Entertainment industry power broker and multimedia entrepreneur Scooter Braun, best known for managing the careers of some of today’s biggest pop culture icons like Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Usher, Karlie Kloss, Ariana Grande and Tori Kelly, will receive the Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles Humanitarian Award at the 4th Annual Wishing Well Winter Gala on December 7, 2016 at the Hollywood Palladium, it was announced by Neal Aton, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tori Kelly will honor Braun with a special performance and present him with the award. Braun will join Academy Award-nominated actor Robert Downey Jr as an honoree that evening. As previously announced, Downey Jr. will receive the Shining Star Award for the many wishes he has granted to children around the world and his long-time dedication and generosity to Make-A-Wish.
The Humanitarian Award recognizes outstanding individuals whose philanthropic efforts have made a demonstrable impact on the lives of children and their families. Braun, his clients, and his company, SB Projects, have granted hundreds of wishes for Make-A-Wish.
“Scooter is one of those rare individuals who weaves his core beliefs into his daily life and business practices. He leads a company founded on the philosophy of giving back – so making the world a better place is central to every initiative and every artist whose career he guides,” said Aton. “We couldn’t be more grateful to Scooter and his incredible roster of artists for bringing hope, strength and joy to hundreds of wish kids and their families. Scooter is an integral part of our Make-A-Wish family and we are truly honored to recognize him with this special award.”
Braun introduced superstar Justin Bieber to Make-A-Wish seven years ago. Since then, Bieber has fulfilled nearly 300 wishes. Like Bieber, many of Braun’s clients are actively involved in Make-A-Wish, including Ariana Grande, Tori Kelly and Cody Simpson.
Scooter Braun, named TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” is one of the entertainment industry’s biggest power brokers and has broken more new music acts than any other music executive in the last decade. He is the founder of SB Projects, a company at the intersection of music, film, television, technology, brands, culture and social good. Today, Braun has a roster of notables that include Justin Bieber, Kayne West, Ariana Grande, Usher, Karlie Kloss, Carly Rae Jepsen, Cody Simpson, Tori Kelly, Psy, Black Eyed Peas, Steve Angello, CL and Martin Garrix, among others. SB Projects also houses a film and television production division that has released titles such as Never Say Never (2011), The Giver (2014), and the CBS drama series, Scorpion. SB Projects continues to impact and intersect new verticals under its tech incubator, Silent Labs, which holds investments in Uber, Spotify, Songza, Fahlo, and Pinterest, among others.
Singer-songwriter Tori Kelly first rose to attention when her YouTube cover of Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin’ Bout You,” went viral, racking up over 24 million views. Kelly made her Billboard chart debut in 2012 with her self-released album Handmade Songs By Tori Kelly. After seeing her videos on YouTube, Scooter Braun became her manager and introduced her to Capitol Records. Kelly’s lead single, “Nobody Love” off her debut album Unbreakable Smile, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. Kelly was nominated for Best New Artist at the 58th GRAMMY Awards. She will star as a shy teenage elephant named Meena in the 2016 movie-musical SING.
The Make-A-Wish awards are presented at the annual Wishing Well Winter Gala, where entertainment executives, celebrities, top business executives, community and civic leaders, medical professionals and philanthropists celebrate the children and families whose lives have been changed forever by the power of a wish. Since its start in 2013, these meaningful events have collectively raised almost $3 million for wish kids living in Greater Los Angeles. Past honorees include sports stars Kobe Bryant, Landon Donovan and Oscar de la Hoya; philanthropists Sam Nazarian and Michael Rosenfeld; and medical pioneers Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, OneLegacy and Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA.
In addition to the award presentations, the evening will include entertainment, cocktails, sit-down dinner, one-of-a-kind silent and live auction items and wish granting. Additional award honorees will be announced shortly.
Join generous presenting sponsor, The Goldwin Foundation, along with many other partners and donors, in supporting the 4th Annual Make-A-Wish Wishing Well Winter Gala.
· To purchase tickets, tables and sponsorships please visit www.la.wish.org/gala
· To make a donation, visit www.la.wish.org.
Oct 24, 2016 12:30 pm GLSEN, the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for all students, honored Kate Hudson, Connor Franta, Jess Cagle, Target, Kevin Brockman and San Diego high-school student Edward Estrada at GLSEN’s Respect Awards – Los Angeles on Friday, October 21, at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills.
Kate Hudson Honored At GLSEN Respect Awards
The GLSEN Respect Awards, introduced in 2004 and held annually in Los Angeles and New York, showcase the work of students, educators, individuals and corporations who serve as exemplary role models and have made a significant impact on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.
