Daymond John at The Pattern for Progress 50th anniversary celebration
Dec. 11, 2015
Geoffrey Wilson / Poughkeepsie Journal
NEW WINDSOR – On ABC’s “Shark Tank,” entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to investors in hopes of getting funding.
One of those investors, Daymond John, made the process much easier for the Poughkeepsie City School District on Thursday night.
John, an investor on the competition television show, announced a donation of $10,000, in collaboration with Hudson Valley’s Pattern for Progress, to the school district.
Nicknamed “The People’s Shark” on the show, John said it was important to provide opportunities for people to take chances, with experience being vital as an entrepreneur.
“The maze is more important than the cheese,” said John, a Pleasant Valley resident. “I’ve failed so much, but every time I’ve failed, it showed me ways to be wiser and how to move forward.”
The donation was announced as the Newburgh-based Pattern for Progress celebrated its 50th anniversary at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor.
The funding will be earmarked for Poughkeepsie High School’s Career Action Center, which collaborates with the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce to provide students with internships. With the donation, the program will be able to offer paid internships for students.
Nicole Williams, superintendent of schools for the school district, said she was honored to receive the donation, which will help improve students’ skills and prepare them for entering the workforce.
“This partnership provides our high school students with unprecedented opportunities to explore their career interests and engage in robust internships to prepare them for college and competitive careers,” Williams said.
Poughkeepsie High School seniors Juan Arroyo and Demaj Ffriend both took internships through the program — Arroyo with Sen. Sue Serino and Ffriend with Frank Castella, president and CEO of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Arroyo said the internship provided more than just skills, but the confidence to aspire to better things and aim higher.
“It made me think that I could be a politician, that I could be something better,” Arroyo said.
While Ffriend said the experience an internship provides is invaluable, even if it is unpaid, he believes that paying a student can inspire.
“Being paid for that experience will set (students) up for achievement,” Ffriend said.
In promoting business throughout the Hudson Valley, John said that it’s possible to be successful outside urban areas, but it is important to follow trends and keep up with technology.
“It’s necessary to continue moving with the times and with the millennials,” John said.
Pattern for Progress is a not-for-profit organizaition which promotes the growth of the Hudson Valley, supporting several counties including Dutchess and Orange.
Jonathan Drapkin, president and CEO of Pattern for Progress, said John was brought in as speaker due to his entrepreneurial interests and the fact that he owns a home in Pleasant Valley.
“Daymond epitomizes a lot of Pattern’s areas of interest, including education, entrepreneurship and a focus on urban centers,” Drapkin said.
In choosing to make Dutchess County his home, John said the area just had a certain appeal that he couldn’t find in the city.
“I love how quaint it is, and I love Pleasant Valley,” John said.
Prior to the event, Pattern for Progress established a fundraising goal of $1 million, with the organization starting the evening just shy of the goal. Attendees could make bids throughout the event during a silent auction.
With more than 600 people in attendance, event-goers enjoyed a variety of local craft beer and spirits from the area, live music and performances by magicians and stilt walkers.
Drapkin said he wanted everyone connected with the organization to take a night to go all out and “have fun.”
“At Pattern, we spend the most time looking at these tough, perplexing issues in the Valley,” Drapkin said. “Tonight, we wanted to take all our supporters and have a big party so they can see another side of us.”
Geoffrey Wilson: , 845-437-4882, Twitter: @PoJoGeoffWilson.
