**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
LEDA Marks 21 Years of Expanding Impact, Raises $1.1 Million at 2025 Annual Celebration
Gala event showcased recent Scholar, Alumni, and Career Fellow accomplishments, alongside glimpses into plans for future growth
New York, NY, May 21, 2025 — Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), the preeminent national nonprofit promoting access for underserved students to top-tier universities, celebrated its 21st anniversary on May 6th with a dynamic gala at The Lighthouse in New York City. The Annual Celebration raised an incredible $1.1 million. In addition to shining a light on the impact and achievements of Scholars, Alumni, and Career Fellows over the past year, the gathering also demonstrated the resilience and continued growth of key programs of LEDA’s key programs..
David Garza, LEDA’s Executive Director, expressed his gratitude and reflected on the significance of this milestone: “This year’s Annual Celebration was a powerful reflection of the accomplishments of our Scholars and the unwavering support of our vibrant community. This celebration reaffirmed what we’ve always known – when talented young leaders are given opportunity and support, there is no limit to what they can achieve.”
This year’s Annual Celebration honored the accomplishments of LEDA Scholars, Alumni, and Career Fellows, including Alumni Honoree Jennifer Oyedele. The event also recognized corporate partners including Standard Chartered, represented by CEO for US and Americas Mandy DeFilippo, for their longstanding support and exemplary commitment to LEDA’s mission.
The gala also demonstrated the power of strengthened ties and expanded initiatives throughout LEDA’s ecosystem in its 21st year. Yale College, long a top destination of LEDA Scholars and host of one week of LEDA’s Summer Institute as of 2024, announced it will extend the same provision of campus resources for an additional week beginning this summer. LEDA also announced that funding has been secured to establish a financial literacy pillar of the Summer Institute’s core curriculum, expanding the array of critical foundational skills and resources provided to help Scholars navigate a rapidly-evolving higher education landscape.
Moira Poe, Yale’s Senior Associate Director of Admissions for Strategic Priorities, shared her thoughts during the event: “Yale has long appreciated LEDA’s catalyzing ability to expand access for many promising young students nationwide to schools like Yale, and the value of providing those students with early exposure to what could be a transformative college experience cannot be understated. In that spirit we couldn’t be more excited to be deepening our partnership as we seek to empower all students to succeed in spaces like Yale and beyond.”
About LEDA
Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) empowers a community of exceptional young leaders from underserved backgrounds by supporting their higher education and professional success in order to create a more inclusive and equitable country. Since its founding in 2003, LEDA has helped talented students access top-tier colleges and providing them with the tools necessary to succeed in their careers and beyond. The organization has served thousands of Scholars over the past two decades, and continues to expand its reach and impact through innovative programs such as the Career Institute and LEDA Legal. Through this work, LEDA seeks to ensure that this country’s leadership is truly reflective of its citizenry and capable of . LEDA’s programs are completely free and comprise a longitudinal initiative designed to address the specific challenges faced by high-achieving, underserved students in accessing the leadership pipeline. For more information about LEDA and its programs, or to support our mission, please visit www.ledascholars.org
**Contact:**
Name: Claire W. Gallagher
Title: Senior Director of Advancement & Strategic Initiatives
Phone: 914.960.1689
Email: clairegallagher@ledascholars.org
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**End of Press Release**