We won 1st place in the Established Nonprofit category at SVP Fast Pitch!
We did it!
On Tuesday night, over 800 philanthropists, investors, and innovators came together in the beautiful McCaw Hall for SVP Fast Pitch Seattle‘s Final Showdown. It was a magical evening full of passionate individuals with inspiring stories and fresh, inventive ideas around building a better world for all of us.
Around 8:30pm, in one of the last pitches of the night, our Board Vice President Nicole Tsong came on stage with a story about one student and his journey to become a yoga teacher. She told us about Doug’s personal transformation, and how his newfound place as a leader and a teacher behind bars, along with the 19 other men and women part of our Teacher Training Behind Bars, has compounded our impact by providing these tools to thousands more incarcerated men and women across the state.
“”Teach prisoners to breathe, and they connect to their bodies. They learn to manage anger. They change the way they make decisions. They re-wire their brains. If we give them the tools, they will use them. They learn there is a life beyond reaction. A third door exists — it’s the door of their own potential.”
Later, after a nail-biting wait, we received the award for First Place for established nonprofits, as well as a $20,000 in-kind award for storytelling in filmmaking services from SOULCRAFTallstars!
It means so much to us that our students are being heard, and we can’t wait to continue sharing their stories with all of you.
A very special and heartfelt thank you to our TEACHERS, for making all of this possible, and our students, for making it all worth it. Thanks also to our amazing board, to our coach Jennifer Woodbery of Woodbery Solutions, and to SVP Fast Pitch Seattle for organizing such a wonderful event and for all you do to promote innovative solutions. Thanks also to the sponsors: BECU, Microsoft, Microsoft Alumni Network – Official, Starbucks, Amazon, Seattle Foundation, K&L Gates, Melling Family Foundation, Point B, Puget Sound Energy, Pete’s Wine Shop, and everyone else who made this night so special. And congrats to all the finalists and semifinalists!