Junior Achievement of Washington Announces 2024 Business Hall of Fame Laureates and hosts an inaugural Town Hall event
Auburn, WA – Junior Achievement of Washington (JAWA) announces three trailblazing Laureates – Doug Baldwin Jr., Trish Millines Dziko, and Bob Giles who will be honored during the 2024 JA Business Hall of Fame event on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at The Museum of Flight in Seattle. JAWA is dedicated to preparing Washington students for economic success by teaching financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship skills. By recognizing the impact of these diverse business and community leaders as role models, JAWA inspires young people to reach their own goals and dreams.
2024 BUSINESS HALL OF FAME LAUREATES
Doug Baldwin Jr.
CEO, Vault89 Ventures
Doug is the CEO of Vault89 Ventures and Founder of the Family First Community Center Foundation. He is a philanthropic activist with a passion for creating empathic solutions to complex problems. As the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service Award and the Paul G. Allen Humanitarian Award, the former Super Bowl Champion is the youngest ever appointee to the WA State Clemency and Pardons Board.
In his transition away from professional football, Doug founded Vault 89 Ventures, a “human-centered investment company” based in Renton. Vault89 is the banner for three companies that partner with those who want to make a sincere and positive impact in their communities. As a Seahawk, Doug was a member of the Players Coalition, working with professional players, coaches, and owners to improve social justice and racial equality. He also built the Family First Community Center in Renton, dedicated to empowering individuals and strengthening their community bonds.
Trish Millines Dziko
Executive Director, TAF
Trish Millines Dziko is a change agent, mentor, and advocate for children of color. In 1996, she left her successful 17-year career in the tech industry to ensure students of color had the same opportunities she had. Trish is the cofounder, Executive Director, visionary, and strategist behind the Technology Access Foundation (TAF) — one of the leading nonprofits educating children of color to their full potential. Through Trish’s leadership, TAF transitioned from out-of-school programs to becoming a statewide leader in public education, operating TAF Academy (a 6th to 12th grade award-winning public school, co-managed with the Federal Way Public School District).
TAF also created TransformED to partner with public schools to create healthy and safe learning environments that center student voice and cultivate students into socially conscious and self-aware critical thinkers, problem solvers, ideators, creators, and leaders. In addition, Trish led TAF through the creation of the Network for EdWork, designed to recruit, retain, and develop teachers of color for Washington State public schools. Trish is a committed, proactive leader serving on boards of organizations focusing on children and education.
Bob Giles
Emeritus Managing Partner, Perkins Coie
Bob Giles has left an enduring and indelible mark as a visionary leader. Under his 29-year guidance from 1986 through 2014, Perkins Coie experienced unprecedented growth, expanding from 189 lawyers in five Northwest regional offices, to a global powerhouse with over 1,100 attorneys spread across 19 offices in major markets across the country and Asia. His years of leadership were distinguished by strategic planning, creative problem-solving, laser focus, prudent risk taking, consensus building, and tremendous optimism. For 12 consecutive years during Bob’s tenure, the firm was ranked by Fortune magazine as one of the “100 Best Places to Work For” in the entire nation. The firm was also recognized as one of the “Best Law Firms for Women” and “Top Ten Family Friendly Firms,” ranked #1 for Diversity by Minority Bar Associations of Washington, and received many other awards for its commitment to DEI.
Bob is a respected Puget Sound community leader serving and leading the Boards of the Chief Seattle Council, Boy Scouts of America, Seattle Sports Commission, UW Law School Foundation, and Junior Achievement of Washington. He has been a lifelong participant and supporter of JA. As a high school student, Bob joined a JA Company, was elected its President and honored as the Seattle JA company president of the year.
