At Lenovo, we believe in investing and growing partnerships that make a difference. NAF’s important work aligns with Lenovo’s own focus in promoting STEM and fostering greater access to careers in the technology industry, and this initiative takes it up another level.”
Event raises nearly $1.5 million for NAF
The Benefit generated nearly $1.5 million for NAF’s work with students, alumni, educators and business leaders celebrating NAF’s achievements and to support NAF’s mission to prepare young people to be college, career, and future ready. Guests had the opportunity to interact with NAF students from all across the country and view their projects — demonstrating how they’ve used their NAF academy experience to prepare for their next steps. Event proceeds will continue to support and sustain NAF’s mission, and also aid in providing programming, training, and materials for NAF teachers, directors, and students nationwide.
The program also featured an enlightening panel discussion moderated by NAF’s Chief Executive Officer, JD Hoye, in conversation with Zielinski and two NAF students around “The Power of Opportunity.”
The Honorary Benefit Chair was Sanford I. Weill, Founder and Chairman of NAF. Benefit Co-Chairs included Ursula M. Burns, Chairman & CEO of Veon, Ltd.; Lynne Doughtie, Chairman & CEO of KPMG.; Barbara Benioff Friedman, Trustee Emerita, Cornell University, Vice Chair of Overseers, Weill Cornell Medical College; John Hinshaw, Board Director & Angel Investor; Eugene A. Ludwig, Founder & CEO of Promontory Financial Group, LLC, an IBM Company; Thomas Penny III, President Donohue Hospitality Services; Marc C. Reed, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, Verizon; Larry Renfro, Vice Chairman UnitedHealth Group, Founder & Managing Partner, Optum Ventures; James D. Robinson III, General Partner & Co-Founder, RRE Ventures; and Matthew Zielinski, President, North America, Lenovo.
The Alumni Chair was Natasha Ghatak Singh, NAF Alumni Leadership Council and 2002 NAF Alumna, Sales Operation Manager, Promontory Financial Group, LLC, an IBM Company.
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About NAF:
NAF is a national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure that high school students are college, career, and future ready.
NAF works with high need communities to transform the high school experience through an educational design that includes industry-specific curricula, work-based learning experiences, and relationships with business professionals, culminating in a paid internship. NAF academies fit within and enhance school systems, allowing NAF to become an integral part of a plan for higher achievement at a low cost. NAF academies focus on one of five career themes: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences. During the 2018-19 school year, over 100,000 students attended 617 NAF academies across 35 states, including DC and the US Virgin Islands. In 2018, NAF academies reported 99% of seniors graduated with 87% of graduates planning to go to college. For more information, please visit: https://naf.org/
About Lenovo:
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$45 billion Fortune Global 500 company and a global technology leader in driving Intelligent Transformation through smart devices and infrastructure that create the best user experience. Lenovo manufactures one of the world’s widest portfolio of connected products, including smartphones (Motorola), tablets, PCs (ThinkPad, Yoga, Lenovo Legion) and workstations as well as AR/VR devices and smart home/office solutions. Lenovo’s data center solutions (ThinkSystem, ThinkAgile) are creating the capacity and computing power for the connections that are changing business and society. Lenovo works to inspire the difference in everyone and build a smarter future where everyone thrives. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Weibo, read about the latest news via our Storyhub, or visit our website at http://www. lenovo.com.