SEED Week 2016

SEED WEEK 2016

Each summer in New York City, the SEED Project hosts a week of activities (July 26-29) showcasing their program in West Africa and raising funds to support our mission to empower the next generation of African leaders.  

This year, top leaders from the financial, non-profit, and sport sectors from around the world came together to celebrate our 15th program year.  Additionally, 10 of our SEED Academy graduates from around the world attended the week of activities.

From our annual summer party fundraiser with more than 300 guests to the bright lights of world-famous Dyckman Park, it was quite a week.  Please enjoy our recap and photos.

SEED x KNICKS x DYCKMAN YOUTH CLINIC

July 26th, 2016 // Dyckman Park, NY

For the third straight year, SEED teamed-up with Dyckman Basketball to raise awareness about SEED's work in West Africa and the local New York communities that Dyckman reaches on a daily basis.  Together, this unique, international partnership provides a platform to share new ideas and culture -- with the highly-charged NYC streetball atmosphere as the backdrop.  

This year, we partnered with the NY Knicks and hosted a youth basketball clinic for 150 youth from the local community.  Seven SEED alumni participated as coaches alongside NY Knicks and Dyckman coaches.  The three-hour session featured a mix of on-court drills and life skills activities.

SEED Summer Party

July 27th, 2016 // Marquee Nightclub, NY

More than 300 guests helped us raise $60,000 to support our programs in Senegal and The Gambia.

Student-Athlete Career Services Day

July 28th, 2016 // City National Bank, NY

For the 3rd consecutive year we hosted our Student-Athlete Career Services Day to support our student's ongoing professional development.  This year, we partnered with City National Bank, where eight SEED alumni enjoyed a 3-hour career services workshop.  Led by SEED Professional Board Members, Michael Wieder (Wayup), Nina Boyd (Wayup) and Todd Burach (City National Bank), the students first received resume, cover letter and interview prep skills from Wayup, a career services and job employment agency.

Then, City National's Entertainment Group provided a detailed look at how their company works and the different career tracks available at the bank.  Senior Executives from the group led a roundtable discussion where alumni had the opportunity to ask about career related advice.  Finally, Todd led the group through a personal accounting activity to help our students properly manage their finances as they begin to earn an income and plan for their futures.

Team Africa vs Team New York

July 28th, 2016 // Dyckman Park, NY

For the 3rd straight year, we teamed-up with the most famous streetball court in the world, Dyckman  Park, and Nike, to host one of the most highly anticipated streetball events of the summer.  SEED Academy Alumni (students from a Senegalese boarding school for student-athletes), and select local NY student-athletes with African roots, took on a group of talented Dyckman Park All-Stars.

Each game in this series of current high school and college standouts has come down to the wire and this one was no different.  After Team Africa mounted a furious comeback to cut Dyckman's lead to 1 with 90 seconds to play, Team Dyckman finished the game on a 6-0 run to win their straight All-Star game.  

Most importantly, the sold-out game raised awareness about SEED's work in West-Africa and the impact Dyckman has on its surrounding community.

4th Annual SEED Summer Party

SEED Summer Party '16 Recap

$60,000 raised to support our programs in Senegal and The Gambia.

More than 300 SEED family members turned out for our 4th annual SEED Summer Party and helped us raise significant funds to support our 8,000 students in Senegal and The Gambia.  The talented music group, Eye Spy, helped us turn Marquee NY into a West African dance party where our guests heard keynote speeches from Amadou Fall (SEED Founder // VP NBA Africa), DeSagana Diop (Retired NBA Player), Masai Ujiri (President, Toronto Raptors), Makhtar Ndiaye (Wasserman Media), and Noah Levine (Executive Director, SEED Project).  We also honored SEED Professional Board members, Etzerson Philitas and Brian Waweru, with this year's Leadership Award for their contributions as Co-Chairs of the Finance Committee.

