UNCF will host its annual 2025 “A Mind Is…”® New England Gala on March 13, 2025 at the Seaport Hotel Boston. More than 300 guests are expected to attend, including UNCF leadership, corporate partners, educators, community leaders and alumni and scholars from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU).
For more than 80 years, UNCF has strived to change the HBCU narrative across the nation by equipping more HBCU students with the resources necessary to transition into college, graduate and ultimately expand and diversify America’s highly educated workforce. The “A Mind Is…”® New England Gala helps UNCF achieve the needed resources to do just that.
UNCF will present the following awards at the event: the corporate partner award to Santander Bank for its support of UNCF and the transformative impact it has on HBCU students from New England and beyond; the leadership award to Adage Capital Management, L.P. for its forward-thinking strategies and partnership with UNCF to ensure deserving students have the access, tools and resources needed to propel them on an upward trajectory in the asset management and financial services industries; and the trailblazer award to Valerie Mosely, founder and Chief Visionary Officer, BrightUp, for blazing a pathway for others to follow in the asset management industry and her unwavering commitment to empowering students from historically underrepresented communities. We are grateful to once again have our very own Massachusetts native and Spelman College alumna Shayna Seymour, co-anchor of WCVB-TV Channel 5’s Chronicle, as our mistress of ceremonies.
“As America deals with a very unprecedented time in our history, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and graduates from underserved communities continue to show their value to the nation’s economic growth,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF. “HBCUs are major economic engines growing our national economy and the prosperity of state and local communities. Yet, they remain systemically underfunded, and their students must fight to gain access to the same benefits that others take for granted. Your support is needed more than ever to help talented, deserving students to get to and through college. I encourage you to invest in UNCF so, together, we can empower our next generation who will lead this nation and contribute to society’s success. Events like the ‘A Mind Is…’® New England Gala help us all succeed.”
Proceeds from the gala will help support UNCF-member HBCUs and college students who are in need of financial assistance to achieve degree completion.
“As UNCF enters its ninth decade of service, we stand on the shoulders of countless allies who have championed the power of HBCUs and higher education for students from historically underrepresented communities,” said Arleaya Martin, area director of development, New England, UNCF. “We are deeply grateful for the continued partnership of leaders like Santander Bank, Adage Capital Management, L.P., Valerie Mosely and our supporters who believe in the transformative impact of these institutions and the students we serve.”