For the fortunate students attending this year’s All In & Finance Event: The Power of Energy & Philanthropy, the evening at the Yale Club of New York City was a rare opportunity to experience the true magnitude of the Blair community. Hosted by former Head of School and current Trustee T. Chandler Hardwick III and his wife, Monie Hardwick, former Director of Advancement and Strategic Planning, the evening brought together current students with an interest in finance, energy or philanthropy and Trustees, alums, parents and friends of Blair for a lively discussion about the happenings on campus and around the world.

Casey Gottlieb ’25 came away from the event reflecting upon Blair’s remarkable ability to connect students with alumni and foster learning. “Through these events I have formed friendships, networked and been given internship opportunities. I am super grateful for the advancement office and all of their efforts to make Blair a better place.”

After All In campaign events around the world, the New York City launch in January was combined with the fifth annual finance summit to bring together the power of energy and philanthropy as Blair heads into the campaign’s final year. The evening opened with a warm welcome from Mr. Hardwick before Head of School Peter G. Curran P’27 ’27 shared the current state of affairs at the School with attendees, surrounded by the students who were there to share in the memorable moments. 

Mr. Curran then introduced the evening’s keynote speaker, former Board Chair Doug Kimmelman P’12 ’13 ’15 ’22. Josie Tetteh ’26, who is undecided about her future pursuits, found inspiration in Mr. Kimmelman’s insights into the energy industry. “As someone who is not completely sure what field I want to pursue after Blair, it was an amazing opportunity to hear Mr. Kimmelman speak about his career path and the many avenues that exist in the energy field,” Josie explained. “All students should take advantage of events like this to meet the extended Blair community; there is no other opportunity like it where you’ll be more comfortable networking.”

During his speech, Mr. Kimmelman shared his knowledge and perspective on energy as senior partner of Energy Capital Partners, a private equity firm dedicated to investing in North America's energy infrastructure, with over $20 billion of assets under management. Prior to founding Energy Capital in 2005, he was a partner with Goldman Sachs, where he spent 22 years in the firm’s investment banking and J. Aron commodities divisions. Mr. Kimmelman spoke of the importance of reliability, affordability and security in the world of energy, and he stressed the importance of education and energy literacy when it comes to powering our country and our world.

“Between our alumni, parents and Trustees, we have an incredibly deep bench of resources at your disposal,” Board Chair Maria Vinci Savettiere P’17 advised the students in attendance at the conclusion of the presentations. “No question is too small, and no problem is too great to tap into those resources.”