Posts tagged with "philanthropist"

Tel K. Ganesan via 360 MAGAZINE

Tel K. Ganesan

Founder and Chairman of Kyyba


Tel K. Ganesan moved to the United States with bright dreams. After being able to earn an engineering degree in India, a change of environment was a challenge, but Tel overcame all those adversities to finish his postgraduate degree as he began his path to success.

His attitude has never allowed him to give up on what has made him Tel K. Ganesan, mentor, philanthropist, and businessman. “If you want an opportunity to knock, it’s time to build a door,” Ganesan says.

Ganesan grew up under the strong influence of his mother’s pursuit of the American Dream. Eventually, Automotive Engineering brought Ganesan to the United States, specifically the city of Detroit, where he pursued a master’s at age 21. He has lived in Detroit for 30 years and has never wanted to leave since he came. He chose this place as his home and to contribute his grain of sand in the city, he is rebuilding everything that has to do with the business landscape with Kyyba Inc., consisting of Kyyba Innovations, Kyyba Wellness, Kyyba Music, Kyyba film, and Kyyba Kidz.

Tel K. Ganesan is the CEO of Kyyba Innovations and President of Kyyba Inc., Engineering Services and Software Products. The Kyyba brand has expanded into film productions through his company Kyyba Films. According to Ganesan: “I started as an ID entrepreneur and then diversified into other areas lately into films, music, Fashions, and wellness so that’s what I’ve been doing so far.’’

Tel K. Ganesan has always believed in doing what the heart says. With the founding of Kyyba Kidz, he has pursued his dreams of making the world a better place by helping the most disadvantaged children. Ganesan has always been grateful for the education and healthcare he received growing up. “A lot of major tech companies are run by people of Indian origin,” Ganesan emphasizes, “the root cause goes back to the societal conditioning of putting education in the mindset of people.” Through educational programs, the foundation seeks to bring trust, honesty, growth, and confidence to every child in need. The main goal of Kyyba Kidz is “to increase the cognitive and psychological awareness of young people to help them achieve great achievements in life by choosing the right career” explains Ganesan on his website.

Ganesan is a testament to faith in his American dream and entrepreneurial spirit. As stated by Tel, “you have only one life. At this point in life, I’m doing something for my spirit which is really getting into this creative space.’’ With perseverance and hard work, he has taken his career from businessman to film producer. “Whatever I learn in one business I apply to another business in another industry and keep it going so I know.’’ Tel Ganesan admits.

Kyyba Films in association with Nasik Rav Media releases “Trap City” starring Brandon T Jackson and actor and GV music composer Prakash. WATCH TRAILERS HERE. As a film producer, Tel Ganesan has an exciting project ahead of him. “I learned about trap culture… And that anyone can be in a trap because of the environment, society, economics, and sometimes even psychological conditions,” he recalls, “and I took this as an inspirational and spiritual awakening of understanding what’s really happening.” “I want to send an inspiring message on how to get out of the Trap through this movie,’’ Ganesan clarifies.

Ganesan is thrilled about the upcoming release of “Trap City” around the first quarter of 2023: “I’m gonna graduate from this one (Trap City)…this is like cutting my teeth into the film business.” Some of Ganesan’s projects after the release of the movie “Trap City” are working in the world of the metaverse and seeking collaborations with other companies with much larger budgets.

Call him a film producer, philanthropist, entrepreneur, innovator, guide, or speaker; Tel K. Ganesan really is an all-rounder. Today, his dreams are a reality. Like any other successful human being, he has pursued ambition with a never-give-up attitude: “Successful people do what unsuccessful people aren’t willing to do. I don’t wish it was easier; I wish you were better.”

For more information about Tel K. Ganesan and Kyyba Inc, click HERE

Article: Andrea Esteban/Jess Chen

Emerging Entrepreneurs: Javier Pedroza via 360 MAGAZINE available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

Javier Pedroza


LISTEN to Javier Pedroza on 360 MAG podcast PT1 | PT2.



Javier Pedroza is a multi-talented host, producer, creative and visual director, founder of his own production company Under One Roof Productions, celebrity stylist, philanthropist, and Latinx Editor-at-Large for 360 MAGAZINE. His positive and innovative mindset have allowed Pedroza to rise to prominence in the entertainment industry. His impressive portfolio is comprised of editorials, fashion shows, movie premiers, life performances, showroom designs, pop-up shops, and window and merchandising displays. Pedroza is based in New York City, but he is surely taking on the world.

