Latest news with #Panek
Associated Press
18-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Lighthouse Guild Announces Thomas Panek as New President & CEO
New York, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lighthouse Guild, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to providing exceptional services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, is pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Panek as its new President and CEO, effective April 2025. He succeeds Dr. Calvin W. Roberts, who has led the organization with distinction. Panek brings a wealth of leadership experience and a deep commitment to advancing accessibility and independence for people with vision loss. For the past decade, he has served as President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit organization that provides specially trained guide and service dogs to individuals with disabilities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Under his leadership, the organization raised over $350 million in donations, exponentially expanding its budget, and strengthening financial reserves. A trailblazer in accessibility innovation, Panek collaborated with Google to develop Project Guideline, an AI-driven technology enabling individuals who are blind to run independently. In November 2021, with the help of this groundbreaking technology, he completed the first-ever solo race for a blind person, a 5K race through New York's Central Park – without human or canine assistance. Panek's career spans leadership roles in both nonprofit and governmental sectors. He previously served as Vice President of National Industries for the Blind, where he played a pivotal role in business development, national account management, and the Wounded Warrior Program. Additionally, he served as a Senior International Trade Specialist at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Beyond his executive experience, Panek actively serves in various advisory and leadership capacities, including as Chair of Delta Air Lines Advisory Board on Disability and a board member of Achilles International. He has served as an expert on the CDC's Vision Health Initiative and Chair of the North American Council of Guide Dog Schools. He has been featured in The New York Times, TODAY Show, Time Magazine, ABC, CBS, NPR, Runners World, Forbes, Reuters, and HBO Real Sports, and more. He has also been a guest on Lighthouse Guild's podcast, On Tech and Vision, where he discussed emerging technologies, including autonomous navigation and robotic guidance. Panek holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in International Studies from The American University in Washington, D.C. 'We are thrilled to welcome Thomas Panek as our new CEO,' said James M. Dubin, Chairman of the Board of Lighthouse Guild. 'His exceptional track record in leadership, advocacy, and innovation will help propel Lighthouse Guild's mission forward, ensuring that individuals with vision loss have access to the resources and technology they need to live independent and fulfilling lives.' Panek shared his excitement about joining Lighthouse Guild, saying, 'I am pleased and excited in becoming the President and CEO of Lighthouse Guild which is widely considered the country's preeminent pioneer for vision rehabilitation since its formation in 1905 and continuing to today. I foresee an even brighter future. I look forward to working with the dedicated team at Lighthouse Guild to expand access to critical services, harness emerging technologies, and create innovative solutions that support independence and opportunity for all.'
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
New AI platform helps tribes find funding sources, apply for needed grants, loans
New AI platform helps tribes find funding sources, apply for needed grants, loans Show Caption Hide Caption How to use ChatGPT, AI as a dating coach Unsure of how to craft the perfect text or tackle a tough topic? Artificial Intelligence might be able to help. Problem Solved Bazile Panek knows he helped do some good when he sees a tribal representative's sigh of relief after using a new software platform that employs artificial intelligence to find funding opportunities. 'This is going to do great things for Indian Country,' he said. Panek is the tribal liaison for the company behind the startup AI platform called Syncurrent. A member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, Panek saw firsthand the need for services and investment on the reservation in far northern Wisconsin where he was born and raised. Syncurrent uses AI to quickly gather data from hundreds, even thousands, of websites to find the exact grant, loan or other funding opportunity from federal, state and philanthropic sources that is needed for particular projects and provides information about what's needed to apply. More artificial intelligence: Want more out of AI? Here are 10 savvy prompts to try out What used to take hours or days by hand now can take minutes with Syncurrent. 'I hear from so many people who spend more time trying to find grants than actually doing their jobs,' Panek said. Syncurrent was recently tested by officials for the White Earth Ojibwe Nation in Minnesota. 