October 1, 2009
Montclair Times
Randal Pinkett
Randal Pinkett, winner of the reality show “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump, will be the guest speaker at a cocktail party to benefit IMANI on Saturday, Oct 3.
The benefit, which will be held at the home of Lois and David Stith, begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $200 per person, $300 per couple.
Pinkett is an entrepreneur, Rhodes scholar, and author. He is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, a management, technology, and policy consulting firm based in Newark.
BCT Partners works with corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations on issues of housing and community development, economic development, human services, government, health care and education.
A public speaker for corporate, youth, and community groups, Pinkett has been featured on The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, and CNN; and in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other papers. He is a regular segment host for CEO Exchange on PBS.
Pinkett’s degrees include a Ph.D. from MIT Media Laboratory, a master of business administration from MIT Sloan School of Management, and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from MIT. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and eared his bachelor’s degree at Rutgets.
Pinkett is the co-author of several books, including “Black Faces in White Places: 10 Strategies for African Americans to Redefine the Game and Reshape America.”
IMANI (Improving Montclair Achievement Network Initiative) is a joint community/schools partnership dedicated to raising the achievement of students in the Montclair Public chool. IMANI was founded in 1999. It provides weekly teacher-led study groups, SAT prep classes, and summer literature and algebra support for incoming ninth-graders.
IMANI also runs a community-based College Advocacy Center that assists students and parents in the college application process. In 2004, it launched a literature program for elementary school children, and in 2006 a program for middle school boys of color.