Nolcha Fasion Week 2012 New York wows the fashion world.

February 13, 2012 by Jeffrey Holmes

Inspiring designs graced the runway of Nolcha Fashion Week 2012 New York. The Housewives of New York taped portions for an upcoming episode highlighting Fashion Week.

Jeffrey Holmes Photogaphy, a noted New York Corporate Event photographer. “The key was to find compelling angles to add to the artful images.

, Designer showing this year include: Vassilis Zoulias, Jetset collective by Farasha, Megla M, Teresa Rosati, Carlos Luna, Baruni, Rebeca Tiago, Antonia Paris, Riza Manalo, Castro-Rojas, Danilo Gabrielli, and Seckin Ilker.

The shows were celebrated at YOTEL in New York with an after party where the female quartet, JADA, performed.

NOLCHA Fashion Week 2012 NYC. New York’s Leading Showcase for Independent Fashion. Nolcha Fashion Week is a leading award winning event for independent fashion designers to showcase

Creating artful images of NOLCHA Fashion Week 2012 NYC. captured by Jeffrey Holmes, www.JeffreyHolmes.com

their collections to a global audience of press, retailers, stylists and industry influencers. Over the past five years Nolcha Fashion Week has established itself as a platform of discovery promoting innovative fashion designers through runway shows and exhibition during New York Fashion Week. Nolcha fashion week is officially listed with Mercedes Benz as the two recognized Fashion Weeks by New York City Economic Development Corporation; offering a range of cost effective options to increase designers recognition and develop their business. The successful collaborative showcase has been featured in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Lucky, NBC, MTV and Forbes

SEO Annual Alternative Investments Conference as photographed by Jeffrey Holmes Photography, Event Photographer New York.

November 15, 2011 by Jeffrey Holmes

SEO Annual Alternative Investments Conference was held on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at the Essex House in New York City.

Interest in alternative investments has never been stronger. The path to this industry is not always clear. SEO’s Annual Alternative Investments Conference highlights professional and business opportunities as well as provides individuals from underrepresented groups within financial services exposure to the leading voices in the alternative investments arena. The Benefits of Participation: Learn more about career paths and industry trend

SEO 2nd Annual Alternative Investment Conference held May 17, 2011 at the Essex House Hotel in New York. Organized by Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), the conference is part of SEO's Alternative Investments Program, which includes the Alternative Investment Fellowship Program (AIFP), an initiative launched in 2009. The AIFP is an educational program for young professionals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the alternative investments industry. The AIFP combines workshops, training and mentoring to strengthen Fellows as candidates for positions in private equity and other alternative investments. The program also improves Fellows' skills as analysts by exploring strategic decisions involved in transactions from the client's point of view. (Jeffrey Holmes/JeffreyHolmes.com)

SEO 2nd Annual Alternative Investment Conference (Jeffrey Holmes/JeffreyHolmes.com)

s within the alternative investment arena; Network with experienced professionals from various segments of the industry and Share insights and dialogue with aspiring and experienced finance professionals.

Tim Weld, CFA, Director, Parish Capital Advisors moderates panel at the SEO 2nd Annual Alternative Investment Conference held May 17, 2011 at the Essex House Hotel in New York. Organized by Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), the conference is part of SEO's Alternative Investments Program, which includes the Alternative Investment Fellowship Program (AIFP), an initiative launched in 2009. The AIFP is an educational program for young professionals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the alternative investments industry. The AIFP combines workshops, training and mentoring to strengthen Fellows as candidates for positions in private equity and other alternative investments. The program also improves Fellows' skills as analysts by exploring strategic decisions involved in transactions from the client's point of view. (Jeffrey Holmes/JeffreyHolmes.com)

Tim Weld, CFA, Director, Parish Capital Advisors moderates panel at the SEO 2nd Annual Alternative Investment Conference. (Jeffrey Holmes/JeffreyHolmes.com)

The event organizers engaged the services of Jeffrey Holmes Photography. Jeffrey has been the photographer of choice for Sponsors for Educational Opportunity since 2007. His dynamic images grace the pages of the SEO’s collateral materials and reports.

