Welcome to the latest edition of our quarterly newsletter! We’re excited to share our recent updates, stories, and opportunities. Your support makes all the difference!
In This Issue:
1. 2025/2026 Internship Program
Congratulations to the sixty-three exceptional interns who completed our 2025 Jasco Philanthropies Summer Internship Program!
We are excited to announce that we have started the interview process for our 2026 Spring Internship. We expect a class of approximately 20 – 25 interns, but we received many more qualified applications. Please partner with us to help include additional interns in our program! Our interns receive $1,000 for completing our program; any amount you donate will go directly to the interns. Click here to donate and make a difference.
We thank our donors who supported our 2025 Spring + Summer Internship campaign. Thanks to you, we were able to empower, educate, and promote 89 interns and fund 67 brokerage accounts for them! We would not have made such an impact without you!
2. 2025 Financial Highlights
For the year ended December 31, 2025, Jasco Core outperformed the S&P 500 and the HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index.
Google was the highest performer in the Core Fund Portfolio.
Bitcoin was the lowest performer in the Core Fund Portfolio.
3. Upcoming & Recent Events
Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow “Pitch for Ya Life” Competition
- Date: December 2nd, 2025
- Location: New York City
Congratulations to George Hotsfetter, the recipient of the James “Jimmy” Cole Jr. Award at the 2025 Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow “Pitch for Your Life” fundraising gala! George received a $1,000 grant for placing first. We also want to recognize the other two finalists, Nyla Reese and Lizabeth Ramirez, who each received a $500 grant award.
The James “Jimmy” Cole Jr. Award honors young innovators who are building ventures, leading movements, and shaping culture through creativity and courage. The award celebrates doers, builders, and social impact trailblazers, those who transform vision into venture and actively create equity.
How Boards Navigate Uncertainty: Lesson froms 2025 and The Road Ahead
- Date: December 4, 2025
- Location: Yale Club
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) hosted a panel discussion examining the evolving role of boards of directors in today’s rapidly shifting business landscape.
James Cole Jr. moderated the conversation, guiding panelists through key topics including economic headwinds such as tariffs, tax policy shifts, and government spending cutbacks, as well as geopolitical tensions and internal workforce dynamics.
The discussion also focused on how boards are balancing long-term vision with real-time decision-making to help organizations navigate today’s most complex challenges.
Your Board Journey: Insights from NACD Directorship 100 Leaders
- Date: December 19, 2025
- Location: Virtual
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) New York Chapter hosted a discussion featuring four board leaders recognized as NACD Directorship 100 Honorees.
James Cole Jr. joined fellow honorees in sharing insights on how they secured their first board seats, how their board careers have evolved, and how they stay current in an increasingly complex governance landscape.
Panelists also offered perspectives on the future of board leadership. The discussion was facilitated by Ryan McManus and highlighted the depth of experience and leadership shaping today’s boardrooms.
Wall Street Journal Board of Directors Council
- Date: November 2025
We’re excited to share that James Cole Jr. has been selected to join The Wall Street Journal’s newly launched Board of Directors Council! The council brings together corporate board leaders from around the world to address today’s most pressing governance and strategic challenges, and James will contribute to high-level discussions shaping the future of business leadership.
4. Ways to Get Involved
You can make a difference! Here’s how:
- Donate: Your contributions help us achieve our goals. Donate here.
- Advocate: Share our mission with your network!
Your generosity fuels our mission!
Stay Connected!
Follow us on social media for the latest updates:
- Instagram: jasco.philanthropies
Thank you for being a part of our community. Together, we can educate, empower, and promote Black and Brown people, including members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies one intern at a time.
Warm regards,
James Cole, Jr.
Jasco Philanthropies
JCole@TheJascoGroup.co