The program also featured GLSEN National Student Council members from California, Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas who shared their own stories of why GLSEN’s work is important and how it has helped each of them in creating more positive school climates in their own communities.
Speakers were GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard; Inspiration Award honoree Kate Hudson; #Gamechanger Award honoree Connor Franta; Visionary Award honoree Jess Cagle; Rick Gomez, SVP Brand and Category Marketing, Target, accepting the Champion Award; Hero Award honoree Kevin Brockman; Student Advocate of the Year Edward Estrada; Julia Roberts; Garrett Clayton; Nina Dobrev; Jeffrey Katzenberg; Kate Mulgrew; Charlie Carver; Jim Fielding; Jim Parsons; Robbie Rogers; and Andrew Graham.
The GLSEN Respect Awards – Los Angeles continues with an online auction via Charitybuzz that features items such as a private lunch with Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello; tickets to the premieres and afterparties of movies “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” in New York City and “Arrival” in Los Angeles; an acoustic guitar signed by Katy Perry; dinner and taping of “Hell’s Kitchen,” including meeting host Gordon Ramsay; exclusive hotel packages for stays in California and Arizona; and set visits to “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Cake Wars.”
GLSEN has led the way on LGBTQ issues in K-12 education since 1990. Through ground-breaking original research, innovative program development, student leadership and educator training, community organizing, and targeted state and federal advocacy, GLSEN has seen the impact of its work with the development of educational resources, direct engagement of youth and educators, and national programs like GLSEN’s Day of Silence, GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week, and GLSEN’s Ally Week.
Previous GLSEN Respect Awards honorees have included Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel; Zachary Quinto; Julia Roberts and Danny Moder; Derek Hough; Matthew Morrison; NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt; Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg; Bob and Harvey Weinstein; former NBA player Jason Collins; Darren Star; Shonda Rhimes; Michele and Rob Reiner; Andrew Tobias; John Mack, CEO of Morgan Stanley; NBA executive Rick Welts; the National Education Association; Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak; Simon Halls and Matt Bomer; MTV; Disney-ABC Television; Johnson & Johnson; and HBO, as well as student leaders and educators from around the country.
Honorary co-chairs for the event were Matt Bomer and Simon Halls, Bob Greenblatt, Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chris McMillan, Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak, and Julia Roberts and Danny Moder.
Co-chairs for this year’s event were Jim Fielding, Dave Karger, Patrick Moran and Chip Sullivan. The event was co-hosted by Larry Angrisani, Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers, Brad Bessey and Frank Sanchez, Edison Briones, Kevin Brockman and Dan Berendsen, Jessica Capshaw and Christopher Gavigan, Terry Clark, Donald De Line, Matt Henry, Andrew Hotz and Kevin Friedman, Lauran Huff, Mike Irvin, Richard Konigsberg and Craig Olsen, George Kotsiopoulos, Carlos Lopez, Duncan Millership and Simon Thomas, Cody Morris and Christopher Landon, Corey Palent, Jonathan Rollo and Joey Gonzalez, Ben Roy, Mimi Slavin, and Ben Spector.
Sponsors of the 2016 GLSEN Respect Awards – Los Angeles included Presenting Sponsors Wells Fargo, Target and The Walt Disney Company.
A growing list of local luminaries, including Jason Mraz, Rita Coolidge and Joel Rafael, are urging fellow San Diego County residents to join them in opposing Measure B this November.
“I’m voting No to protect our local agricultural land from being swiftly and wrongfully developed without purpose and proper infrastructure,” said Jason Mraz, Grammy Award-winning musician and Fallbrook resident. “Over-development without a whole-minded approach will devastate the region – economically and environmentally.”
Measure B is a San Diego countywide ballot measure that would allow a deep-pocketed developer to build the ill-conceived Lilac Hills Ranch development in rural northern San Diego County. The proposed development would place more than 1,700 homes on land that is currently zoned for 110 homes. An objective analysis of the measure prepared by San Diego County indicated that the development would contribute significantly to regional traffic, likely leaving taxpayers with a bill of more than $1 Billion to address projected impacts.
Entertainers who are joining efforts to oppose this project are particularly concerned about the environmental impacts associated with Lilac Hills Ranch, which would not need to be mitigated or addressed if the project moves forward through this voter initiative.
“A no vote on Measure B gives San Diego County voters a chance stand up against greedy investors and reckless developers who don’t care about the environment or the better good,” added musician Joel Rafael. “1746 houses in an area zoned for 110 with no supporting infrastructure nearby is wrong.”
Volunteers from the No on B campaign will share information and materials with concertgoers at the upcoming Jackson Browne show at the Balboa Theater on October 24th.