During this day long event, industry discussions were facilitated by leaders who focused on the private equity and hedge funds sector, providing insight to rising professionals with valuable information. Institutional investors, fund managers, consulting firms, and other providers within the alternative investments industry foster the growth and knowledge of the next generation of leaders by participating as panelists and supporters of the conference.

The conference was organized by Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO). The conference is part of SEO’s Alternative Investments Program, which includes the Alternative Investment Fellowship Program (AIFP) which was launched in 2009. The AIFP is an educational program for young professionals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the alternative investments industry. The AIFP combines workshops, training and mentoring to strengthen Fellows as candidates for positions in private equity and other alternative investments. The program also improves Fellows’ skills as analysts by exploring strategic decisions involved in transactions from the client’s point of view. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and TPG partner with SEO for the AIFP. Most recently, Audax Group joined with SEO to identify talent for Audax’s undergraduate summer analyst program, providing another pathway for talented individuals to gain access to the industry.

Institutional Investors’s Africa Investment Forum Event Photographer

November 6, 2011 by Jeffrey Holmes

African dignitaries and investment leaders came together at Institutional Investor's Africa Investment Forum held April 11-12, 2011 at the Metropolitan Club in New York. (Jeffrey Holmes/JeffreyHolmes.com)

Event Photographer in New York, Jeffrey Holmes was Institutional Investor’s choice to photograph the Africa Investment Forum as it has for their international forums since 2004. This long standing relationship demonstrates the confidence they have in his ability to consistently get the images Institutional Investor Events needs for promotional and media release purposes. This assignment was particularly challenging as it was held in the West Room of the Metropolitan Club, New York. While it is a gorgeously rich room featuring a stunning ceiling mural. This is a very dark venue. Added to the challenge was the dark skin tones. Limited light includes 4 windows on the west wall and only eight dimly lighted wall sconces. Generally stage lighting is provided by 2 spots for video recording. The wide f-stop range between stage and audience called upon all of Jeffrey’s talents in order to make great event photography. His camera of choice is the Canon 5D Mark2 with its minimum noise at higher ISO setting and 1Ds Mark2 for its 8 frames per second capture rate.

The event was eye opening as to the future of the continent. Africa is making significant strides in focusing global investors’ interest on the opportunities there. Africa’s new vision of its future highlights the potential that can be found in these nations while addressing many of the obstacles that have hindered foreign investment in the past. This long-term, comprehensive strategy for increasing foreign investments means applying the lessons learned and building on the comparative strengths of the region’s markets and key sectors. In response to these steps forward as well as significantly increased interest among US institutions, Institutional Investor’s Africa Investment Conference is the premier, Africa-focused event in the US in 2011. With the theme, The Gateway to Opportunity, the event embodied Africa’s vision for sustained economic development driven by targeted, informed foreign investment. The Conference was the ideal forum for the necessary exchange of information among senior decision-makers from the region’s governmental and regulatory authorities, executives from Africa’s leading corporations, and the US institutional investors who are interested in learning more about the opportunities in Africa. The Africa Investment Conference supplied investors with the macro information they require about governmental, regulatory, and economic policies coupled with intensive examinations of key sector initiatives, including: Capital markets and banking developments; Tax and legal reforms; Monetary and fiscal policies; Infrastructure public-private partnerships; and Project and leverage financing opportunities in oil and gas, telecoms, transportation, tourism, health services, metals/mining, agribusiness, renewable energy, and power.

This years program included presentations from key government officials and regulators, panel discussions among corporate executives and large US investors, and case studies focusing on some of the region’s more notable achievements. The event photography of Jeffrey Holmes is included in this post with more images available in the Institutional Investor Africa Investment Forum gallery.

Steelcase 360 Discussion: Preparing tomorrow’s leaders for the fast paced interconnected business world.

