Suffolk, Va, October 13, 2023 — The Suffolk Foundation is holding its annual Fall Forum and Luncheon on Wednesday, November 8, and members of the community are invited to attend.
This annual event brings together philanthropists, business professionals, the nonprofit community, and local leaders of all backgrounds and interests. Guests can look forward to celebrating good works in Suffolk and Western Tidewater, and learning more about how we can work together to help our community thrive.
The keynote speaker this year is Tim Lee, who will be asking and answering: “How ‘AI’ is Changing the Future of Education.” Mr. Lee is the founder of Amplified IT, an EdTech consultancy firm that ensured that schools got the most of their EdTech investments and adopted best practices.
If Tim Lee’s name is familiar to you, it may be because he started his business in Suffolk, worked extensively with Suffolk Public Schools, and served as the Director of Technology for Nansemond-Suffolk Academy from 2011-2013. Mr. Lee bootstrapped Amplified IT from its early days in Suffolk and Norfolk to become a global powerhouse for EdTech, working alongside the Google for Education team to drive the “impactful adoption” of Google Chromebooks and Google Workspace in schools everywhere. Amplified IT won the prestigious Google Cloud Global Partner Award for Customer Success in Google for Education in 2017. In 2021, Amplified IT was acquired by CDW, a Fortune 200 company.
In his talk on November 8, Mr. Lee will explore how this new wave of AI–if harnessed appropriately–can reimagine education, and much more. Mr. Lee said, “Whatever your role is in our community, this upcoming paradigm shift will affect us all.” Mr. Lee will share practical approaches for schools, nonprofits, and small businesses alike, and how we can rethink the skills needed to succeed.
The event will be held at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts at 110 West Finney Avenue in downtown Suffolk. The event begins at 11:30 am with a reception and nonprofit expo, featuring projects and nonprofits funded by the Suffolk Foundation in 2022 through its Community Impact Grants Program. The luncheon, program, and keynote address will go from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. The program will also include highlights from the Suffolk Foundation’s last year of grantmaking.
Thanks to generous event sponsors, there is no cost to attend the Suffolk Foundation’s Fall Forum, but pre-registration is required due to limited seating. RSVP here. Event sponsors (as of this writing) include Allfirst, Atlantic Union, Birdsong Peanuts, Butler Paper Recycling, Cross Realty, Davenport, Carl and Denise Farris, Hackworth, O. Kermit Hobbs Jr., David and April Host, Johns Brothers Security, Karen and Chris Jones, Land Planning Solutions, Louis and Mary Haddad Foundation, Nansemond Insurance, Overton Group, Whitney and Ellen Saunders, Scott Bradshaw & Rawls PC, Southern Bank, TowneBank, and Margie and Mark Wiley.
If you are interested in contributing to the Suffolk Foundation, sponsoring the Forum, or starting a charitable fund for grants or scholarships, contact Lorelei Morrow at 757-923-9090.