Before Pedroza’s successes with his own company and hosting, he collaborated with designer brands while he was the Visual Director for ESCADA in North America. ESCADA is an international fashion brand that celebrates feminine luxury. Pedroza also worked with clothing brands including Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, GANT, Gabriel & Co., and Coomi Jewelry.

Due to Pedroza’s incredible styling abilities, he has worked with supermodels and Hollywood celebrities alike at major award shows and red carpet events. The stylist’s abilities have been seen at the Oscars, the Emmys, The Golden Globes, The Grammys, and the SAG Awards.

Pedroza’s innovative mindset and charismatic ebullience has also landed him interviews with stars, including Carmen DeLeon, Piso 21, LaJune, and Raul Peñaranda. Additionally, Javier was named the Relational Organizer Director for Dianne Morales’ mayoral campaign. Pedroza’s unique perspective grants him exceptional event design and execution of production abilities. His astute creative direction has led to the success of many events.

Favoring to work with non-profit organizations– such as Wendy WilliamsThe Hunter Foundation Inaugural Gala at New York City’s prestigious Hammerstein Ballroom, AID for AIDS Hero Gala held at the American Museum of Natural History and Latino Commission on AIDS Cielo Gala at Cipriani Wall Street– Pedroza’s philanthropic productions help these organizations reach their full potential. The designer is especially passionate about his involvement with The Latino Commission on AIDS, of which he has supported for the past thirteen years and became Chair of the Cielo Gala in 2019.

The visual director has used his platform to found his production company, as well as create various visual and audio podcasts. Pedroza’s two podcasts– Conciencias Con Cocktails and LatinX Heroes– both highlight cutting edge individuals. On such, Pedroza navigates discourse surrounding diverse leaders such as Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, Gen. Ignacia Zaragoza, and Dianne Morales.

Recently, Pedroza’s hard work and talent has resulted in him being signed to media brand, TAG Collective. He will be working with the Collective to secure brand deals, social media engagements, publicity outreach, and to expand his overall profile.


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Champion of Service: Celebration of Muhammad Ali

Although Muhammad Ali is universally revered as The Greatest of All Time (or G.O.A.T.) for his exploits in the boxing ring, he also became a champion for humanity through his commitment to service outside the ring.

The full life and legacy of this global icon will be celebrated in a national virtual event at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, on the PBS Books Facebook page.

Through a partnership led by PBS Books, USA TODAY and the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, the evening’s program will highlight his dedication to courage, generosity, kindness, and compassion in recognition of his 80th birthday on January 17. Additional partners include the Louisville Courier-Journal, Metro Louisville United Way, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and Kentucky Educational Television (KET).

His widow, and vice-chair and co-founder of the Ali Center, Lonnie Ali, will introduce the one-hour event. Guest speakers will include PBS filmmaker Ken Burns; Hana Ali, Muhammad Ali’s daughter; John Ramsey, a personal friend; David Chaudoir, a longtime employee; and Dr. Richard Lapchick, who is a human rights activist, author, scholar and the 2021 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award recipient. Each participant will draw upon their personal experiences with Muhammad and share their own unique perspectives on his life and legacy as a humanitarian.

Along with learning more about the unique contributions Muhammad Ali made in sports and society, this national virtual program will also encourage others to participate in The Greatest Giveback through service projects across the country, which are organized each year on January 17, Ali’s birthday. Due to recent COVID spikes, the on-site event at the Ali Center has been postponed until June. In 2022, Muhammad’s birthday coincides with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, offering another opportunity to give back to those in our communities who are suffering racial or social injustices.

The virtual program will include a short video about the Ali Center and Ken Burns sharing some inspirational comments and a segment from his PBS documentary, “Muhammad Ali.” In addition, inspirational authors and celebrities will explain what Ali’s legacy means to them and reveal their personal Red Bike Moment©–a defining moment in their lives, much like the one that changed the future of then 12-year-old Cassius Clay when his red Schwinn bike was stolen, an incident that led him to a Louisville boxing gym and which became a catalyst for his athletic career and life’s purpose.