July 19, 2011 by Jeffrey Holmes

How does education prepare tomorrow’s leaders for this fast paced interconnected business world?

Roger Martin, Daniel Pink and Jim Keane discussed how education prepares tomorrow’s leaders for this fast paced interconnected business world in a Live Steelcase 360 Discussion: Educating the Creative Leaders of Tomorrow. The New York location of the event was photographed by corporate photographer Jeffrey Holmes.

Coming out of the recent recession, problems are more complex, markets are more volatile and change is more rapid. Education must keep pace. So how can educators prepare students to lead in today’s interconnected world? Steelcase brought together three of the most influential thinkers on management and education to discuss this topic in its live, virtual panel discussion: Educating the Creative Leaders of Tomorrow.

Steelcase 360 Degree Discussion Educating the Creative Leaders of Tomorrow photographed by Jeffrey Holmes, New York corporate photographer.

Reena Jaana and Jim Keane during the Steelcase 360 Degree Discussion of Educating the Creative Leaders of Tomorrow.

Moderated by Reena Jana, an innovation expert and journalist, the Steelcase 360 Discussion explored how education can be redefined to better prepare tomorrow’s creative leaders. Moreover, the panel sought to identify the critical skills needed to achieve success as a business leader and how education will need to adapt. Joining the discussion were Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management; Daniel Pink, bestselling author on the changing world of work and Jim Keane, President of Steelcase.

“Given the recent recession, the rapid pace of change, and the complexity of an interconnected world, the skills that today’s students need to lead are far different from what we are used to,” said Keane. “Educators must keep pace with these global business changes to prepare students.”

While Jana joined Keane in the Steelcase showroom in New York City to host the panel, Martin and Pink participated via high-definition videoconferencing from Toronto and Washington D.C., respectively, using Steelcase’s mediascape with HD videoconferencing technology. With mediascape with HD Videoconferencing, panelists can view each other, present and share content seamlessly during the discussion.

About the Panelists

Roger Martin is dean of University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, as well as a professor of strategic management as well as the author of The Design of Business. A Canadian from Wallenstein, Ontario, Roger was formerly a director of Monitor Company, a global strategy consulting firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Daniel H. Pink is the author of four provocative books about the changing world of work — including the New York Times bestsellers, A Whole New Mind and Drive. His articles on business and technology appear in many publications, including the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Wired, where he is a contributing editor.

Jim Keane, Steelcase President photographed by Jeffrey Holmes, Corporate Photographer New York.

Jim Keane, President of Steelcase, during a Steelcase 360 Degree Discussion: Educating the Creative Leaders of Tomorrow.

Jim Keane is president of the Steelcase brand of Steelcase Inc. Named to this role in October 2006, Jim oversees the sales, marketing and product development activities of the Steelcase, Turnstone, PolyVision and Details brands.

Reena Jana, former Innovation Department Editor for BusinessWeek moderates Steelcase 360 Degree Discussion on Educating the Creative Leaders of Tomorrow.

Reena Jana is the former Innovation Department editor for BusinessWeek. Currently, Reena is a freelance writer for national publications (including the New York Times, Harvard Business Review and Wired) specializing in the intersection of emerging technologies and culture.

Steelcase helps create great experiences wherever work happens. Ther brands offer a comprehensive portfolio of workplace furnishings, products and services, inspired by nearly 100 years of insight gained serving the world’s leading organizations. Steelcase is globally accessible through a network of channels, including over 650 dealers. They design for social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Steelcase is a global, publicly traded company leading our industry with fiscal 2010 revenue of approximately $2.3 billion.

