Axis Glow Up Gala 2022 Program

Lighting the path to equity in education

October 8, 2022 7-10 p.m.

SoLa Beehive 1000 E. 60th St. Los Angeles, CA 90001

Letter from THE FOUNDER Dear Glow Up Gala Guests: It is my honor to welcome you to Private School Axis’ inaugural Glow Up Gala!

Tonight we celebrate the “glow up” of Private School Axis as we enter our second year of operation; the “glow up” of independent schools across Los Angeles as they weave true diversity into the fabric of their learning communities; and the “glow up” of the students and families we serve by facilitating educational access and opportunity at Los Angeles independent schools.

Our mission is to create pathways for underrepresented students and families of color to access, navigate, and thrive in private education. Although Axis was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2020, this mission did not begin with us. The seed was planted nearly 50 years ago as my mother, Reveta Bowers, blazed new trails for students of color in private education long before independent schools began making commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Tonight we honor Reveta’s 40-plus year legacy as Head of School at The Center for Early Education, and commit ourselves to continuing her work to light the path to equity in education. Our students of color deserve every opportunity and resource available to realize their full potential because our world desperately needs their gifts and talents. Additionally, our schools will only become rich, thriving spaces of true learning, connection, and belonging with their presence.

Thank you to all of our attendees, sponsors, in-kind donors, board members, gala committee, and generous supporters. We invite you to enjoy the wide array of festivities tonight, from the live DJ and dancing to the graffiti activation, silent auction, and more.

We hope that you have a fun and memorable evening. Thank you for joining our mission to bridge the gap between people of color and independent schools.

With gratitude, Collette Bowers Zinn, J.D., M.Ed. Founder & Executive Director

Glow Up Gala EVENING PROGRAM

6:00 PM VIP RECEPTION SILENT AUCTION OPENS

7:00 PM DOORS OPEN 7:45 PM

EVENING PROGRAM

Welcome

COLLETTE BOWERS ZINN A special & thanks to our inaugural Glow Up Gala Committee:

Founder Executive Director / Private School Axis Kav ita Ajmere

Honoree Remarks Erika C o o per REVETA BOWERS To dd Hawk ins

Retired Head of School / The Center for Early Education Live Auction REVETA BOWERS

Randy Lee Kara Sax

Axis Appeal JENNIFER DUNBAR

Axis Cohort Parent

Entertainment 8:30 PM JAMES DAVIS Stand-up Comedian 9:15 PM

SILENT AUCTION CLOSES

10:00 PM

GALA CONCLUDES

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SILENT AUCTION Collette Bowers Zinn & Reveta Bowers

Meet our

INAUGURAL HONOREE REVETA BOWERS Reveta Bowers served as the Head of School at The Center for Early Education for more than 40 years before retiring in June 2022. She is a beloved leader in the independent school community and an icon among educators.

For 15 consecutive years, Reveta was the Lead Faculty Member at the National Association of Independent Schools’ Institute for New Heads, where she taught more than 700 NAIS Heads of School. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Councilors of the Rossier Graduate School of Education at USC, and has served and continues to serve on a number of other boards.

Reveta was the only head of color in the California Association of Independent Schools when she first took on the role of Head of School at The Center for Early Education in 1976. She played an integral role in making inclusion, diversity, and access cornerstones of The Center’s educational philosophy and mission. She initiated the practice of including diversity questions in accreditation documents, prompting schools to examine their diversity policies and practices.

Reveta’s legacy continues through her daughter and Private School Axis Founder Collette Bowers Zinn. Axis is proud to carry forth Reveta’s legacy and continue the work she started nearly 50 years ago to bridge the gap between people of color and independent schools. By creating pathways for BIPOC students and families to access world-class educational opportunities, we are lighting the path to equity in education.

Entertainment MARK ALLEN FELTON A Chicago native and saxophonist extraordinaire, Mark Allen Felton a.k.a “Panther” has drawn upon a wealth of influences, including Grover Washington Jr., Earth Wind & Fire, Sonny Stitt, and Kool & the Gang. Formerly the saxophonist for Ray Parker Jr. (“Ghostbusters”), Felton has headlined soldout shows at some of the top venues domestically and internationally, including Blue Note Jazz Club, The Billboard Live, City Winery, and numerous festivals.