Partners / Sponsors

Ciroc, Crown Royale, Eventfull.nyc, Eye Spy, GLDN Events, Marquee, Rudy's Barbershop, Tiger Beer

Champions / All-Star Tables

Alan Oyugi, Amadou Fall, Brian Waweru, Charles Lerner / Eric Brest, Etzerson Philitas, Griffin Hoffmann, Harvey Sanders, Jenny and Justin Piasecki, Justin Palmer, Makhtar Ndiaye, Meredith and Alex Falk, NBA, Nike, NY Knicks, UNICEF, Wasserman Media, Worldquant

Host Committee

Alec Hooff, Alexander Falk, Amadou Fall, Blake Saunders, Brandon Rhodes, Brian Waweru, Caryl Stern, Chris Moorman, Dale Kim, Dan Solomito, Eric Brest, Etzerson Philitas, Folasade Adeoso, Fred Swaniker, Gavin Moseley, Griffin Hoffmann, Harvey Sanders, James Lee, Jennifer Piasecki, Justin Palmer, Justin Piasecki, Kellen Benjamin, Kojo Mills, Makhtar Ndiaye, Melissa Owumi, Meredith Falk, Michael Schenker, Michael Wieder, Nina Boyd, Noah Levine, Randall Harris, Rashard Drakeford, Rocky Xu, Romola Ratnam, Sam Aronson, Sam Pucci, Tina Fletcher, Trina Fletcher, Todd Burach, Vivian Onano

Event Pictures

Malick Sidibe Inspired Photobooth

This past April, the iconic Malian photographer, Malick Sidibe, passed away at the age of 81.  Sidibe captured the exuberance of the newly independent Mali in the 1960s and 70s, and his timeless images continue to inspire people around the world today.

We paid homage to Sidibe by re-creating one of his famous sets - always modest and often covered in patterned fabric.

SEED Alumni Summer Update

Since we launched our first program, SEED Academy, in 2002, we've supported 105 young men and women from Senegal transition to university or secure a job around the world (a 95% success rate).  Once our students graduate from SEED we continue to invest in their development by providing career services guidance and internship placement support.  

This summer, many of our alumni are do exciting things around the world.  Recently, we caught up with three - Remy Ndiaye, Serigne Mboup, and Baye Samba Fall - to see what they were up to this summer.

Baye Samba Fall 

SEED Academy  '12, SUNY Brockport '17

Summer Analyst, JP MORGAN CHASE

I recall heading to 28 Liberty Street, the NY Offices of JP Morgan, for my first day at my summer internship the same way I remember coming to the United States six years ago; I was anxious, excited, and felt unseemly out of place, as if I didn’t deserve to be there. Growing up in Senegal, people don’t frequently have the chance to intern on Wall Street, let alone a major firm like JP Morgan.
From the very first day with JP Morgan, I was embraced as a member of the team and legitimately expected to make a contribution. I immediately hit the ground running June 3rd, working on high-level material for senior management. As an Accounting and Finance Major at SUNY Brockport, this experience is helping me diversify my skill  sets and preparing me for my future.
This internship may not have been possible without the incredible help and mentoring from Todd Burach, a SEED professional board member. From the time we connected in January 2015 through the SEED Professional Mentoring Program, Todd went above and beyond to help me secure an internship on Wall Street. From resume and cover letter writing to tips on interview etiquette, his advice played a crucial role in me securing this internship.
As I’m nearing the end of my internship, I am really excited about my future. I’m very optimistic about possible full-time opportunities in this field after I graduate. Through your support, other SEED alumni will have the opportunity to improve their skill sets and give back to the organization.