About the Muhammad Ali Center

The Muhammad Ali Center, a 501(c)3 corporation, was cofounded by Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The international cultural center promotes the Six Core Principles of Muhammad Ali (Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality) in ways that inspire personal and global greatness and provides programming and events around the focus areas of education, racial and gender equity, and global citizenship. The Ali Center is formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications, and in 2020, became one of the newest stops on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. The Center’s headquarters also contains an award-winning museum experience. For more information, please click HERE.

About PBS Books

PBS Books is a multi-platform initiative celebrating the love of reading. Through social and digital engagement and live coverage of important literary events across the country, PBS Books celebrates books and writers and works to foster a passion for reading among public media viewers and listeners. In 2019, PBS Books launched a free Library Engagement Program, which currently has more than 1,800 library partners that share its content and programming.

trust fund babies cover art by Republic Records and The Chamber Group for use by 360 Magazine

LIL WAYNE & RICH THE KID RELEASE “TRUST FUND” MUSIC VIDEO 

ACCLAIMED COLLABORATIVE MIXTAPE TRUST FUND BABIES AVAILABLE ON CD IN INDIE RETAILERS NOVEMBER 26 AS RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVE 

Today, the most dynamic new duo in the game Lil Wayne and Rich The Kid reveal the music video for “Trust Fund. It stands out as the latest single from their collaborative mixtape, Trust Fund Babies, out now via Young Money Records/Republic Records.

In the visual directed by Mooch [Iann Dior, Trippie Redd], Wayne and Rich The Kid take over a skate park. As halfpipe shredding moves abound, they trade head-turning and hypnotic bars with the airtight chemistry of lifelong friends. The clip jumps between footage of them superimposed on mini-bodies and video game avatars as the frenetic action never stops. 

It’s everything you’d hope for from this pair and more!

Next up, Trust Fund Babies will receive a limited physical CD release at independent record stores nationwide as part of Record Store Day 2021 on Black Friday November 26.

Meanwhile, Wayne continues to hold down the game. This fall, he released Tha Carter IV (Complete Edition) on streaming platforms in celebration of the critically acclaimed album’s 10th anniversary. Plus, he has shared a series of captivating visualizers for classic tracks, including “She Will” [feat. Drake], “Blunt Blowin,” “President Carter,” and “Nightmares of the Bottom.” Not to mention, he broke TikTok with his very first post for “Feelin’ Like Tunechi.

He recently unveiled “Tha Carter Singles Collection” 7” vinyl box set, featuring 19 of Wayne’s biggest “Tha Carter” series hits on 45 for the first time ever. To commemorate the launch, Wayne dropped the unreleased Tha Carter III era track “Ya Dig on streaming services via Young Money Records/Republic Records/UMe. The box set comes complete with liner notes and a booklet of rare photos. 

Wayne also launched the specialty Tha Carter IV Topps trading cards – making him the first rapper to have his own trading card collection.

Occupying rarified air, he now has the “3rd most Billboard Hot 100 hits of all time” with 175 entries, as reported by Forbes. Lighting up one banger after another, he joined Drake for “You Only Live Twice” with Rick Ross from the biggest-selling blockbuster album of the year, Certified Lover Boy, and appeared on “The Ritual” with Conway The Machine from AZ’s critically acclaimed Doe or Die II.

Be on the lookout for a whole lot more soon.

ABOUT LIL WAYNE:

Lil Wayne rewrote the entire game in his image. The five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning multiplatinum rap icon, Young Money Entertainment founder, acclaimed author, skater, philanthropist, and history-making superstar left an indelible tattoo on the culture. By 2020, he cemented his legacy forever as “one of the best-selling artists of all time, tallying sales in excess of 100 million records worldwide with 15 million albums and 37 million digital tracks sold in the United States alone. Not to mention, he garnered 11 BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two MTV VMAs, and eight NCAAP Image Awards. Among many milestones, he emerged as “the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100, logging a staggering 109 entries. With a discography highlighted by two consecutive #1 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 with 2008’s triple-platinum three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning opus Tha Carter III and its double-platinum 2011 successor Tha Carter IV, he completed the series with Tha Carter V in 2018. Not only did it clinch #1 on the Billboard Top 200, but it also achieved “the second-largest streaming week for an album in history. Every song on the tracklisting charted on the Billboard Hot 100 as he became “the first artist to debut two songs in the top 5. It all bulldozed the way for his thirteenth full-length and fifth #1 on the Billboard Top 200, Funeral, a year later. Simultaneously, Wayne owns and operates Young Money Entertainment as C.E.O. The company ignited the careers of two of the most successful artists ever—Drake and Nicki Minaj. The committed philanthropist founded The One Family Foundation too.

