Seeds of Hope Gala

Monday, October 2, 2023, 6 – 10 PM

Ziegfeld Ballroom, 141 West 54^th Street, Manhattan

Our Honorees

Drew Robinson, Former Major League Baseball player, Mental Health Advocate & Speaker, and Co-Founder of the Better Universe Foundation

Ali Wentworth, Actress, Author, and Producer

NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams

Deutsche Bank

About Our Honorees

Drew Robinson is a former Major League Baseball player, mental health advocate, speaker,  and co-founder of the Better Universe Foundation. Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Drew was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers out of high school and went on to play parts of 12 seasons with the Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants organizations. In 2020, Drew miraculously survived a suicide attempt that resulted in the loss of his right eye. In 2021, ESPN released an E60 documentary to tell Drew’s story, create awareness around mental health, and reduce the stigma around it. After Drew’s attempt, he made a comeback to professional baseball and retired after the 2021 season to pursue a role in the mental health & wellness department with the San Francisco Giants. Drew is dedicated to advocating for mental health through working to end to stigma, sharing his journey to inspire others to prioritize their own mental health, and encouraging peer-to-peer support so people can share their stories and find the necessary support they need.

A multi-talented performer, Ali Wentworth brings a wealth of experience to all her endeavors. She created, wrote and starred in Lionsgate’s “Nightcap,” on the Pop network. She also created, starred in and executive-produced the critically acclaimed Starz series HEAD CASE. Film credits include “It’s Complicated,” “Jerry Maguire”, “Office Space” and “Trial and Error.” Wentworth is the host of “Go Ask Ali,” a podcast for Shondaland Audio and iHeart, currently in its third season. Wentworth is the host ABC’s “The Parent Test,” an unscripted series based on an Australian model that follows 12 families as they are run through various situations. She recently launched BedBy8, a production company alongside her husband George Stephanopoulos and Alyssa Mastromonoco. BedBy8 focuses on scripted television projects, limited series, and documentaries including the critically acclaimed documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields. Wentworth is also a four time “New York Times” bestselling author. 

Elected in January 2022 by her colleagues, Speaker Adrienne Adams leads the most diverse and the first women-majority Council in New York City history as the first-ever African American Speaker. Under the leadership of Speaker Adams, the Council has been tackling long-standing inequities. Among her initiatives, Speaker Adams led the City Council’s Mental Health Roadmap with a landmark inclusion of family support services for New Yorkers caring for loved ones with serious mental illness.

Speaker Adams was raised in Hollis, Queens, as the daughter of two proud union workers. Speaker Adams is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority for Black college-educated women. She is also a longstanding member of the NAACP and the National Action Network. Speaker Adams is a wife, mother, and grandmother (“cool Nona”) within her beloved blended family.

Congratulations to Deutsche Bank, recipient of our Corporate Leadership Award! We commend Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation for its extraordinary commitment to supporting youth mental health programs across our communities. With NAMI-NYC as its U.S. partner, the Foundation also launched its global CSR campaign #Not Alone, raising awareness and funds for youth mental health. Deutsche Bank continues to demonstrate outstanding leadership through its Employee Resource Group, dbEnable whose mission is to reduce the stigma around visible and invisible disabilities especially those concerning mental health by fostering open and honest conversations about mental health challenges across the organization. In 2021, Deutsche Bank played a leading role as a founding member of the Wall Street Mental Health Collaborative, a commitment from major financial institutions to address mental health challenges in the workplace collectively.   

Hosted by Ashley Russo

Ashley Russo, president of ASR Media Productions, is a five-time Emmy® award-winning executive producer and host of The PEAK TV and St. Luke’s HealthNow. A 25-year media veteran, Ashley graduated from New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Unscripted with Russo. Ashley became the director of Fig Lehigh Valley in 2023 when ASR announced its acquisition of the publication.

Ashley began her career as a producer on NBC’s TODAY show, Bloomberg L.P., and The Weather Channel. Her entrepreneurial spirit soon kicked in, and she became a writer, independent producer, and media consultant for numerous national publications and experts, including Cooks Illustrated, Prevention magazine, Women’s Day, and Weider Publications. A lifetime horse lover, Ashley is a multi-time American Saddlebred world and national-titled equestrian. She resides in Bethlehem with her husband of twenty-four years, Joe, and her two children, Nolan (20) and Renna (19).

Sponsor the Seeds of Hope Gala

Board of Directors

Stacy Helfstein, Co-Chair 

Sam Schwartz, Co-Chair 

Natasha Bowman, Cindy Helen Brea, Chris Condelles Treasurer, Matt DeMasi, John DeNatale, Mitul Desai, Amanda Fialk, Colleen Lauria Secretary, D’Anna Keinan, Greg Leveto, Sara Meltzer, Steve Nadel, Josh Neren, Katherine Ponte, Anita Hill Sands, David S. Shapiro Vice Chair, Barbara Spitzer, Howard Spilko, Jason Tompkins, Drew Train  

Nathan Romano, President Emeritus  

Matt Kudish, CEO