Remy Ndiaye & Serigne Mboup

Serigne Mboup (Left) and Remy Ndiaye (Right) at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

Serigne Mboup

SEED Academy '12, Austin Peay University '15, Union College MBA '16

Summer League Internship, NBA

In last year's summer league, I was a beginner in the environment, meaning that I didn't have many responsibilities. However this year, I had to manage different stations and overview activities happening in the concourse such as selling programs and fan combines among other things. I had to make sure everything worked well and that people rotated in the right spots at the right time. 
It has been an amazing experience because I am in a job where communication is key in order for activities to run smoothly. It is very important to have good timing. I work with many people from different backgrounds and I am accumulating key knowledge on how to interact with people - their potential likes and dislikes at first sight.
I also learned a lot of information regarding how to do business and how to negotiate depending on the advantages and disadvantages that are present. One responsibility was to take care of the VIP's. A very important aspect that I learned is that you have to make people feel special since they are paying customers. You have to learn their body language in order to adapt to their needs and wants.

Remy Ndiaye

SEED Academy '10, Dallas Baptist University '14, MBA '16

Summer League Internship, NBA 

This year I interned at the 2016 NBA Summer League and learned a lot. I learned a lot about event management, an area I previously didn't have much experience in.  I also really took away the importance of communication.  My bosses expected me to not only share my ideas with them, but my point of view was taken seriously.  And it taught me about how to be passionate about your job, while also remaining under control - I had to show passion in what I was doing, as well as manage unforeseen obstacles on any given night.
The internship also gave me a chance to share my background and journey with high-level business people. It expanded my network significantly and my conversations were taken even more seriously because of the respect people have for SEED alumnus. 
Overall, I am thankful and grateful that SEED teammate, Serigne Mboup, opened the door for me after interning at the NBA Summer League last summer, and I hope that I too can open the door for SEED kids down the line. Serigne’s support perfectly demonstrates the SEED motto: ‘Grow as a Family.'

 

Senegal Men's National Team x Olympic Qualifying Tournament

SEED Alumni, Cheikh Mbodj (Cincinnati '14) and Thierno Niang (Milwaukee '14), were again well represented on the Senegal Men's National Team when they participated in the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in the Philippines (July 5-10).  Cheikh Mbodj (pictured above) and Thierno Niang both had strong efforts in losses to Canada and Turkey.  Senegal was eliminated from the tournament, but the future remains bright as Senegalese student-athletes continue to have success around the world.

Program Recap: March '16

Program Recap: March '16

Enrollment

  • SEED Academy:  40 student-athletes
  • Live, Learn & Play // SEED Rise:  1,387 weekly participants
  • SEED Scholars:  105 SEED alumni

Live, Learn & Play Tournament

The second annual LLP Tournament is an opportunity for our students and coaches to display their incredible progress on and off the basketball court.  Beginning on March 16th, our 1,387 youth from 17 different schools currently enrolled in LLP started a month long tournament.  22 of 28 games were completed before students headed home for the Easter Holiday.  The tournament will resume on April 13th with 36 more games scheduled, and the finals will be featured during the Hoop Forum event (May 19-21).

This year, under the supervision of SEED Athletic Director, Moussa Toure, the tournament introduced several format changes.  To increase competitiveness and emphasize the fundamentals of the game, the first two rounds of the tournament featured teams of 3x3, the semi-finals 4x4, and the finals 5x5.  This format was designed to show the students how to properly space on the basketball court, while allowing equal opportunities for each player to touch the ball and participate on the team.  Additionally, this format allowed for coaches to better asses and teach their players.

FIBA Coaching Certification

Over the past several months, SEED coaches have been preparing for the FIBA certification exam in April in hopes of becoming FIBA certified coaches.  FIBA certification will make SEED coaches eligible to coach Senegalese national teams.

Live, Learn, & Play Tournament Pictures

United Airlines NYC 1/2 Marathon

NYC 1/2 Marathon x Team SEED

Five runners helped SEED raise more than $4,000!

For the third straight year, SEED participated in the NYC 1/2 Marathon.  On Sunday March 20th, five runners completed the 13.1 mile course and, along the way, helped to raise $4,311 to directly support SEED programs.  

Thank you to all of our runners and donors !!

United Airlines 1/2 Marathon Pictures