2011 Annual Conference
Ned Gramlich Awardee Jeremy Nowak
Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) presented its fourth annual Ned Gramlich Lifetime Achievement Award for Responsible Lending to Jeremy Nowak, President of the William Penn Foundation in Philadelphia, and former CEO of the Reinvestment Fund. Jeremy has dedicated his career to urban and community development.
In his speech, Jeremy expressed gratitude at being selected to receive this honor, especially because, “Ned was one of the most concerned, involved, and positive people who cared about—and shaped—what we do as an industry.”
In addition to working at William Penn Foundation and The Reinvestment Fund, Jeremy was the first board chair of Mastery Charter Schools, a network of 10 inner-city schools, and the first board chair of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a charity that raises money for pediatric cancer. He also served on the board of OFN from 1989-1994.
“Jeremy Nowak is more than an innovator in the opportunity finance industry,” said Mark Pinsky, President and CEO of OFN. “He is a leader, mentor, and an inspiration to those of us working in this important and growing field. Jeremy’s work at the helm of The Reinvestment Fund for 25 years, and now at the William Penn Foundation, expresses his dedication to responsible finance as a means toward just and sustainable economic development.
Watch his acceptance speech of this prestigious award, and read A Post-Bubble Narrative, his manifesto on the opportunity finance industry.
