NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday,
Robin Hood concluded its 2nd annual Investors
Conference, presented by J.P. Morgan and hosted by Hyatt at the
Grand Hyatt in New York City,
where dozens of the biggest names in finance, technology, retail,
energy and other key economic sectors came together to debate,
share ideas, and provide their insights on navigating volatile
markets. This year's Conference raised $6 million to support hundreds of the most
effective job-training programs, schools, soup kitchens, shelters
and other poverty-fighting programs throughout New York
City.
"All of us at Robin Hood are extremely grateful for the
generosity shown by our sponsors, which is what enables us to
contribute 100% of the money raised through Conference ticket sales
to hundreds of the best programs throughout the five boroughs that
work to help improve the lives of the 1.8 million New Yorkers
living in poverty," said David
Saltzman, executive director of Robin Hood. "We
couldn't have asked for a better outcome or for a more successful
event."
"We are proud to have been a Robin Hood partner for more than 20
years," said Mary Callahan Erdoes,
CEO of J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "As a firm, we feel it is our
responsibility and our privilege to give back to this city that has
headquartered JPMorgan Chase for more than two centuries. Robin
Hood's efforts to fight poverty in New
York City are unparalleled in both their scope and their
effectiveness. Every dime we give goes directly to those in need.
That is very powerful."
For the second year in a row, the Conference was organized by
Robin Hood board members David
Einhorn, president and founder of Greenlight Capital;
John Griffin, president of Blue
Ridge Capital; Philippe Laffont,
founder and CEO of Coatue Management, and Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of Starwood
Capital Group. The two-day Conference featured a packed
agenda with legends from the investment and business worlds, as
well as many up-and-comers, all of whom provided lively debate and
insight into subjects including energy, retail, innovation and
technology.
Both days included several popular "Lightning Rounds" and "Best
Ideas" forums, where participants – including Larry Robbins, CEO of Glenview Capital
Management and Robin Hood board member -- presented their thoughts
on the best places to invest today and why.
Eric Schmidt, executive chairman
of Google said during his remarks on Tuesday that, "Robin Hood is
the most efficient and effective nonprofit in America today."
One of the most highly anticipated panels took place on Tuesday,
when Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of
Blackrock, Carl Icahn, founder of
Icahn Enterprises and Dan Loeb,
founder and CEO of the hedge fund Third Point, discussed the role
of shareholder activism. In an exchange regarding corporate
governance, Larry Fink said, "The
financial community has done well, but a lot of people have been
left behind. We should be asking the bigger question, `Are
the investments we're making good for
society?'"
Over half of the speakers at this year's Conference were first
time participants, including Traci Lerner, president and
founding partner of Chesapeake Partners Management Co; Keith Meister, managing partner and chief
investment officer of Corvex Management; Joe Lonsdale, founder and managing partner of
Formation 8; and Zach Schreiber,
chairman, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of
PointState Capital.
In addition, Professor Jeffery
Sachs, economist and director of the Earth Institute at
Columbia University, gave a
presentation on Monday where he spoke about the Ebola crisis and
his belief that we have a much greater chance of effectively
managing and containing the risk of a wider outbreak by focusing on
the countries where the disease is most widespread.
Tuesday's Conference session included two surprise
presenters: Eli Manning,
quarterback for the New York Giants and a member of Robin Hood's
Leadership Council; and Mark
Teixeira, first baseman for the New York Yankees and board
member of Harlem RBI – a Robin Hood grantee that provides kids from
East Harlem with year-round educational and athletic
opportunities.
For a complete record of all speakers and participants, please
visit www.investors.robinhood.org
About Robin Hood
Robin Hood is New York's largest poverty-fighting
organization, and since 1988 has focused on finding, funding, and
creating programs and schools that generate meaningful results for
families in New York's poorest
neighborhoods. Since its founding, Robin Hood has raised more
than $1.95 billion in dollars, goods
and services to provide hundreds of the most effective soup
kitchens, homeless shelters, schools, job-training programs and
other vital services that give New
York's neediest citizens the tools they need to build better
lives. Robin Hood's board of directors pays all
administrative, fundraising and evaluation costs, so 100% of your
donation goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in
need.
About JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:
JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of
$2.5 trillion and operations
worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial
services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking,
financial transaction processing, asset management and private
equity. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan
Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most
prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its
J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase
& Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.
Media contacts:
Robin Hood
Patty Smith
212-844-3562
J.P. Morgan
Darin Oduyoye
212-648-0232
darin.oduyoye@jpmorgan.com
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SOURCE Robin Hood