For more information about why Measure B is bad for San Diego County, and how Measure B will contribute to climate change, go to www.saveoursdcountryside.org, Facebook and Twitter.
The 2016 Visionary Ball, sponsored by Edie Baskin Bronson and Richard “Skip” Bronson and benefiting the UCLADepartment of Neurosurgery under the direction of department chair and professor Dr. Neil A. Martin, W. Eugene Stern Chair in Neurosurgery, will honor Michael V. Lewis with the Visionary Award; Linda M. Liau, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., with the Medical Visionary Award; Donald P. Bellisario with the Courage Award and Jon Lovitz with the Rodney Respect Award on Thursday, October 27, 2016 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills.
The always star-studded evening features Emmy Award-winning television personality Larry Wilmore as host and a performance by India Carney. Honorary chairs are Roma Downey and Mark Burnett; gala chairs are Edie Baskin Bronson and Susan Dolgen.
The evening raises critical funds and awareness in support of the millions of patients who battle the most complex neurological disorders of this era. “We are excited to be celebrating our amazing honorees and raising funds to advance the most sophisticated neurosurgical treatments in the nation,” said Dr. Martin. “Our joint efforts will further our ability to help more patients and their family members with some of the most complicated neurological disorders.”
Visionary Award honoree Michael V. Lewis is CEO and co-founder of RealD and is a globally recognized leader in visual technology. His cutting-edge advances have been used for robotic medical procedures, piloting the Mars Rover and pioneering digital 3D cinema to become the world’s largest 3D cinema platform with over 32,000 RealD equipped theaters in 72 countries. RealD is now offering its technology to consumer electronics companies around the world for use in the home and mobile device markets. Under Lewis’s leadership, RealD has twice been named by Fast Company as one of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies.” Lewis has received multiple awards, including being named among The Hollywood Reporter’s “Digital Power 50” and as one of the publication’s “Innovative Voices.” His many accolades include the Vanguard Award from the Producers Guild of America, the Special Award of Achievement for Technical Contributions to the Motion Picture Industry at ShowEast, and the YPO and Edison Innovation Foundation’s Thomas Alva Edison Innovation Award. He is a marquee donor to the Motion Picture Television Fund, serves on the City Year Los Angeles Board of Directors and is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.
Linda M. Liau, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Medical Visionary Award honoree, is vice chair of research and a professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She also directs the UCLA Brain Tumor Program, one of the world’s leading programs for brain tumor research, diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Liau holds a B.S. and B.A. from Brown University, received her medical degree from Stanford University, and completed her residency in neurosurgery at UCLA. She also received her doctoral degree in Neuroscience at UCLA, as well as her M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Dr. Liau’s clinical expertise is in intra-operative functional brain mapping and the use of intra-operative imaging for resection of brain tumors (gliomas, meningiomas and metastatic tumors). Dr. Liau and her research team have developed the first personalized brain cancer vaccine in the United States. The vaccine is made by isolating a specific immune cell in the patient and combining it with the patient’s own tumor tissue.
Prolific writer, producer and director Donald P. Bellisario, Courage Award recipient, has been crafting words and stories for more than 30 years—long before he gained notoriety as the creator/producer of groundbreaking television series such as Magnum P.I., Quantum Leap, JAG and NCIS. His story began in 1961. After serving four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and graduating with a degree in journalism from Penn State, Bellisario started his writing career at Pennsylvania’s Centre Daily Times and then as a copywriter for a local advertising agency. He next moved to Dallas for a position with the famous Bloom Agency where he rose to senior VP, head of film production, creative director, and board member. In 1976, Hollywood beckoned and Bellisario became story editor of the hit series Baa Baa Black Sheep. After five episodes, he was promoted to serve as the show’s producer. He went on to become supervising producer of Battlestar Galactica, before developing his own highly successful series of television hits. Named the 2001 Producer of the Year by the Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors, Bellisario also is the recipient of a “star” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Rodney Respect Award honoree Jon Lovitz is an Emmy Award-winning comedian who has enjoyed remarkable success as a television, film and stage actor. During his tenure at Saturday Night Live, Lovitz created some of the most memorable and inventive characters in the show’s history: Hannukah Harry, The Devil, Master Thespian and Tommy Flanagan of Pathological Liars Anonymous. His most prominent film credits include A League of Their Own, The Wedding Singer, Big, and The Producers: The Musical. Some of his numerous television credits include Friends, Seinfeld, Just Shoot Me and The Simpsons. He also performed at Carnegie Hall three times and has sung the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium and the U.S. Open. In 2004, he pursued his dream of doing stand-up and in 2009 opened the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Universal Citywalk.