ABOUT RICH THE KID:

Multiplatinum rap superstar Rich The Kid continues to deliver bold and blunt bangers propelled by razor sharp rhymes, clever ad-libs, and hypnotically hard-hitting hooks. The Atlanta phenomenon has landed two top five albums on the Billboard Top 200 with the platinum The World Is Yours [2018] and The World Is Yours 2 [2019]. Piling up platinum plaques and billions of streams and views, his catalog boasts fan favorites such as the double-platinum “b” [feat. Kendrick Lamar], triple-platinum “Plug Walk,” platinum “Talk To Me” with Tory Lanez, and platinum “Splashin.” He dropped his third album Boss Man in 2020 to widespread critical acclaim. As an entrepreneur, he has also broken other artists under his own Rich Forever Music, including Famous Dex and Jay Critch, to name a few. He kicks off his biggest chapter yet, teaming up with Lil Wayne on the 2021 single “Feelin’ Like Tunechi” and more to come.

Andre De Shields image by Lia Chang for use by 360 Magazine

Andre De Shields – Sarah Siddons Society

ANDRE DE SHIELDS TO RECEIVE SARAH SIDDONS SOCIETY 66th ANNUAL ACTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Tony Award Winner and multi-Tony nominee André De Shields will be honored by the Sarah Siddons Society when he is presented the organization’s 66th Annual Actor of the Year Award at their benefit on October 25 in Chicago.

The 2021 benefit will include an interview between André De Shields and Chicago Midwest Emmy-Award recipient Ed Tracy, congratulatory messages from influential individuals in his life, musical selections from many of his memorable shows performed by some of Chicago’s most talented rising stars under the musical direction of David Fiorello and the induction of the Sarah Siddons Society 2021 Scholarship Recipients. The event is being produced by Board Member and long-time Chicago event producer Denise McGowan Tracy.

It will be filmed at The Edge Theater in Chicago. Proof of vaccine and masks will be required for this intimate, live filming. The event will be streamed on November 28. For more information visit the Society’s website.

“We feel it is especially meaningful that Chicago’s oldest and most prestigious theater award is going to such a deserving and accomplished actor as André De Shields in the city where he made his professional debut and has given stellar performances with so many legendary theater companies over the years.”  Martin Balogh, President, Sarah Siddons Society.

A showstopper at age 75, André De Shields was the triple-crown winner of the 2019 award season, garnering Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Grammy Awards for his universally praised role as Messenger to the Gods, Hermes, in Hadestown. In an unparalleled career spanning more than half a century, De Shields has distinguished himself as an actor, director, philanthropist and educator. His defining theatrical performances include roles in the original Broadway productions of The Full Monty (Tony Award nomination), Play On! (Tony Award nomination), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award) and the titular role in The Wiz. Ubuntu!

Since its inception in 1952, the mission of the Society has been to fund scholarships to promising theater arts students at top Chicago area universities including; The Theater Department, Columbia College; The Theatre School at DePaul University; Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and Northwestern University School of Communications.

Tracy Lawrence via Jon-Paul Bruno for use by 360 Magazine

Tracy Lawrence – Hindsight 2020

Country music icon Tracy Lawrence is releasing the second album from his 30th anniversary project, Hindsight 2020 Volume 2: Price of Fame. This second installment of the reflective three-album anniversary collection celebrating Tracy’s thirty years in Country music, includes some classic hits along with all new music such as the title track “Price of Fame” featuring Eddie Montgomery and latest release “Holes in the Wall” with Tracy Byrd. 

Listen: HERE.