Small Business Summit brings technology solutions to business by event photographer New York Jeffrey Holmes Photography

May 8, 2011 by Jeffrey Holmes

Christopher McCann, President of 1-800-Flowers, explains how a single flower shop in Manhattan became the world

The Sixth Annual Small Business Summit, sponsored by Dell Computers, was a special environment where small business owners meet their peers and learn from vendors offering cutting edge technology for small business. Attendees learned, shared and connected with both old and new relationships. This year featured Chris McCann, President of 1-800-Flowers and Jim Fowler, CEO/CoFounder of Jigsaw, plus panels of experts, interactive sessions and networking with exhibitors. Sponsors gave away some fabulous prizes. The event was was organized by Smallbiztechnology.com and Prime Strategies and held at Digital Sandbox in New York. The event photographer for the 5th year was Jeffrey Holmes Photography, a respected business event photographer New York producing great event photography.

The Small Business Summit also presented the 2011 Small Business Strategy Award and Hot Tech Demo winners on at Digital Sandbox in New York City. Winner the 2011 Small Business Strategy Award, ath Power Consulting, a leading financial services market research and strategy firm. Shady Grove Eye and Vision Care and Great Bear Auto and Body Shop were named as runner up winners for this award. Twisplays, a technology firm that allows you to conveniently display whatever Twitter streams you desire from a larger LED screen, has been named the winner of the 2011 Hot Tech Demo. “This award recognizes and honors businesses that have developed and executed a strategy producing significant growth in profits or market share over the past few years,” says Marian Banker, MBA, Co‐Producer of the Small Business Summit and President of Prime Strategies. “ath Power Consulting is an excellent example of success using the strategy of finding and leveraging their opportunity in a market downturn” adds Marian Banker. “We feel honored to be presented with the 2011 Small Business Strategy Award,” said Frank Aloi, President and CEO of ath Power Consulting. “As the downturn in consumer sentiment continued in financial services, we knew that analyzing and improving the customer experience would ‐ or certainly should ‐ be a top strategic priority in the U.S. banking industry. Our goal was to prove how ath Power could help financial institutions rebuild sustainable profitability, trust in the market and return to high performance by using our solutions. We achieved that goal by implementing a solid business strategy, ultimately leading us to increased customer retention and profits. ath Power is proud to be recognized for our achievement.”

Ken Weyel of Microsoft Advertising presents his insight into web marketing at the Small Business Summit 2011 at Digital Sandbox in New York.

“I am so pleased again this year that the ‘Hot Tech’ demo segment has received such a great response,” says Ramon Ray, Co‐Producer of the Summit, Editor & Technology Evangelist of Smallbiztechnology.com. “Small businesses want to see how technology can transform within their business and budget and Twisplays is a perfect example of this. Providing any business the ability to extend their brand and messaging by leveraging their existing Twitter stream is a perfect example of how to expand to a larger audience without breaking the bank”, adds Ray. “We are excited to be named the 2011 Hot Tec Demo Winner, says Joshua Persky, CEO of Twisplays. Our goal is to help businesses promote their brand and increase sales by leveraging existing social media marketing programs, in this case with Twitter.” During the Summit, each of the winners will showcase and tell how their products help a growing business and why it’s important. To learn more about the Summit or these business owners, visit smallbiztechsummit.com

Ramon Ray moderates a panel including Matthew Weiss, Traffic Ticket Lawyer, Andy Steuer of Deluxe and Ken Weyel, Microsoft Advertising. They shared their views on how to achieve outstanding.growth using online marketing techniques.Small Business Summit 2011 at Digital Sandbox in New York. (Jeffrey Holmes/JeffreyHolmes.com)

Ramon Ray moderate a panel including Matthew Weiss, Traffic Ticket Lawyer, Andy Steuer of Deluxe and Ken Weyel, Microsoft Advertising. They shared their views on how to achieve outstanding.growth using online marketing techniques.Small Business Summit 2011 at Digital Sandbox in New York.