DJ PAUL “PRINTZ” PAGE DJ Printz is fresh off a three-year span of touring the nation as the headlining DJ of the R&B ONLY Tour. Over the past 13 years, his long list of clients has included FX Television, The Grammy Foundation, Recording Academy, Nike, Adidas, Hennessy, Spotify, Def Jam, Disney, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and Macro Productions to name a few. Although he enjoys awards show after parties, Printz says his real joy comes from the four times a year he remembers to meditate.

JAMES DAVIS James Davis is an actor, writer, entertainer, and stand-up comedian. He is best known for being executive producer, creator, and host of “Hood Adjacent with James Davis” on Comedy Central and the host of Netflix’s “Awake.”

James is also known for this role on “The Real Husbands of Hollywood” and MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out.”

Meet an

AXIS PARENT JENNIFER DUNBAR Jennifer Dunbar is the Founder and CEO of doorsquad, a luxury relocation concierge based in Marina Del Rey, CA that services clients throughout the country. Jennifer and her partner have two sons, Miles and Davis.

They initially came to Private School Axis seeking help with the private school admissions process for Miles, as he explored potential high schools.

After joining Axis’ Founding Cohort in 2021 and receiving our guidance and support, Miles was admitted to and is now attending his first-choice Partner School.

The time has come for their younger son Davis to consider middle schools, so Jennifer and her family are once again working with Axis, as members of Cohort 2. We are thrilled to support the Blackson Dunbar family through the admissions process again this year, and we are excited to see where Davis lands!

This evening, Axis and Womxn of Wealth will present the Womxn of Wealth Financial Empowerment Scholarship to Jennifer Dunbar to support her work as an innovative entrepreneur and enthusiastic philanthropist. Womxn of Wealth supports women in asserting their financial prowess and multiplying their wealth confidently, joyfully, and sustainably. Their goal is to foster an environment in which women can safely learn about and better understand financial concepts and access strategic investment opportunities.

Thank you, Womxn of Wealth, and congratulations, Jennifer!

We’re so proud of our COHORT 2 STUDENTS!

Text ‘GLOWUPGALA’ to 99192 to donate

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN PEOPLE OF COLOR AND INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS.

ABOUT AXIS Private School Axis partners with Los Angeles area independent schools to create pathways for underrepresented students and families of color to access, navigate, and thrive in private education.

CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS

THE PROBLEM • People of color are underrepresented in Los Angeles independent schools.

• 44% of California residents are Latinx/Hispanic or Black, yet only 9.5% of California private school students are Latinx/Hispanic or Black.

• Only 5-10% of private school faculty are educators of color.

44% Latinx/Hispanic or Black

CA PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS

9.5% Latinx/Hispanic or Black

OUR SOLUTION 1

STUDENT PLACEMENT We guide students and families of color through the private school admissions process.

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EDUCATOR PLACEMENT We help educators of color

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find employment at independent schools to diversify faculty.

DEI PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & ACCREDITATION

We hold schools accountable for creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning communities.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED SIGN UP for our mailing list DONATE to support our work FOLLOW US on social media SPONSOR our programs VOLUNTEER and make a difference

HOW WE HELP Axis has created a Remarkable Assessment Process (RAP) to identify potential in underrepresented students of color who might otherwise be overlooked as candidates for private school admission. We help level the playing field for these students and their families by offering highly individualized guidance and support – including test prep, special campus tours, financial aid workshops, and interview exposure.

GET IN TOUCH info@privateschoolaxis.org / (310) 729-9139 WWW.PRIVATESCHOOLAXIS.ORG

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Live Auction Preview

CAYMAN ISLANDS VACATION PACKAGE World-renowned for dining, diving, and its warm Caymankind culture, the Cayman Islands offers a memorable and luxurious experience for travelers of all ages and interests. This vacation package for two includes economy air transportation from Los Angeles to Grand Cayman on Cayman Airways and a 6-night stay in a 2-bedroom suite at CARIBBEAN CLUB, Grand Cayman’s most exclusive boutique hotel.

Some restrictions apply.

Live Auction Preview

PRIVATE TRUFFLE DINNER FOR 10

BY CHEF TANINO DRAGO World-renowned chef and restaurateur TANINO DRAGO (Via Alloro, Il Pastaio, Celestino, Drago Centro & Panzanella) will come to your home and prepare an exquisite four-course special truffle menu for 10, unlike anything your palate has ever experienced. This special night will be captured forever by Andrew Zinn of Zinn Photography, portraiture photographer extraordinaire.