“As I approached releasing 30 songs, celebrating my 30 years, it was natural to recreate some of the songs that were a major part of my journey and mix those up with new songs that have never been released,” says Lawrence of his Hindsight 2020 project. “Can’t wait for everyone to hear this next set of songs – some we’ve given a second life to and also, the new ones that I hope fans embrace the way they’ve done over these past 30 years.”

“‘Holes in the Wall’ is a song on that album that just sounded like it needed a fun collaboration,” continues Lawrence. “I thought, who better to have than my buddy, Tracy Byrd!”  

About Tracy Lawrence

Tracy Lawrence is one of country music’s truest traditionalists and this year he is celebrating his 30th anniversary in the Country Music industry. His impressive catalog of timeless music has made Lawrence a mainstay in the genre selling more than Thirteen million albums and charting eighteen No. 1 songs. He has garnered numerous CMA and ACM awards and nominations, as well as a Grammy nomination. Commemorating his three-decade career in 2021, Lawrence is releasing three new albums which include all new music along with some of his favorite career hits. 

In addition to his chart-topping success, Lawrence hosts the Award-Nominated nationally syndicated radio show “Honky Tonkin’ With Tracy Lawrence,” for which he has received two ACM nominations for National On-Air Personality of the Year. The show features music from the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s and is heard on more than 115 affiliates. Tracy is also the co-creator of Storming Heaven: The Musical, a production based on the novel Storming Heaven. Tracy, along with others, helped to develop the storyline of the musical and also composed songs for the drama. He was honored by the Nashville chapter of AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) with “Philanthropist of The Year” for his nationally recognized annual Mission:Possible Turkey Fry and Concert, which has raised over Half a Million Dollars for the homeless and hungry in Dallas, Louisville and Nashville, and served more than 84,000 meals. Mission:Possible is poised to make an even larger impact in the future, as the 501 (C) (3) organization expands into more markets across the country.

Dolly Parton blue shirt image via Michael Krause at Time Life for use by 360 Magazine

DOLLY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION

SHES DAZZLING, SHES DELIGHTFUL, SHES DOLLY! 

THIS SEPTEMBER, TIME LIFE DELIVERS A SPECTACULAR DVD COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTING THE INCREDIBLE CAREER OF THE QUEEN OF COUNTRY

AVAILABLE AT RETAIL FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!

Street Date: September 21, 2021

DVD SRP: $49.99

Available at Walmart and Select Retailers, Some of the Greatest Moments from Dollys Rags-to-Rhinestones Career are Highlighted in This Carefully Crafted 6-Disc Collection Packed with Unforgettable Moments, Including a Special Christmas Disc Featuring A Down Home Country Christmas!

You can call her The Queen of Country, an award-winning songwriter, actress, television star, philanthropist, business mogul, icon and American treasure – but to her millions of fans, she’s known simply as Dolly. From the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to international super-stardom, Dolly Parton has spent the last 50 years singing and laughing her way into our hearts. And now, for the first time ever at retail, the greatest video highlights from Dolly’s iconic, unforgettable career are together in one singular 6-disc collection available at Walmart and other select retailers!

From her start out of Nashville in the ‘60s through her own spectacular variety shows in the ‘70s and ‘80s and beyond, Dolly has done it all – and in 6 inch heels! DOLLY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION includes some of the greatest star-studded episodes from her fan-favorite 80’s variety show, a special Christmas disc, Dolly’s unforgettable 2009 “Live from London” concert, and more!

Across 6 DVDs, Dolly’s passionate fans will thrill to:

  • 11 star-studded episodes of Dolly’s variety show from the ’80s with guest appearances by Oprah Winfrey, Kenny Rogers, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, The Smothers Brothers, and more!
  • A special Christmas disc featuring A Down Home Country Christmas with Mac Davis and Burl Ives, and Bob Hopes Jolly Christmas Show
  • Dolly’s unforgettable Live From London concert
  • Plus the 2019 BBC documentary Dolly Parton: Here I Am

Time Life invites home audiences to join them for the journey of a lifetime with DOLLY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, available nationally in Walmart and select retailers.

About Time Life

Time Life is one of the world’s pre-eminent creators and direct marketers of unique music and video/DVD products, specializing in distinctive multi-media collections that evoke memories of yesterday, capture the spirit of today, and can be enjoyed for a lifetime. TIME LIFE and the TIME LIFE logo are registered trademarks of Time Warner Inc. and affiliated companies used under license by Direct Holdings Americas Inc., which is not affiliated with Time Warner Inc. or Time Inc.

About Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is the most honored and revered female country singer-songwriter of all time. Achieving 25 RIAA-certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards, she has had 26 songs reach #1 on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist. Recently, Parton reached #1 on the Billboard Christian Airplay Chart for the first time for her duet with Grammy award-winning Zach Williams of “There Was Jesus,” for which they won a Grammy this year.  She received her first Dove Award for short form video for her collaboration with for King & Country on the song “God Only Knows.” Parton is the first artist to have topped the Billboard’s Adult Contemporary, Christian AC Songs, Hot Country Songs, Christian Airplay, Country Airplay and Dance/Mix Show Airplay radio charts. Parton recently became the first country artist honored as Grammy MusiCares Person of the Year given out by NARAS. She has 44 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and 110 career-charted singles over the past 40 years. In 2014 the RIAA recognized her impact on recorded music with a plaque commemorating more than 100 million units sold worldwide. Her 2016 #1 album, “Pure & Simple,” which topped the Billboard Top Country Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts and debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia, added to that massive tally. She has garnered eleven Grammy Awards and 50 nominations, including the Lifetime Achievement Award and a 2020 win with for KING & COUNTRY for their collaboration on “God Only Knows”; 10 Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year; five Academy of Country Music Awards, also including a nod for Entertainer of the Year; four People’s Choice Awards; and three American Music Awards. In 1999, Parton was inducted as a member of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame. Parton has donated over 161 million books to children around the world with her Imagination Library. Her children’s book, Coat of Many Colors, was dedicated to the Library of Congress to honor the Imagination Library’s 100 millionth book donation. From her “Coat of Many Colors” while working “9 to 5,”no dream is too big and no mountain too high for the country girl who turned the world into her stage.

Dolly Parton DOLLY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION image via Michael Krause at Time Life for use by 360 Magazine

Town & Country 8th Philanthropy Summit – Marlo Thomas × Phil Donahue

The 8th annual Town & Country Philanthropy Summit continued today with a wonderful conversation between Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, moderated by Editor in Chief Stellene Volandes. This is the first time that Phil has interviewed Marlo since they first met on the Donahue show decades ago.

Please see below for highlights from the panel as well as a link to view the interview in its entirety:

Marlo on visiting St. Jude following her father’s death:

“After my father died, it was just a terrible shock to us. It was stunning because he hadn’t been sick, so it was very sudden. He was adored by us. We all loved him, and he was our funny, loving perfect daddy so it was very, very hard. We all decided that you know, we’d go to St. Jude and let them know that we were here if they needed us and so I went to St. Jude, a couple of months later. I drove up and there was a sixteen feet statue of St. Jude right at the entrance, and I started to cry because I’ve been there so many times with my dad. I pulled myself together because I didn’t want to cry in front of the parents, they have enough heartache of their own. I went inside and, in the lobby, there was this party going on. All of these little kids running around with party hats, balloons, confetti, ice cream, and cake. I said to the nurse, ‘Well whose birthday, is it?’ She said, ‘Oh it’s not a birthday party, it’s an off-chemo party.’ Well, I’ll tell you, I just gasped, to see these children celebrating one of their turns for the better. All of these moms and dads and grandparents standing around with tears in their eyes because they felt that if this child made it, maybe their beloved child would too. It was really a stunning moment for me. And then, just as I was standing there, this mom came over with a little girl about four years old, all dressed in pink. She had little pink ribbons jauntily tied around her little bald head and the mother said to her, ‘do you know who’s this lady’s daddy is?’ and the little girl shyly answered, ‘yes’ the mother said ‘who?’ She [little girl] proudly said, ‘St. Jude.’ I just fell in love with her. I fell in love with all of those kids in the off-chemo party. I fell in love with this place. And I realized for the first time, just what all of this hope and love and promise and the future of a second chance for children meant to my father. It really helped me to see myself as a part of it.”