Previous Visionary Ball honorees include: Elon Musk; Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, M.D.; Ted Gagliano; Kate Berg; Chelsea Handler; Sidney Kimmel; Louis Ignarro; Doriana Sanchez; Bob Saget; Gerald S. Levey, M.D.; Beth and Josh Friedman; Burt Bacharach; Louie Anderson; David T. Feinberg, M.D.; Anthony N. Pritzker; Jim Carrey; Joan Hyler; Peter Morton; Tim Allen; Donald Becker, M.D.; Thomas Barrack and Jay Leno.
Visionary Ball ticket packages begin at $2,500; limited individual tickets begin at $500. For more information, please call (310) 267-9447, email rebecca@grantevents.com, or click here.
Oct 24, 2016 08:45 am
Wonder Woman, the iconic superhero, has been named an Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls by the United Nations and will be tasked with raising awareness about Goal 5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.
Gal Gadot, Lynda Carter and Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Cristina Gallach
Credit/Copyright: UN Photo/Kim Haughton
“While we have achieved progress towards gender equality in many parts of the world, women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence. Gender equality is a fundamental human right and a foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Cristina Gallach said at a ceremony last week at UN Headquarters in New York. Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot were also present at the event.
The campaign, supported by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros., “is an example of how we are working with diverse partners and making new alliances to reach out to audiences everywhere to know about and understand the Goals, and, in this case, about gender equality,” she said.
Wonder Woman’s strength and fight for justice and peace will help to focus the campaign’s attention in five key areas:
• Speaking out against discrimination and limitations on women and girls;
• Joining forces with others against gender-based violence and abuse;
• Supporting full and effective participation and equal opportunity for women and girls in leadership in all spheres of life – including the workplace;
• Ensuring all women and girls have access to quality learning, and:
• Sharing examples of real life women and girls who are making a difference every day.
“Supporting the United Nations campaign for female empowerment is a weighty responsibility and one that all of us at DC and Warner Bros. are proud to take on,” declared Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment and of Warner Bros. Consumer Products.
The campaign launches on the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman’s first appearance in a comic book in 1941. Social media graphics and messaging will help support the key actions and a custom comic book on the empowerment of women and girls will be produced in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, the six official languages of the UN.
The campaign takes its place in a long history of initiatives by the United Nations on behalf of securing gender equality that includes efforts such as Planet 5050 by 2030, HeForShe, and UNiTE to End Violence Against Women.
“Wonder Woman has always been a trailblazer for women’s rights and we believe she can continue that legacy by expanding and deepening the dialogue around these critical issues,” said Ms. Nelson.
Indeed, she told those gathered for today’s event, “we believe that in addition to the exemplary work that amazing real women are doing in the fight for gender equality, it is to be commended that the UN understands that stories – even comic book stories and their characters – can inspire, teach and reveal injustices.”
In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, The Lidè Haiti Foundation, a local women’s educational initiative founded by actor Rainn Wilson, wife Holiday Reinhorn and Dr. Kathryn Adams, develops a special community outreach program.
The Lidè Haiti Foundation, which was founded to uplift and educate at-risk females, is now empowering those very girls to help heal and rebuild their community in this time of need.
As Hurricane Matthew traveled over their home, the girls of Lidè distracted their worried minds with the artistic tools taught in their Lidè workshops. The days following Hurricane Matthew they continued their artistic pursuits, creating posters and other crafts to provide vital information to isolated community members. In response to the storm’s destruction, Lidè is teaching girls how to play a vital role in the health of their communities, focusing on disease prevention, educational outreach, and isolation reduction.
With an accelerated rise in Cholera cases and a concern for increasing Zika and Malaria cases, due to contaminated waterways, the girls of Lidè have learned about causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment for these illnesses. Lidè is also planning a training series to help teachers understand possible paralyzing effects of traumatic experiences on youth and how pedagogical methods can build resiliency.
Lidè is seeking donations to assist in these initiatives and efforts. Tax-deductible donations can be made here.
The following materials are urgently needed and donations are being accepted in Los Angeles until November 20th:
Mosquito nets
Women’s multivitamins with iron
Children’s chewable vitamins
3 iPads (used is fine)
Art materials
Digital cameras (must be in working condition) with 12 or more megapixel imaging
The Lidè Haiti Foundation is an educational initiative in rural Haiti that uses the arts and literacy to empower at-risk adolescent girls and help them transition into school or vocational training. It is their belief that arts education inspires personal empowerment, resilience and self-efficacy. Lidè currently serves five hundred girls in the remote Artibonite region with a staff of thirteen Haitian teachers.
Oct 24, 2016 06:00 am
Raising public awareness and enlisting the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, helping severely injured service members to aid and assist each other, and providing unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.
