Our Past Events
Speak the Difference 9.0 Competition
For our 2023 Speak the Difference 9.0 we broke all of our previous records! Key2Finesse supported the Abhi Shah Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of children who have been impacted by human trafficking or the foster care system. With a 0% administrative cost, 100% of proceeds go directly to these children. The Abhi Shah Foundation's mission is to bring a smile to every child's face.
600+ different students registered for our speech, essay, art, poetry, and multimedia competitions. With the help of our 50+ volunteers, the Key2Finesse team is excited to announce that we raised $161,305 for the Abhi Shah Foundation. The entire Key2Finesse Team cannot express our gratitude for all the generous donors that made this possible. Thank you!
To learn more about the Abhi Shah Foundation visit: https://www.abhishahfoundation.org/
Key2Finesse x Abhi Shah Garba
On October 13, Key2Finesse had the privilege of volunteering with and enjoying the events of the annual Abhi Shah Foundation Garba event. With hundreds of participants and hours of dance, the Garba was an incredible experience for us all. Making lasting memories and advocating our cause in front of so many people was definitely an experience worthwhile! We look forward to attending in the future as well!
Entrepreneurship Workshop
On September 23, 2023, the Key2Finesse team held an Entrepreneurship workshop featuring the accomplished Mehul Kulkarni, Stanford Graduate and founder of SiteTrace. Mr. Kulkarni shared several valuable insights when it came to how to find one’s passion and develop a company based on those interests, sharing his own personal experiences with our 90+ member audience. Whether it’s discussing how his mistakes led to his eventual success, or how to have passion irrespective of the ultimate results, we are so grateful for all the insightful information he provided us with!
Key2Finesse Club Fair
Key2Finesse hosted our annual Club Fair on September 10th, a large success with over 60 attendees, where we provided a variety of information about various high school clubs, ranging from DECA and HOSA to debate and Science Olympiad. The enthusiasm of both presenters and attendees was amazing! It was a showcase of talent, dedication, and the diverse interests of our Key2Finesse community.
Key2Finesse x Ally Cricket Cup
In July of this year, Key2Finesse had the incredible opportunity to be a part of the Ally Cricket Cup, a cricket tournament graciously hosted by our corporate sponsor, Ally! All proceeds from the food sales at the event were matched by Ally and donated to the Abhi Shah Foundation, supporting their impactful initiatives! Pulling together parents, volunteers, and sponsors, we are so grateful to everyone who came together and joined us in making a difference and helping create unforgettable memories together!
Vista Maria Flower Planting Event
On June 22, 2023, the Key2Finesse team and members of the Abhi Shah Foundation arrived at Vista Maria to beautify foster children’s homes and celebrate their birthdays. We planted flowers to brighten up the landscape, prepared gift bags for the children, and brought cake during a surprise celebration! Knowing that several of the children are victims of human trafficking, being able to bring a smile to their faces was such a meaningful experience; we look forward to planning similar events in the future!
On May 18, 2023, the Key2Finesse team was able to collaborate with Ally to host a successful Arts, Beats, & Eats event exclusively for employees. The festival was a perfect blend of both cultural immersion and education, with several booths arranged to teach employees about various cultures around the world. In particular, the South Asian, Middle Eastern, and East Asian cultures were all highlighted; the event included an array of delicious cuisine and beautiful jewelry to delve deeper into various aspects of each culture. The event was a very informative experience overall, with the proceeds going directly towards supporting our charity of the year: the Abhi Shah Foundation. We are thankful to Ally for the opportunity to contribute towards the festival and look forward to hosting similar events in the future!
Arts, Beats, & Eats x Ally Event
Abhi Shah Foundation Walkathon
Key2Finesse joined hands with the Abhi Shah Foundation along with Ally Financial in the annual ASF Walkathon! On May 21st, Key2Finesse volunteers & board members spent the morning volunteering by welcoming and cheering on participants. From an energetic warm-up to a relaxing cool-down, attendees experienced an eventful and enthusiastic morning. The 5K walkathon took place at the Methodist Children's home society. The team worked together to raise funds for children who have been victims of human trafficking. We are so grateful to have been given the opportunity to support such a wonderful organization. The walkathon was a very fun-filled event enjoyed by all the participants. We are thrilled to be supporting such an amazing organization and are excited to continue doing so over the next year!
Student Research Symposium
On April 16th, 2023, the Key2Finesse team hosted a Research Symposium, a place for students to learn how to find a research subject and niche sub-topic as well as hear from esteemed speakers who are doing research at a high school and college level. Keynote speakers Saaim Khan, Michelle Hua, and Kush Parikh all discussed how to do research in high school and delved deep into the nuances of the subject by providing a variety of different perspectives from varied backgrounds. All of them shared their extensive experience through their journeys in high school from working with professors to presenting at science fairs and academic conferences. This symposium also provided our participants with valuable insights on how to choose a research project, find a mentor, and present/publish their work!
MPower All x Key2Finesse Symposium
In collaboration with MPower All, the Key2Finesse team was able to host a successful Student Symposium on February 25, 2023! Esteemed speakers, including Varsha Penumalee, Nishit Palepu, and Dr. Kabir Mendiratta provided students with insight on how to excel in both school and the college admissions process. The event had over 130 attendees and 200 others listening in via Swara Media; we are so grateful to have had these wonderful speakers provide their invaluable advice and guidance!
On September 15th, we had the pleasure to host Dr. Nagalla as she taught us all about mindfulness and multi-tasking. This event branches out to various age groups from. This event also had a very interactive and attention grabbing slide show and examples that Dr. Nagalla prepared in advance. Many students learning how to be more mindful and focus your attention when completing a task. Overall a very fun and eye-opening event for our community.
Mindfullness vs Multitasking
Student Success Symposium
On August 10th we had the luxury of having Nathan George, Sanjith Sambath, and Monica Pan speak to many aspiring high schoolers about their high school journey and what tips and tricks did they use to be at where they are now. Each guest was interviewed by our team using the serval questions from the audience. We are very happy to help our community and guide high schoolers along their high school career.
Ally Cricket Cup
Our corporate sponsor Ally Financial hosted their annual Ally Cricket Cup in which Ally employees face off in a cricket tournament! The event was very successful with over 150 people participating and 6 teams. A great fun experience for all families that attended with plenty of fun, food, drink, and memories. Being able to connect with our community and our corporate sponsor was truly a great event.
Variety Shine Fashion Show
The SHINE Fashion Show features the children of Variety and friends from FAR Therapeutic Arts & Recreation. The children were accompanied by mentors who walked the runway with them while supported by hundreds in the audience. It was a touching and heartwarming experience and a fantastic presentation of confidence and community!
On July 23rd, we were delighted to have Michelle Duprey teach multiple age groups about how to deal with stress. She first started off with presenting us with multiple types of stress and how to cope with them. Then the audience were able to ask some questions on how they personally should approach stress in certain situations. All in all a great stress-relieving event for all who attended.
Chutney Festival
Stress Management Symposium
Chutney Festival was one of outreach teams best events so far! We not only reached out 100+ people but also raised over $400 in all. In addition, we were able to get some news coverage and just spread the word of our organization to out community so all can have the opportunity to know about our cause. Overall, Chutney Festival was a huge success and we will definitely be doing this event in the future.