Event Photographer Comment: Digital Sandbox is a great venue for technology events. WiFi is available for attendees. From a photographer’s perspective, the lighting is substandard. The room used for the exhibition hall is dark with the spot lighting, exposed ceiling with vents and conduit painted black. This is not a great environment for bounce flash lighting. I make it work by shooting manual strobe and over powering the ambient light. Exposure and color correction is adjusted in post production of RAW files. The rooms where presentations and programs are generally held have white ceilings with fluorescent lighting and make photographing the speakers easier. However in the end, program producers should consider adding supplemental lighting to the stage area.

“America’s Got Talent” Top Ten finalists receive Courage award from Boomer Esiason Foundation

March 11, 2011 by Jeffrey Holmes

Jeffrey Holmes, Event photographer New York. (Jeffrey Holmes)

Ali and Christina Christensen, Top Ten Finalists on “America’s Got Talent” perform at BEF’s Booming Celebration. Photo by event photographer New York Jeffrey Holmes

Michael Brennan Courage Award
Ali and Christina Christensen, Top Ten Finalists on “America’s Got Talent.

This award was established in 2000 to hour the memory of BEF’s friend and colleague Michael Brennan. It is awarded to outstanding individuals living with cystic fibrosis.

Singing Sisters put Cystic Fibrosis in the National Spotlight. Ali and Christina Christensen thrilled the cystic fibrosis community in 2010 when they made it into the Top 10 on the popular “America’s Got Talent” television show. The singing sisters, who both have cystic fibrosis, charmed the show’s celebrity judge panel and won over a national audience. Alexa (“Ali”), 21, and Christina, 14, were presented with the 2011 Michael Brennan Courage Award during the Boomer Esiason Foundation’s Annual Awards Gala 2011. This award is given annually to outstanding individuals living with CF.

Jeffrey Holmes Photography, New York event photographer, covered the event for the Boomer Esiason Foundation this year as well as the past years. His event photography is published in the Boomer Esiason Foundation’s printed and web marketing and public relations program throughout the year.

Alexa and Christina Christensen are sisters from Idaho Fall, who since childhood have astonished audiences with their singing and songwriting talents. Even bigger that their voices are their spirit. The two siblings were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when they were very young. Initially performing as soloists. The girls joined together in 2011 to sing Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” as a special tribute at their older sister’s funeral. Each have their unique strengths. Ali is a vocalist of many talents including yodeling. Tiny Christina’s giant voice left the crowd amazed.

Ali Christensen, Top Ten Finalists on “America's Got Talent" performs with sister at benefit for the fight against cystic fibrosis. Photos by event photographer New York Jeffrey Holmes

Christina and Ali’s dream is inspiring people who face challenges or have lost hope. Their message is that while everyone has to navigate personal trials, each is a gift where there is joy to be experienced and dreams to be realized.

The photography portfolio of Jeffrey Holmes, a corporate portrait and event photographer is experienced in corporate portrait photography and portrait corporate head shots. Jeffrey Holmes is an accomplished artist among corporate portrait photographers and is a noted photographer in New York. He has been the official photographer for the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce since 2002. Jeffrey Holmes Photography is known to his clients as their New York event photographer, the choice for photographer for events, always a professional photographer, and event photography New York. Professional photographer for creative corporate portrait photography and respected among portrait photographers. New York event photographer is the photographer for events and event photography New York. Great images and superb customer service.

NOLCHA Fashion Week’s Fashion Lounge is always fabulous for an event photographer.

February 3, 2011 by Jeffrey Holmes

NOLCHA Fashion Week features the Fashion Lounge and Ramon Singer.

Nolcha supports the growth of ethical fashion and celebrate independent fashion brands. Jeffrey Holmes, phtotographed the event for NOLCHA.

Nolcha Fashion Lounge featured Ethical Fashion Designers. Free makeovers by Paul Mitchell in foreground.

The Nolcha Fashion Lounge took place on February 10th at the Empire Hotel Rooftop located at 44 West 63rd Street (between Broadway & Columbus Ave), from 12pm to 6pm, and was followed by a networking cocktail party from 7pm – 9pm. Photographing the designers and the cocktail event was Nolcha photographer, Jeffrey Holmes Photography. Jeffrey is a well respected corporate event fashion photographer in New York.

