Cara to Honor Martin H. Nesbitt

CHICAGO, March 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cara, a nonprofit leader in poverty alleviation, is pleased to announce it will honor businessman and public figure Martin H. Nesbitt at the upcoming 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie, which will be a live virtual event on Friday, April 16, 2021. Nesbitt will receive the Trailblazer Award for his commitment to the vitality of the social fabric of Chicago and beyond.

"Martin is a Trailblazer because throughout every step of his career he has embodied a guiding principle we hold dear in our work at Cara: if we can shift perspectives, we can change behavior," said Maria Kim, President & CEO of Cara. "Whether in private industry or in civic leadership, he has dedicated his career to the art and science of shifting perspectives, and we – as a country, a city, and as individual communities – are stronger, mightier, and dream bigger as a result. We are both thrilled and flattered to honor him at our Gala."

Nesbitt currently serves as co-CEO of The Vistria Group, a Chicago-based private equity firm. He serves on the Board of Directors for numerous organizations including American Airlines Group; CenterPoint Energy; Chewy, Inc.; ForwardLine Financial; JLL; Treliant; and Vanta Education. He is a Trustee of Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art and the University of Phoenix. In addition, he was the national treasurer of President Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns and is the Chairman of the Barack Obama Foundation.

Cara graduate Raahsaan Brown will also be recognized with the Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award. This award is given annually to a graduate who is a shining example of the Cara community. Brown started his Cara journey in July 2007, seeking to break the cycle of a life on the streets and get on a path to gainful employment. Today, he is the Manager of Job Supervision and Alumni Support for Chicago CRED, an organization dedicated to a radical reduction in gun violence in Chicago.

"With this event, we are marking 30 years of this beautiful mission, and we've curated an evening for the ages," added Kim. "While we wish we could celebrate in person, we feel incredibly fortunate to share this evening with our community of influencers and partners virtually all across the country and beyond."

Interested attendees can RSVP to this free, virtual event at www.carachicago.org/gala. 

In addition to Presenting Sponsor Jim & Kay Mabie, lead sponsors for the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala include BMO Harris, Deloitte, The Kadens Family Foundation, Molson Coors, The Owens Foundation, Sterling Bay, and the Walden Family.

Sponsorships for the Cara Gala are available at www.carachicago.org/gala, or by contacting Shikha Jain, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at [email protected] or 312.798.3307.

About Cara

Cara's mission is to unlock the power and purpose within our communities and ourselves to achieve real and lasting success. Through its personal and professional skills training, access to employment opportunities, and focus on career retention, Cara serves as a leader in poverty alleviation in Chicago and beyond. Since 1991, more than 7,300 people have been placed into more than 11,500 quality jobs and started on their path to self-sufficiency. To learn more, please visit www.carachicago.org.  

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SOURCE Cara Chicago