Marlo on what she learned from her father: 

“Well, what I learned from dad, really is that he had a lot of sayings, and one of them was there’s two kinds of people in the world: those who stop on an accident to see if they can help or those who just drive by. He was literally the kind that would stop and help. I remember one time, we were driving by down Sunset Blvd. we saw these boys beating up on another little boy. And my father stopped the car and jumped out. He pulled the boys apart and gave them a big talking to. I was sitting in the car, terrified, I was eight years old. He got back in the car. He brought the little boy that’ve been bullied with him. We were going to drop him off at home and as my dad started the car, he said, ‘I hate a bully.’ And I think to him, cancer in children was a bully. A bully that he wanted to defeat. The thing about my dad too is that he really was a citizen of the world, that we all are citizens of the world…He saw himself as part of the neighborhood as a part of a community wherever he was, he was a part of that community. I think that was a great lesson for my sister, my brother, and I.”

Phil Donahue on his first visit to St. Jude and how that impacted him: 

“My first visit to St. Jude, I picked up a little bald-headed kid. I said, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up, big guy?’ This still makes me cry. The kid said, ‘I just don’t want to be sick anymore.’ Well, my god, I grabbed this kid. You know, for a very brief moment, I kind of felt how parents feel when they take a child to St. Jude. How scary it must be and how I didn’t want that child to see my eyes get moist. So, it’s a real learning experience at St. Jude. It changed me forever. I do wish everybody could visit the hospital. It’s a life-changing experience and when you see the parents arrive with a child. You see the real fear on their faces, terror sometimes. Then you see them leaving and they’re better. It’s like a godsent – the change they feel, and that their children feel.”

Marlo on being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and her version of the American Dream: 

“One of the things that happened in my life that was really big a great deal, because of my work with St. Jude, is that I received the Medal of Freedom from President Obama. My husband and I went, and my brother came, and the head of St. Jude came. The interesting thing about it, is when you are growing up, especially as an actress, you dream of getting an Emmy or an Oscar or a Tony, but I don’t think anybody grows up dreaming about the Medal of Freedom. It just comes as a shock when you’re told you will be receiving this at the White House. And I remember I was stunned. Remember we discussed that I wasn’t going to cry? So, I’m not going to cry, but I did because at the moment President Obama was clasping the medal around my neck, I thought of my grandparents. My grandparents were immigrants who came to this country from Lebanon to find a better way of life, to raise their family and their children. And I saw them in my mind’s eye, I could see my grandparents with all their belongings and cloth bags. And here, their granddaughter just two generations later were in the White House receiving the Medal of Freedom from the President of the United States. I mean, that is the American Dream. I’m so proud of the fact that my grandparents made a life in this country.”

Marlo on how celebrity involvement has helped the foundation: 

“That’s a very interesting thing because just as in our generation, we brought in Jennifer Aniston and Robin Williams and all of those wonderful people. My dad did that, that’s how he built the hospital. He used to say this hospital was built with laughter George Burns and the Bob Hope and all of the funny guys—Jerry Lewis and Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, all of the men and women that were on the night club circuit with my dad helped build St. Jude. In fact, Frank Sinatra did so many benefits that we actually have a whole wing that’s called the Frank Sinatra wing. Their generosity really built the hospital.”

Watch the full summit here.

The T&C Summit continues tomorrow with Stacy-Marie Ishmael speaking to Taraji P. Henson and Jamie Raskin, and Stellene Volandes in conversation with Andreas Dracopoulos. If you are interested in attending register directly here.

Sean and Myra Anderson illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

Big Sean × Myra Anderson

BIG SEAN & HIS MOTHER MYRA ANDERSON LAUNCH WELLNESS VIDEO SERIES PRESENTED BY THE SEAN ANDERSON FOUNDATION TO COMMEMORATE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

Today, multi-platinum artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Big Sean, and his mother, Myra Anderson, have announced the launch of their wellness video series presented by their non-profit, the Sean Anderson Foundation. Beginning May 1st, a new video will be released every Saturday during the month of May at 12pm EST/9am PST to commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month. The videos will live on the Sean Anderson Foundation’s IGTV HERE and will also be featured on the Sean Anderson Foundation website HERE.

In each episode, Sean and Myra will have a 10 – 15-minute candid conversation surrounding a specific area of wellness. Topics include mindset, sleep/circadian rhythms, meditation, diet/exercise and the emotional freedom technique (EFT).