Nolcha continues to support the growth of ethical fashion and celebrate independent fashion brands who hold to sustainable, organic and eco-friendly fashion standards. Nolcha is an award-winning leading global platform advancing the business of independent fashion designers and retailers via social e-commerce, fashion week events and an educational video portal.

Celebrity style expert Jess Zaino with Ramona Singer touring the Nolcha Fashion Lounge..Nolcha supports the growth of ethical fashion and celebrate independent fashion brands who hold to sustainable, organic and eco-friendly fashion standards. Nolcha is an award-winning leading global platform advancing the business of independent fashion designers and retailers via social e-commerce, fashion week events and an educational video portal. (Jeffrey Holmes)

Celebrity style expert Jess Zaino with Ramona Singer, cast member of Bravo network's Real Housewives of New York City, touring the Nolcha Fashion Lounge..Nolcha supports the growth of ethical fashion and celebrate independent fashion brands who hold to sustainable, organic and eco-friendly fashion standards. Nolcha is an award-winning leading global platform advancing the business of independent fashion designers and retailers via social e-commerce, fashion week events and an educational video portal.

Deborah Pokallus, Founder of Bel Esprit Showroom comments: “Bel Esprit is thrilled to be back again with Nolcha Fashion Week and we are very proud to bring the best of ethical fashion to the event and support the work of ethical designers from around the globe.”

Here is a highlight of the collections who were apart of the fair trade movement for fair labor/wage in their manufacturing and/or ecological and fair trade materials showcasing at the Nolcha Fashion Lounge.

Featured Designers:

Ailin: meaning = “compassion for nature” multi-functional high wearabilityintegrates sustainability progressive blend of fashion and function environmental responsive eco-friendly fabrics natural and organic label Check out Ailin’s Profile

Alberto Parada: award winning jewelry simplistic natural beauty quiet boldness delicate composition of architectural form environmentally and socially responsible ethically sourced gems, conflict-free diamonds, and reclaimed gold Check out Alberto Parada’s Profile

House of Tammam: semi-couture and couture exclusive luxury eco fabrics organic and Fair Trade cotton bamboo and recycled fabrics made under fair trade conditions immaculately tailored womens evening and occasion wear newest innovation in the eco luxury market ready to wear bridal

Check out House of Tammam’s Profile

room to roam: new breath of freedom Munich fashion label the search for individuality fresh design and sustainability fuse creativity, curiosity and boldness with the finest ingredients certified organic materials philosophy of ecotrade and fairtrade fashion avoids artificial constructions

Check out Room to Roam’s Profile

REY: timeless quality in part from nature but a major part from the fabrics and yarns themselves be worn and celebrated color schemes come from nature Emphasize is on fluidity and draping high quality fabrics and attention to detail.

Check out Rey’s Profile

Designers Names: Helga Lilja Magnúsdóttir
Label: Helicopter
Website: www.helicopter-clothing.com
Vision: Helicopter is a high street fashion label from Reykjavík, Iceland. Helicopter’s main goal is creating comfortable, yet sexy clothing both for everyday and evening wear. Partly inspired by ancient Incan and native American patterns, the FW 2011-12 collection combines geometric cuts with subtle sexuality. Working with viscose and sheer mesh to enhance parts of the body that are flattering.
Helga Lilja, the designer of helicopter, graduated from the Icelandic Academy of the Arts in 2006. She worked as tailoring and fitting manager/assistant designer for the streetwear label Nikita. Now she is working on her own line and loving it.
Helicopter is a young label which aims high.

Check out Helicopter’s Profile

Institutional Investor presents 2011 Leadership and Investor Relations Awards

February 3, 2011 by Jeffrey Holmes

Institutional Investor awards by Jeffrey Holmes New York event photographer

(Click on photo to view gallery.) Leading corporations, CEO's, CFO's and Investor Relations Leaders are recogized an awards dinner held at the Plaza Hotel Ballroom on February 6, 2011. Photographed by New York event photographer, Jeffrey Holmes Photography.