'The platform's simplicity has allowed us to identify and collaborate on critical funding to meet our community's needs,' said Eugene Sommers, an official for the tribe. More than a trillion dollars in funding opportunities are available to tribal, local and state governments every year from the federal government, but navigating the process to apply for the funds can be overwhelmingly complex, especially for small staffs. Syncurrent is the brainchild of technology expert Dhruv Patel and Matthew Jaquez. The platform's basic plan is free for governments to use; its premium plan is $49 per month per department. Panek is a longtime colleague of Patel and had urged him to consider the needs of tribal nations early in the development of Syncurrent. The company recently announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Interior and the nonprofit Native CDFI Network to make Syncurrent premium free for all tribal nations for 10 years. 'Supporting Tribal Nations is and always will be a main priority for Syncurrent,' said Patel in a statement. 'Through our efforts, we're taking a group of people that have always been pushed to the back of the line and moving them all the way to the front.' In 2024, Congress approved $32.6 billion in funding to benefit tribal communities, but much of that money may not be reaching them, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. For example, the USDA invested about $6.6 billion to support rural development between 2017 and 2021, but only about $138 million went to tribal communities. The government department's report blames the red tape and paperwork in finding and applying for funding as a major part of the problem. 'Tribal Nations have long faced systemic barriers to accessing capital and securing their fair share of federal, state, and philanthropic dollars,' said Pete Upton, CEO of Native CDFI Network, in a statement. "Syncurrent's AI technology will enable tribal governments to identify and secure critical funding much more quickly, efficiently, and effectively, empowering them to build stronger, healthier, and more prosperous communities." Syncurrent can currently be accessed for free by tribal governments through its website, Frank Vaisvilas is a former Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact him at fvaisvilas@ or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New AI platform helps tribes find funding sources, apply for needed grants, loans
Bazile Panek knows he helped do some good when he sees a tribal representative's sigh of relief after using a new software platform that employs artificial intelligence to find funding opportunities. 'This is going to do great things for Indian Country,' he said. Panek is the tribal liaison for the company behind the startup AI platform called Syncurrent. A member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, Panek saw firsthand the need for services and investment on the reservation in far northern Wisconsin where he was born and raised. Syncurrent uses AI to quickly gather data from hundreds, even thousands, of websites to find the exact grant, loan or other funding opportunity from federal, state and philanthropic sources that is needed for particular projects and provides information about what's needed to apply. More artificial intelligence: Want more out of AI? Here are 10 savvy prompts to try out What used to take hours or days by hand now can take minutes with Syncurrent. 'I hear from so many people who spend more time trying to find grants than actually doing their jobs,' Panek said. Syncurrent was recently tested by officials for the White Earth Ojibwe Nation in Minnesota. 'The platform's simplicity has allowed us to identify and collaborate on critical funding to meet our community's needs,' said Eugene Sommers, an official for the tribe. More than a trillion dollars in funding opportunities are available to tribal, local and state governments every year from the federal government, but navigating the process to apply for the funds can be overwhelmingly complex, especially for small staffs. Syncurrent is the brainchild of technology expert Dhruv Patel and Matthew Jaquez. The platform's basic plan is free for governments to use; its premium plan is $49 per month per department. Panek is a longtime colleague of Patel and had urged him to consider the needs of tribal nations early in the development of Syncurrent. The company recently announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Interior and the nonprofit Native CDFI Network to make Syncurrent premium free for all tribal nations for 10 years. 'Supporting Tribal Nations is and always will be a main priority for Syncurrent,' said Patel in a statement. 'Through our efforts, we're taking a group of people that have always been pushed to the back of the line and moving them all the way to the front.' In 2024, Congress approved $32.6 billion in funding to benefit tribal communities, but much of that money may not be reaching them, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. For example, the USDA invested about $6.6 billion to support rural development between 2017 and 2021, but only about $138 million went to tribal communities. The government department's report blames the red tape and paperwork in finding and applying for funding as a major part of the problem. 'Tribal Nations have long faced systemic barriers to accessing capital and securing their fair share of federal, state, and philanthropic dollars,' said Pete Upton, CEO of Native CDFI Network, in a statement. "Syncurrent's AI technology will enable tribal governments to identify and secure critical funding much more quickly, efficiently, and effectively, empowering them to build stronger, healthier, and more prosperous communities." Syncurrent can currently be accessed for free by tribal governments through its website, Frank Vaisvilas is a former Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact him at fvaisvilas@ or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New AI platform helps tribes find funding and apply for federal grants
