Stars of HAMILTON and Lin-Manuel Miranda's Father, Luis, to Speak at Forefront Luncheon in Chicago

Forefront, Illinois' association for nonprofits, grant-makers, advisors and social impact organizations, has announced Luis A. Miranda, Jr. and cast members from the Chicago company of HAMILTON as keynote speakers at the 43rd annual Forefront Luncheon.

Mr. Miranda - Co-Founder of The MirRam Group and father of HAMILTON creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda - is a champion of Hamilton Education Program, chairperson of The Broadway League's Latino audience development program and an accomplished political activist.

The luncheon is open to both Forefront member organizations as well as the general public and will take place at the Hilton Chicago hotel (720 S. Michigan Avenue) on Thursday, June 22, 2017, starting at 11:30 a.m. Individual tickets are on sale Wednesday, May 3 for Forefront members starting at $100. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, May 10. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit myforefront.org or call 312-578-0090.

Luis A. Miranda, Jr. will speak about how the Hamilton Education program has allowed the opportunity for 20,000 Chicago Public School students to experience the hit musical. Two cast members of the Chicago Hamilton production will discuss how they came to be a part of the groundbreaking show and share personal stories about how being a part of this production extends their commitment to a world that celebrates equity. Angelique Power, co-chair of the event and President of the Field Foundation of Illinois, will moderate this lively discussion on diversity, social justice, and equity. The program will conclude with the very rare opportunity to experience performances by students from the Hamilton Education program.

Forefront (previously known as Donors Forum) annually hosts this gathering for those involved in the social impact sector in Illinois, with anticipated attendance by some 800+ top grant-makers, heads of non-profit organizations, and advisors. Last year's Forefront Luncheon featured internationally-acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma in conversation with out-going Forefront Board Chairman, Donald Cooke, followed by a performance with young talent from the People's Music School.

Luis A. Miranda, Jr. has almost four decades of experience as a leader in the public and private sectors. He has served in three New York City mayoral administrations and is the founder and former President of the Hispanic Federation, a service-oriented membership organization that works with 90 Latino health and human service agencies to promote social, political and economic change. He is a Board Member of the John Jay College Foundation and The Public Theater, vice-chair of the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance and a member of the advisory boards to Nielsen Ratings, R.Evolucion Latina and the Caribbean and Latin American Studies Department at the CUNY Graduate Center. He has served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Audubon Partnership for Economic Development, West End Day School and Amber Charter School. Mr. Miranda is currently the chairperson of The Broadway League's Latino audience development program, Viva Broadway. Mr. Miranda is co-founder and Managing Partner of The MirRam Group, a government affairs, lobbying and political consulting firm in New York City. He earned his BA degree from the University of Puerto Rico and pursued graduate work in psychology at New York University. Luis and wife, Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda Ph.D., have been married for 38 years and reside in the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights/Inwood.

Forefront builds a vibrant social impact sector for all the people of Illinois. Founded in 1974 as Donors Forum, Forefront is the nation's only statewide membership association for nonprofits, as well as philanthropy, public agencies, advisors, and sector allies. Forefront provides education, advocacy, thought leadership, and project management to attract investment to the sector, develop top talent, improve systems and policies, and build organizational capacity. Together, Forefront's efforts help educate children, shelter the homeless, enrich the arts, and drive the social change that creates healthier and more vibrant communities throughout Illinois. For more information, visit www.myforefront.org.

Pictured: Lin-Manuel Miranda with his parents. Photo by Walter McBride.

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