Institutional Investor presents…

2011 All-America Executive Team-Leadership and Investor Relations Awards

Monday, February 7, 2011, The Plaza, New York City

Institutional Investor ’s All-America Executive Team-Leadership and Investor Relations Awards Dinner and Ceremony honored the U.S. companies and IR professionals who ranked at the top of their industries for their investor relations programs, as well as executives and companies who ranked at the top for their corporate leadership. The awards dinner was held in conjunction with The IR Summit, and afternoon thought-leadership and networking event built around II’s underlying research.

The event was photographed for Institutional Investor by Jeffrey Holmes Photography, a professional New York photographer who is a creative corporate event photographer. II has engaged him as their photographer for events and event photography New York since 2004.

Leading corporations, CEO's, CFO's and Investor Relations Leaders are recogized an awards dinner held at the Plaza Hotel Ballroom on February 6, 2011. Photographed by New York event photographer, Jeffrey Holmes Photography.

The award winners were as follows:

NASDAQ-listed Company of the Year: CISCO

IR Professional of the Year: Christian Garcia, Halliburton Co.

CFO of the Year: William Wheeler, MetLife

Most Honored Company: Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.

CEO of the Year: James Dimon, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Company of the Year and NYSE-listed Company of the Year: JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Best Company at Corporate Social Responsibility: Google, Inc.

For more than 30 years, Institutional Investor has recognized people and companies in the U.S. and around the world for performance and professional excellence. The integrity of Institutional Investor’s editorial and research-supported rankings and awards have earned the highest regard in the industry and continue to set the standard by which excellence is measured.

SEO Scholars Program welcomes Class of 2014

February 2, 2011 by Jeffrey Holmes

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity held its orientation for its Class of 2014 Scholars Program. Group of 200 9th and 10th grade students and their parents were given an overview of what will be expected of SEO, parents and students over the next years of high school. The event was photographed for SEO by

SEO Scholars Program Orientation for the Class of 2014 at Credit Suisse on January 29, 2011. Students and their parents receive an overview of the program expectations from the students, parents and SEO.

Jeffrey Holmes Photography, a professional New York photographer is a creative corporate event photographer. SEO engages him as their photographer for events and event photography New York.

The Scholars Program, an out-of-school academic enrichment program, and the founding program of SEO, helps motivated students of color from New York City public high schools matriculate and succeed at the most competitive colleges in the country.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity photographed by Jeffrey Holmes, event photographer

Admissions: Students applying to the Scholars Program must submit an application form, essays, the most recent high school report card or transcript and a teacher recommendation. A personal interview is also required.

Who SEO Serves
The SEO Scholars Program works with students who have the capacity for high achievement, yet have not had the opportunity to attend a school where they receive the academic preparation needed for competitive college admissions and success. Our analysis of students entering New York City high schools indicates that approximately 25,000 – 28,000 ninth grade students meet our admissions criteria and could benefit from the curriculum each year.

SEO recruits students from our affiliate schools and through a city-wide outreach effort. In the 2010-11 program year, the Scholars Program will serve 340 high school students and 206 college students. Nearly 60% of our high school students are from households where the annual family income is less than $33,000.

Program Impact: The SEO Scholars Program is pursuing a new paradigm in Out-of-School Time (OST) education – a paradigm that centers on intensive year-round academic preparation in order to ensure that underserved New York City public high school students are truly college-ready.

