Keisha and Felix fell in love, but no one told them mental health challenges would be a part of their story. NAMI-NYC’s family support programs helped them change, grow, and become stronger than ever.
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 the 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.
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.
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).
PRESENTING
Deutsche Bank
CHAMPION
The Dextra Baldwin McGonagle Foundation
Steven and Shelley Einhorn
PARTNER
Jeffrey Schoenfeld
Kramer Levin
PLATINUM
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Stacy and Jason Helfstein
GOLD
Aetna
Barclays
Empire BlueCross BlueShield HealthPlus
Michelle Fieg
The Kudish and Martinez Families
Sara Meltzer
New York Football Giants
New York-Presbyterian
Oberland
The Pasquinelli Foundation
PMI
Nathan Romano & Stine Welhaven
Susan and Sam Schwartz
Seward & Kissel LLP
Two Rivers Partners, LLC.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Benefit Mall
Oppenheimer
Publicis Health
Jeff Sorbara
Sunovion
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