EforAll to hold in-person Pitch Contest November 10 in Great Barrington
PITTSFIELD — Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Berkshire County will host an All Ideas Pitch Contest on Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 5:30-8 p.m., at Crissey Farm in Great Barrington.
Anyone with a business idea is encouraged to apply to pitch their idea. Up to eight participants will be chosen to pitch their business or nonprofit idea (2.5 minutes) to a panel of judges and the audience. At the end of the event, EforAll will give away $2,750 in seed money to help launch ideas in the community. The first-place finisher will win $1,000; second place $750; third place $500; and audience favorite $500. The event is an example of EforAll’s mission of using innovative means to foster entrepreneurial growth in the Berkshires.
EforAll Berkshire County has run two in-person Pitch Contests and two virtual Pitch Contests since Fall 2019, encouraging dozens of budding entrepreneurs to share their nascent ideas with the community. The public is welcome to attend this free virtual event and vote on their favorite ideas.
The deadline to apply for the Pitch Contest is Thursday, Oct. 28 at noon. To attend the event, click here. Proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test done in the previous 72 hours will be required for admission per venue policy.
—A.K.
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Salisbury Bank, Noble Horizons to offer free workshop on getting your affairs in order
LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Salisbury Bank, Noble Horizons, and Ackerly Brown, LLP will offer a free workshop, via Zoom, for those who seek to get their affairs in order. The webinar, held Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 7–8 p.m., will feature a review of personal records, financial papers, and legal documents one must prepare, including:
- Health (healthcare proxy, advance directives)
- Finances (social security, retirement funds, bank accounts, etc.)
- Legal documents (power of attorney, etc.)
Presenters
Charles Vail, an attorney with Ackerly Brown, has practiced law for over 40 years, and specializes in estate planning. He was the chief administrative officer for Benjamin Moore & Co., and has earned professional certifications from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University Graduate School of Business, and Harvard University Graduate School of Business. He has been a trustee of The Sharon Playhouse and the Salisbury Association Land Trust, and a past member of the Planning & Zoning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals in Salisbury.
Kimberly Downey serves as a relationship manager and investment advisor to individuals and families at Salisbury Bank, with a specialization in Trust and Estate administration. She chairs the Trust Administration Committee, which oversees Salisbury Trust’s account administration matters. She holds a B.S. in business economics, an MBA from Syracuse University, and is a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor.
To register, visit the Noble Horizons website.
—A.K.
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Flying Cloud Institute welcomes S•M•Art studio director, return of MakerSpace
GREAT BARRINGTON — Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) has hired Patrick O’Donnell as its S•M•Art Studio Director and will relaunch a MakerSpace program this fall at Southern Berkshire Regional School District.
“As S•M•Art Studio Director, Patrick will lead vacation camp programs, after school MakerSpaces, family STEAM challenge events, and work with the FCI team to inspire the next generation of artists and engineers. We welcome his artistic skills and cultural experiences in the Berkshires as we work to partner with local school districts to bring meaningful experiences to students,” said Executive Director Maria Rundle.
Having received his MFA in illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design, O’Donnell completed projects for companies such as HBO and The Discovery Channel, in addition to freelance work in the video game and comic book industries. As an instructor, he taught the art of figure drawing and narrative illustration at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston and elsewhere. In recent years, O’Donnell taught illustration to all ages at the Norman Rockwell Museum, through school initiatives and community outreach.
As the S•M•Art studio director, he will lead a MakerSpace at Southern Berkshire Regional School District (SBRSD) in Sheffield. The theme will be “Driving Tomorrow: MAG-LEV Vehicles of the Future.” Registration is open to SBRSD students in grades 3-5 and the cost is $35 per student. Register at the Flying Cloud website.
—A.K.
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Katherine von Haefen joins BUW as Director of Community Impact
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire United Way (BUW) recently welcomed Katherine von Haefen back to her native state to join the team as director of community impact.
von Haefen comes to BUW following a 20-year career at United Way of Greater Houston (UWGH), where she most recently served as the mission and strategy manager, leading a 16-member team in developing and implementing education and family financial stability initiatives while directing the execution of a new $45 million investment strategy into the Greater Houston nonprofit sector. During her tenure there, she also provided strategic leadership for a comprehensive early childhood improvement initiative, United Way Bright Beginnings, and an after-school collaborative, Houston’s Kids.
She brings to this role experience in building nonprofit partnerships, including supporting a portfolio of grantee relationships to identify opportunities for strategic alignment, capacity building, and knowledge sharing to encourage collective action toward shared objectives.
Von Haefen was born and raised in Massachusetts and decided to move back to her home state to be closer to family. Before moving to Texas, she worked with the Massachusetts Department of Children & Family Services, as well as a domestic violence organization. Her educational background includes a BA in sociology from Ithaca College and a MSW from the Graduate School at the University of Houston.
—A.K.
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Bard College to launch Master of Music degree in Fall 2022
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. — In fall 2022, the Bard College Conservatory of Music will welcome its first class of students to the new Graduate Instrumental Arts Program, a two-year graduate-level program leading to a Master of Music degree. This degree in instrumental performance combines academic and practical studies of music, with a strong emphasis on music as a means of engaging with, and serving, the broader community. Through this degree program, students develop the core value of music and musicians in service of society.
The Graduate Instrumental Arts Program’s three core components of performance, academic, and practical studies will prepare graduates to embark on a career in the professional music world, or to pursue a terminal music degree at another school. Complementing the Conservatory’s current graduate programs, this new program creates opportunities for collaboration and artistic projects among all the music graduate programs at Bard — Vocal Arts, Conducting, and The Orchestra Now.
For more information about the Graduate Instrumental Arts Program, click here. For application and audition information, click here.
—A.K.
