Our Philanthropic Impact

Michael Nathanson

The Colony Group

Though he was initially hesitant about nominating himself for an Invest in Others Award, Michael Nathanson quickly put those fears aside, knowing how it would benefit the nearly 700,000 Americans living with a brain tumor. As a non-cancerous brain tumor survivor himself, Michael has brought passion and determination to his work with the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS). During his tenure as board chair, he refocused the organization exclusively around research and advocacy and brought industry, academia and government together through its Defeat GBM (glioblastoma multiforme) Research Collaborative and Project Impact, a research collaborative for fighting pediatric brain tumors.

When it comes to pursuing recognition for your charitable work, think about your cause. Invest in Others provides an opportunity for you to advocate for dollars and awareness for your charity.

Lynn Chen-Zhang

Zhang Financial

Lynn Chen-Zhang immigrated to America with just $500 and a scholarship to attend Western Michigan University. From those humble roots, she went on the start her own wealth management firm and, today, gives back to her alma mater as president of the Western Michigan University Foundation and vice chair of the university’s board of trustees. Through her work with the university, Lynn focuses on ensuring that all students have an opportunity to reach their goals and potential. Thanks to the Invest in Others Award, the school was able to support 1,000 students who were in danger of dropping out due to unemployment related to COVID-19.

I’m grateful to have received the Invest in Others award because it inspired other volunteers at the university to assist students during a challenging time and it fostered a sense of pride among many alumni.

Amir Reda

T Rowe Price

Amir Reda recognizes that his path to becoming an asset manager was due, in large part, to growing up in a middleclass household and all the opportunities it afforded. Now, as a board member with Stocks in the Future (SIF), a nonprofit that teaches financial literacy to low-income middle school students in underserved Baltimore neighborhoods, Amir wants to ensure that children from poorer homes have equal access to quality education. Through his Invest in Others grant, Amir helped to expand SIF to a broader array of at-risk groups such as high school students, young adults and ESOL students.

The problems in underserved communities are all interconnected—whether it’s education, access to food or financial issues. If we can help solve for one of those, we can push the ball towards equality and impact the community in a positive way.

Taunya Villicana

Affinity Wealth Management

As a student at Tucson’s Sunnyside Unified School District, where roughly 90% of students qualify for free and reduced lunches, Tanya Villicana remembers grappling with food insecurity and the stigma of living in a poor community. Today, she’s a financial advisor but continues to support the district where she went to school. While COVID-19 impacted children and families around the country, Sunnyside students faced an even more challenging situation, given the large numbers of parents who work in the restaurant and hotel industries, which suffered disproportionately. The Invest in Others grant allowed the district to ensure families didn’t go hungry.

My focus is really to bring resources to supplement the educational experience. We need to solve for basics like food insecurity to enable students to think about the next level of education and what careers are available to them, so they can shoot for the stars.

Michael Deutsch

Michael Deutsch has a deep passion for Memphis Inner City Rugby (MICR). When he first learned about the program six years ago, the coaches lacked funding, community engagement, and even practice fields. Many of the student-athletes faced adversity daily, as they lived in some of the poorest zip codes in the southeast.

Despite these challenges, Michael was drawn to the program and threw himself into volunteering in a host of capacities. Current athletes ask the Executive Director what Michael’s official role is — is he the professional photographer? Is he our trainer? Does he work for MICR? These questions are proof of Michael’s commitment to the program and the athletes it serves. Michael’s commitment truly knows no bounds.