Changemakers Ball
Our Annual Celebration of Brooklyn's Inspiring Changemakers and Nonprofits
The Brooklyn Org Changemakers Ball Returns October 23, 2024!
This year promises to be even bigger and bolder, at our new venue Powerhouse Arts.
Tickets & Tables Are On Sale
Honoring Harsha G. Marti
The 2024 Brooklyn Org Changemakers Ball will honor Brooklyn Org Board Member Harsha G. Marti, Managing Director, General Counsel, and a member of the Executive Management Group at Warburg Pincus.
Harsha joined Brooklyn Org’s Board of Directors in January 2015 and served as Board Co-Chair from 2020 to 2024. As a long-time champion for racial justice and community-centered change, Harsha has had a critical impact through his leadership at Brooklyn Org during times of great uncertainty and unparalleled growth.
In early 2020, he helped launch the Brooklyn COVID-19 Response Fund, which raised and distributed nearly $3 million in just 16 weeks to the hardest-hit communities across Brooklyn. In 2023, Harsha co-led the development of Brooklyn Org’s groundbreaking strategic plan, which ignited our evolution from Brooklyn Community Foundation to Brooklyn Org, a new model aimed at democratizing local philanthropy.
Harsha is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Law Board of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and was a board member of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!) from 2005 to 2011. He received an SB in Materials Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a JD/MBA from the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management. Born and raised in New York City, Harsha lives in Fort Greene with his wife Meera, and their four children.
Event Leadership
Hilary Ley Jager
Vivian Liao Korich
Vishal Sheth
Timothy Simons
Host Committee
Martha Berry and Curtis Cravens
Eva Ciko Carman and Jason E. Brown
Katharine and Peter Darrow
Michelle DeFossett and Victor Banks
Peter Furci and Suzanne Elio
Sarah and Michael Gerstenzang
Lauren Glant and Michael Gillespie
Nicole Gueron and Carter Strickland
Hank and Karoly Gutman
Lesleigh Irish-Underwood
Hilary and Edwin Jager
Melissa and Zul Jamal
Mamie Kanfer Stewart and Justin Stewart
Vivian Liao Korich and Daniel Korich
Deitra Mara and Anthony Santa Cattarina
Harsha and Meera Marti
Alison Maschmeyer and Guy Dorsainvil
Amanda and Patrick Nichols
Janet and Dave Offensend
Andi Phillips and Paul Hinton
Lindsay and Gabe Pizzi
Melissa Prober and Dana Hughes
Jocelynne and Perry Rainey
Carley Roney
Serena and Ted Roosevelt
Jennifer and Matt Roux
Connie and John Sargent
Shaheen Rushd and Jeremy Silverman
Pamela and Eric Rytter
Gabriel Schwartz and Jolie Curtsinger Schwartz
Monica and Vishal Sheth
Diane and Joe Steinberg
Sarah and Isaac Wheeler
Sarah Williams
*List in formation
Learn more about our sponsorship packages
2023 Event Highlights
Nearly 450 guests joined us for the second annual Brooklyn Org Changemakers Ball, an unforgettable celebration of Brooklyn and the dedicated nonprofit changemakers working tirelessly to end inequity and injustice across our borough. Thanks to your generosity, together we raised over $1 million for our communities!
The inspiring evening, taking place on October 12, 2023 at the Weylin in Williamsburg, also served as the official launch for our new identity as Brooklyn Org and our new hub for giving here at brooklyn.org.
Comedians Ana Gasteyer and Phoebe Robinson hosted the packed program, which featured performances by Brooklyn United Marching Band and Flex Dance as well as moving speeches from our honorees Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Gabe Schwartz and Jolie Curtsinger Schwartz.
The evening’s record-breaking success was made possible thanks to the generosity our Host Committee led by Brooklyn Org board members Hilary Jager, Lawanna Kimbro, and Shelley Stewart III, our sponsors including Hilary & Edwin Jager, Stardust Fund, Judith & Alan Fishman, and many more, and our wonderful guests.
We’re so grateful to everyone who supported the Changemakers Ball and we can’t wait to do it again in Fall 2024!