Thank you to our GLOW UP GALA SPONSORS ILLUMINATE SPONSOR

SHINE SPONSOR

SPARKLE SPONSORS

CINDY AND BOB BRODER SAMANTHA VINCENT AND FRANK E FLOWERS DON AND DOREEN OLESON LISA FIELD AND THE FIELD FAMILY FOUNDATION EVIS AND JAMES SHAFFER

GLOW SPONSORS

JOYCE & AVI ARAD

AXIS TEAM

Collette Bowers Zinn, J.D., M.Ed. Founder + Executive Director

Kiki Walker

Director of Advancement

Anthony Gaskins

Associate Director for Programs

Annika Ihnat

Advancement Communications Coordinator

David Ortiz

Executive Office Manager

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kawanna Brown

Rasheda Carroll

Noah Francis

Chief Operating Officer Magic Johnson Enterprises

Assistant Head of School Westland School

Vice President & Banker J.P. Morgan Los Angeles Private Bank

Mai Lassiter

John McMichael

Aaron Mieszczanski

Trustee The Center for Early Education

Vice President & Banker J.P. Morgan Los Angeles Private Bank

Melinda Tsapatsaris Head of School Westland School

Consultant, Education & Social Impact Practice Spencer Stuart

Samantha Vincent President One Race Films

Thank you to our GALA COMMITTEE

Kavita Ajmere

Erika Cooper

Todd Hawkins

Randy Lee

Director of Counseling and Wellness Oakwood School

Vice President The Hawkins Company

Kara Sax

Chief Executive Officer The Sax Agency

Director Girl Well, Inc.

EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN & FABRICATION Pink Sparrow is a forward-thinking design and fabrication shop specializing in experiential environments. Partnering with top-tier agencies and brands, we create the best platform for your message by producing high-quality, impactful environment for marketing events, pop-ups, mobile tours, retail, trade shows, and much more.

With over 40,000 sq ft of fabrication space across Los Angeles and Brooklyn, our multi-disciplinary team of industry experts are equipped to make any sized vision a reality.

pinksparrow.com info@pinksparrow.com

Investing in our future By empowering youth today, we inspire them to dream big and achieve their potential tomorrow.

We are proud to support Private School Axis and applaud its commitment to create pathways for underrepresented students and educators of color to access and thrive within Los Angeles’ independent private schools.

jpmorganchase.com/diversity

© 2022 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

REVETA BOWERS

Nobody moves it and shakes it exactly like you!

Not so bad!

LISA FIELD AND THE FIELD FAMILY FOUNDATION

Congratulations, Reveta!

We love and admire you!

Cindy & Bob Broder

Congratulations, Private School Axis, for your success in creating access for our underrepresented students and families of color to our independent schools. YOU are definitely making our region’s independent schools stronger and better for ALL STUDENTS. We also toast Axis for recognizing and honoring the incomparable REVETA BOWERS for her enduring and inspirational 40+ year legacy and her remarkable work in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our schools!

Much love and aloha,

Don and Doreen Oleson

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to our IN-KIND DONORS AdaPia d’Errico / Womxn of Wealth Alexandra Turtle & Associates andSons Chocolatiers Ashley Harding Augustus Minniefield Bacetti Benjamin Shprits Candace Nelson / Sprinkles Cayman Airways Chef Tanino Drago Claudine Artisan Kitchen and Bakeshop Craig’s Restaurant Core Power Yoga Damian Deena Taylor Detroit Pistons Dog House Studio City Erika Cooper Erin McDowell Esensten Family Gallery 90220 Gelila & Wolfgang Puck Haati Vhai Harper Girls, Inc. - McDonald’s Healthy Spot Isis Dua

James Munky Shaffer Johnny Chao Design Karen Lazar Design Karen Walker Kevin Bryant, Edgility Consulting LA Phil Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Opera Loc Lov LA Pacific Platinum Service Patton Oswalt Raffi’s Place Reveta Bowers Sayble Creations So Fly Surf School Stephanie Barron The Olympia Collective Timothy White Tom Morello Unexpected Artistry Wear Brims Will Raojenina Yaël and Valérie Y7 Studio Zinn Photography

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to our LIBATION SPONSORS

EVENT STAFF

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