On April 28, nearly 400 guests gathered at Cipriani 25 Broadway in New York City for the 2026 Bank Street Celebration, the College’s annual benefit honoring leaders in education, innovation, and philanthropy. The evening brought together alumni, trustees, and friends of the College to celebrate the power of progressive education and to raise critical funds in support of Bank Street’s mission to improve education for all children.
This year’s Celebration honored two visionary leaders. Jarrid Tingle, co-founder and managing partner of Harlem Capital, received the Changemaker Award, and Michele Cahill, Senior Advisor at XQ Institute, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The program opened with remarks from Victoria Hamilton, Chair, Bank Street Board of Trustees, who welcomed guests and expressed gratitude to the evening’s co-chairs—Kristen Kane, Lisa Lewin, and Alison Overseth—as well as the host committee and generous supporters whose leadership made the event possible.
Bank Street President Shael Polakow-Suransky, GSE ’00, followed with an address that challenged conventional thinking about the role of artificial intelligence in education. Drawing on a recent classroom visit, he described a seventh-grade math class where students worked independently with AI tutors. According to Polakow-Suransky, they efficiently arrived at answers, but often without true understanding.
“On the surface, the classroom was working,” he said. “Students were engaged… Most of them, eventually, were getting to the right answers. And that is what worried me.”
Polakow-Suransky emphasized that while AI has potential, it cannot replace the relationships at the heart of meaningful learning. “A machine can give an answer,” he said. “It cannot teach a child to ask the right question.” He urged attendees to support a vision of education where technology strengthens—rather than supplants—the human connections that enable children to think deeply, collaborate, and thrive.
The program also featured a student perspective from DJ Matta, SFC ’28, alongside a special performance of “This Land Is Your Land,” featuring vocalist Sasha Allen and public school students from across New York City. Together, these moments highlighted the power of student voice, artistic expression, and community in bringing Bank Street’s educational approach to life.
A lively auction and paddle raise, led by auctioneer Harry Santa-Olalla, also energized the room and underscored the evening’s collective purpose: to invest in educators, expand opportunity, and support the next generation of learners. That spirit of investment and expanded access carried directly into the presentation of the Changemaker Award to Jarrid Tingle.
In her introduction, Lisa Lewin reflected on Tingle’s distinctive approach to leadership, which is rooted not only in financial success, but in a deep commitment to expanding opportunity.
“Most successful people follow a learn-earn-serve formula… But Jarrid is not most people,” she said. “He decided early that generosity isn’t something you defer. You do it now, with whatever you have.”
Lewin highlighted Tingle’s work to transform the venture capital landscape by investing in women and founders of color historically overlooked by the industry. Through Harlem Capital and initiatives like its internship program and Founder Launchpad, Tingle is helping to redefine who gets to build and benefit from the next generation of technology.
“What Harlem Capital does for founders, Bank Street does for children, teachers, and school leaders,” Lewin noted. “Sees their potential early, invests in it, and holds the same standard—excellence and justice, delivered with humanity and care—for every single one.”
Next, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Cahill by Russlynn Ali, CEO and Co-Founder, XQ Institute. A nationally respected leader in education reform and youth development, Cahill has spent her career advancing the kind of deeper, student-centered learning highlighted in President Polakow-Suransky’s remarks.
From leading the design of more than 200 small high schools in New York City to shaping a national vision for high school transformation through her work with XQ Institute, her leadership has helped expand access to rigorous, engaging, and equitable learning experiences for young people across the country.
The 2026 Bank Street Celebration raised over $1.2 million in support of scholarships, educator preparation, and partnerships with schools and communities nationwide. The event was made possible by the generous support of individual and corporate donors, including presenting sponsor XQ Institute, as well as a dedicated host committee and the broader Bank Street community.
Reflecting on the evening, Marcela Hahn, Vice President of Development, Bank Street College of Education, shared, “We are deeply very grateful to everyone who joined us in honoring Jarrid Tingle and Michele Cahill and investing in Bank Street’s work. Together, we are helping to build a future where all children have access to meaningful, relationship-centered learning and where educators are supported to meet that moment.”