![\"MBA](\"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/leadership-miami.jpg\" "\\"MBA")
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When \u201cgood causes\u201d meet \u201chigh energy,\u201d lots of fun — and fund-raising — can happen. That was the case at \u201cConnecting for a Cause,\u201d a fundraising event for\u00a0 Leadership Miami held January 16, 2014 at Florida International University (FIU) Downtown on Brickell.<\/p>\n
Leadership Miami, an annual program of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, provides intensive learning and leadership development for the next generation of leaders. For its fundraising challenge, the participants formed six teams, each selecting a non-profit organization for which to raise funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where we came in,\u201d said Erin Dowd, associate director, marketing & recruitment for the College of Business\u2019 MBA & MIB programs. \u201cThe six Leadership Miami teams needed \u2018seed money\u2019 for their fund-raising projects, and we were pleased to offer FIU Downtown on Brickell as a site for their kickoff fundraiser and team competition.\u201d\u00a0 FIU MBA and MIB programs hosted the evening event;\u00a0 sponsors were TD Bank and FIU\u2019s Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over 260 people attended \u201cConnecting for a Cause.\u201d Each attendee donated a $25 registration fee ($35 at the door), designating which Leadership Miami team should receive the donation.<\/p>\n Guests enjoyed cocktails, hors d\u2019oeuvres and networking at the reception, held in the FIU dining hall transformed with hightop tables and food stations. Amelia Rea Maguire, senior executive director of Management Development for the College of Business, was the emcee of a short program; Stephen Barnett, executive faculty director of FIU MBA Programs, welcomed the group.<\/p>\n \u201cShark like\u201d competition enables teams to raise more funds.<\/p>\n Each team\u00a0 had an opportunity to earn even more seed money for their fund-raising project. While the guests were enjoying the reception, the six Leadership Miami teams made presentations behind closed doors to a panel of four judges, explaining why their fundraising idea deserved additional money.
\nThe winners were announced to the event attendees. Felipe F. Basulto, retail market manager of TD Bank, Greater Miami Dade, presented a cash prize of $2,000 to \u201cTeam 2 Full Circle,\u201d working for Chapman Partnership. The runner-up team receiving $500 was \u201cTeam 1 One Miami\u201d working for Ladies Empowerment & Action Program (LEAP). These awards were in addition to the $6,000 the six teams raised from registration fees for the evening.<\/p>\n