“I feel that Mental Health Awareness Month is the perfect time to talk with my mom about some of the things I have learned from her that have helped me along the way, and I hope will help others,” says Big Sean.

“Sean and I wanted to share some of the no or low-cost techniques that we have used over the years to help us attain and maintain emotional balance. In the future, we may do a deeper dive into some of these techniques and other tools that we use,” says Myra Anderson.

The Sean Anderson Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for underserved youth and their families. Previously, the foundation hosted a Mental Health Awareness panel, which explored the narrative and stigma around mental health in the Black community. Throughout the past year, Sean and the foundation have engaged in a variety of initiatives to help those in need during these unprecedented times. Sean hosted virtual fundraisers to benefit COVID-19 response efforts, as well as partnered with McDonalds for their Black & Positively Golden Mentors Program. The Detroit native was recently appointed Creative Director of Innovation for the Detroit Pistons, where he and the foundation work with the team to create opportunities and programs in the Detroit area.

About the Sean Anderson Foundation


The mission of the Sean Anderson Foundation is to assist in the education, health, safety and well-being of school aged youth in underserved communities across the country.

Sean is a living example of what can be accomplished through focus, determination and hard work. He strives to serve as an instrument of encouragement for us to help support ourselves and to support one another.

The Sean Anderson Foundation’s signature program is “Mogul Prep”, a digital and live event curriculum that focuses on developing entrepreneurial skills, preparing students for college and/or the workforce, and ultimately for a successful life. In addition, the Foundation partners with a number of existing charitable programs whose objectives are consistent with the objectives of the Foundation. 

For more information about SAF, visit the Sean Anderson Foundation.

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Gisele Bündchen illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

Gisele × DraftKings

Gisele Bündchen Joins DraftKings as Special Advisor to the CEO and Board for ESG Initiatives

Bündchen to Counsel Company on Environmental and Social Objectives

DraftKings Launches Earth Day DFS Contest as First Step to Reach Goal of Planting of 1,000,000 Trees

DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) announced the appointment of Gisele Bündchen, environmental activist, philanthropist and former super model, as a special advisor to the company’s CEO and board of directors for environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) initiatives.

“Gisele Bündchen is a global icon who has utilized the platform she established in modeling, fashion, and entertainment, to lead and advocate for vital environmental and social causes,” said Jason Robins, co-founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of DraftKings. “I believe that the strategic counsel and unique global perspective that Gisele brings to me and the board will be indispensable and, as evidenced by our Earth Day campaign, her impact will be immediate and far-reaching.”

As outlined in the company’s recently released inaugural ESG report, DraftKings is committed to fighting global sustainable development challenges, including climate change, in alignment with the U.N.’s sustainability development goals. In collaboration with Bündchen, DraftKings has set a goal of planting 1 million trees by Earth Day 2022. As an initial step, DraftKings has launched several opportunities for customers to directly support the effort, including through charity daily fantasy sports contests and free-to-play pools. In coordination with the Arbor Day Foundation, DraftKings has pledged to plant the first 100,000 trees in several U.S. states, including California, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Vermont and Virginia.

“I look forward to working with the DraftKings board of directors in continuing to find ways to make the most positive impacts through meaningful social and environmental initiatives,” says Bündchen. “It is very important for successful corporations to make the necessary shifts in ESG initiatives to truly make a difference on a global level. In today’s world, in my opinion, it isn’t enough for companies to just be successful financially. Companies have to be successful in ALL areas, including social impact and sustainability initiatives that impact the future for all of us around the world.”

Bündchen has been recognized in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and 100 Fashion Icons lists, appeared in hundreds of campaigns for the most prominent and iconic brands, graced more than 1,200 magazine covers worldwide and walked the runway in close to 500 fashion shows. She is a prominent supporter of numerous environmental and social projects, including Projeto Água Limpa (Clean Water Project), which implements sustainable environmental water management systems near her hometown in Brazil. In 2020, she launched the Viva a Vida initiative which raised funds to plant over 260,000 trees along the Xingu and Araguaia River in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. Bündchen has also served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Program since 2009.

Bündchen’s status as special advisor to DraftKings’ CEO and board of directors for ESG initiatives is effective immediately. Further information about DraftKings is available at DraftKings and the latest company updates can be found on Twitter.