2024 BUSINESS HALL OF FAME EVENT
In collaboration with Presenting Sponsor Delta Air Lines, the 2024 JA Business Hall of Fame will feature an induction ceremony of the Laureates, short films about each Laureate's path to success, inspiring stories from JA student speakers, a reception, and a three-course dinner. Guests will have an opportunity to enjoy the views of The Museum of Flight’s unique space and explore the exhibits. Tickets to attend this event are $175 per person, and event sponsorship and table purchase opportunities are available. Learn more and buy tickets at https://washington.ja.org/events/2024-ja-business-hall-of-fame
2024 TOWN HALL
On February 29, 2024, JAWA hosted its first Business Hall of Fame Town Hall to provide students with additional opportunities to learn directly from the Laureates and other distinguished career speakers. The "Build Your Future Career" panel, facilitated by Natalie Vega O'Neil, President & CEO of JA of Washington, featured Doug Baldwin, CEO of Vault89, and the 2024 Business Hall of Fame Laureate, Fred Rivera, EVP Corporate Secretary and General Counsel at the Seattle Mariners, and Joan Wang, Managing Director, PNW, Global Sales, at Delta Air Lines. Students from First Creek Middle School learned about the speakers’ paths to success, asked them for career and education advice, and deepened their own career preparation experience with hands-on learning at JA Finance Park. The video of the panel discussion is available to all interested students on JAWA’s YouTube channel as a career resource.
"We have been honoring Washington state business leaders to inspire students at JA Business Hall of Fame since 1987,” said Natalie Vega O'Neil, JAWA President & CEO. "This year, we are excited to honor leaders who’ve made incredible contributions in the areas of philanthropy, business, and entrepreneurship. We are also thrilled this year to include students as part of our laureate selection process. We work with an independent selection committee of business leaders to review the nominations and select the top three Laureates. Our 2024 Laureates have achieved remarkable success in their careers and are outstanding role models for the next generation of leaders. Our goal for students is to hear their stories, watch their videos, and get inspired to create their own unique paths to success."
Delta is a long-time supporter of Junior Achievement, partnering with 30 JA chapters across five continents to spark students' interest in careers in aviation and provide mentoring and job shadow opportunities to young people across the globe. Last year, Delta extended its support of JA programs by establishing a storefront in JA BizTown, an experiential learning mini-town for elementary school students at the JA Education Center in Auburn, Washington. "We are thrilled to support this year's JA Business Hall of Fame event recognizing business leaders within the Washington community," said Joan Wang, Managing Director, Pacific Northwest. "Delta's mission to connect the world starts with our commitment to being a strong partner in the communities where we live, work, and serve, and we are proud to help advance Junior Achievement's mission to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy."
About Junior Achievement (JA) of Washington
Junior Achievement of Washington's mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Driven by the passionate power of its volunteers, JA programs are taught by community and business mentors – individuals committed to the success and healthy development of students in Washington state and Northern Idaho. Founded in 1953, JA of Washington has reached over 2 million K-12 students in the state with relevant, hands-on learning experiences that teach young people to manage their money, plan for their economic future, own their businesses, and develop readiness for careers or college. Visit washington.ja.org for more information.
About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches more than 3.3 million students per year in 102 markets across the United States as part of 12.5 million students served by operations in more than 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.
About Delta Air Lines
Delta's mission to connect the world starts with its commitment to being a strong partner to the communities where our employees live, work, and serve. Focused on the pillars of Environment, Equity, and Education, Delta invests its resources, talent, and platform to realize a world where everyone has equitable access to healthier neighborhoods and lasting economic opportunity. Giving back globally has been core to Delta and its culture for the past 90+ years, demonstrated by the thousands of volunteer hours and millions of dollars contributed each year by Delta, The Delta Air Lines Foundation, and Delta employees to partner organizations. Delta has been named an honoree of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service for the past four years in a row.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta has served as many as 200 million people a year, taking customers across an industry-leading global network of up to 300 destinations in over 50 countries. More about Delta can be found on Delta News Hub and delta.com, via @DeltaNewsHub on Twitter, and Facebook.com/delta.
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