The program is having a significant impact on the high school grades, SAT scores and college-readiness of our students. We believe the success of our high school graduating Class of 2010 demonstrates the effectiveness of the program:

Ninety-three percent of the Class of 2010 (61 students) are attending a college ranked Most, Highly or Very Competitive by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges.
These colleges include Babson College, Cornell University, Mount Holyok College, University of Notre Dame, Wesleyan University and Williams College.
Scholars earned more than $1.5 million in scholarships and awards for their first year of college.
Two SEO Scholars were winners of the Gates Millennium Scholarship.
Five Scholars were awarded full, four-year tuition scholarships through the Posse Foundation.
Two Scholars were Horatio Alger Scholarship winners and will receive a $20,000 scholarship annually.
A Scholar was one of five students nationally to be awarded the Leonore Annenberg College Scholarship, covering tuition and fees, room and board, books, a laptop and a modest stipend.

Scholars Program students have also closed the academic achievement gap with their peers nationally. These results are based on comparing the SAT scores of Class of 2009 students in the U.S. that have similar high school GPAs. In addition, the Scholars Program has eliminated the gap between Black SEO high school seniors and their White counterparts at every GPA level. Nationwide, Black students typically score 180-300 points less on the SAT than White students at all GPA levels. This difference is an example of an achievement gap that is regularly cited in the media.

>>View charts showing SEO Scholars’ achievement on the SATs.

After high school, the ongoing personal guidance that Scholars receive through the College Scholars Program is helping students make a sucessful transition to life on campus. Throughout their college years, SEO services help students sustain their academic performance, explore career fields with experienced professionals and participate in enriching internships.

The average cumulative GPA of SEO College Scholars participating in the program is 3.12 as of the fall 2010 semester.
For the high school Class of 2007, 89% of students report that they are graduating from college on time in 2011.
In 2010, SEO assisted college students in securing 87 summer internships with a variety of organizations, including AXA Advisors, Brown University, Discovery Communications, General Electric, HBO, Ketchum PR, the Lymphoma Research Foundation, Montefiore Medical Center, the NYC Department of Transportation, the New York Women’s Foundation, Sirius XM Radio, and the U.S. Department of State.

>> Listen to SEO Scholars share their program experiences and aspirations.

Stephen Goldsmith, Deputy Mayor featured at Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

January 29, 2011 by Jeffrey Holmes

Stephen Goldsmith, Deputy Mayor of Operations was the featured speaker at Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s Chairman’s Breakfast hosted by MetLife in their Sky Garden Auditorium in New York on January 28, 2011.

Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Chairman

The quarterly breakfast event is photographed by MCC Photographer, Jeffrey Holmes Photography. Jeffrey is a creative New York event photographer, he is the photographer for events and event photography New York. Great images and superb customer service.

Goldsmith spoke to the city’s goal of streamlining city operations, making the processes more expedited and customer friendly. Questions from the guests called to attention traffic/parking issues and coordination of non-profit efforts.

Here is more about Stephan Goldsmith from the New York City web site:

Stephen Goldsmith is the Deputy Mayor for Operations. Deputy Mayor Goldsmith is focused on creating a City government for the 21st Century that is smaller, more efficient, and more cost effective; uses fewer vehicles; consolidates back office functions and reduces redundancies across agencies; shares data, and uses technology to better serve the public.

From 1992-1999, Goldsmith served as Mayor of Indianapolis, where he earned a reputation as one of the country’s most innovative public officials. His transformative efforts to revitalize urban neighborhoods and to transfer real authority to community groups received national acclaim. Deputy Mayor Goldsmith served as a special advisor to President Bush on faith-based and nonprofit initiatives and served as the Chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service for eight years under President Bush and President Obama, where he helped lead efforts to expand and strengthen the government’s service agenda. Deputy Mayor Goldsmith was District Attorney for Marion County, Indiana from 1979 to 1990.

Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Chairman

Prior to his appointment as Deputy Mayor, Goldsmith was the Daniel Paul Professor of Government and the Director of the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He has authored a number of books, including The Power of Social Innovation: How Civic Entrepreneurs Ignite Community Networks for Good, Governing by Network: the New Shape of the Public Sector, Putting Faith in Neighborhoods: Making Cities Work through Grassroots Citizenship and The Twenty-First Century City: Resurrecting Urban America.