Our theme, Stirring Solidarity into Action, is an invitation to actively partner with BUFUSA to empower young Palestinians with an exceptional education and the skills to lead where they live. In the ongoing journey toward justice and peace, we gather as advocates for Bethlehem University with a promise—a promise rooted in both universal human values and the enduring Christian tradition. Education is at the core of this promise. By forming minds and hearts, education enables us to fulfill our promise—secular and spiritual alike—to advance justice, foster peace, and empower new generations.
Click here to see highlights from last year’s Awards Reception!
6:00-8:30 pm
Cocktails and Buffet
NEW Location this Year
St. Francis Hall
Franciscan Monastery of Holy Land in America
1340 Quincy Street NE, Washington, DC 20017
Mr. Chris Larsen
Executive Chairman, Ripple
with the
The Archbishop Pietro Sambi “Star of Bethlehem” Award
AND
Brothers of the Christian Schools
with the
Cardinal Pio Laghi Award
AND
BUFUSA Patrons
Brother Chris Patiño, FSC
General Councillor, Brothers of the Christian Schools
His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre
Apostolic Nuncio of the United States of America
Mr. Chris Larsen, Ripple
Mr. Don and Mrs. Sheryl Herrema
Embassy of the State of Qatar in the USA
السيد إلياس والسيدة أنيت أبردين
Christian Brothers Conference
Dr. George McLendon and Dr. Carol Quillen
and
Chris Larsen is an entrepreneur, early-stage climate tech investor and climate philanthropist.
Chris founded The Larsen Lam Climate Change Foundation in 2021 to accelerate climate solutions. His current priorities include curbing the use of short-lived climate pollutants such as HFC’s, black carbon and methane, and using strategic litigation to hold oil and gas companies accountable to the law. Chris is also prioritizing carbon dioxide removal (CDR) alongside his support for rapid decarbonization, and seeks ways to build bipartisan support for climate action.
Chris is the Executive Chairman, co-founder and former CEO of Ripple, an enterprise blockchain company with over 900 employees based in San Francisco with fourteen additional offices (New York, Miami, London, Mumbai, Singapore, Washington D.C., São Paulo, Reykjavík, Sydney, Toronto, Shanghai, Dublin, Geneva, and Dubai). Ripple is building next generation cross-border payment technology using blockchain and digital assets to provide instant, extremely low cost, and efficient cross-border payments.
Prior to Ripple, Chris co-founded and served as CEO of Prosper, a peer-to-peer lending marketplace, and E-LOAN, a publicly traded online lender. During his tenure at E-LOAN, he pioneered the open access to credit scores movement by making E-LOAN the first company to show consumers their FICO scores.
Chris is the co-founder of RippleWorks, a philanthropic organization that provides expertise to promising start-ups in the developing world as well as underprivileged communities in the US. The team has completed over 125 projects since 2015 reaching over 200 million people. Chris is also engaged in improving public safety and governance in San Francisco, such as theSafeCity program to support Community Benefit Districts, among a wide variety of other philanthropic efforts in the city.
Chris is an alum of Stanford Business School (’91) and San Francisco State University where he was named alum of the year in 2003.
As an individual or organization committed to justice through education, your sponsorship helps to Stir Solidarity into Action, by making higher education accessible to young Palestinians. Choose the opportunity that best meets your philanthropic interests.
Please Contact Phil Recchio
Director of Donor Engagement
909-263-2118 | precchio@bufusa.org
We Are Grateful to Each of Our Sponsors for their Generosity, Compassion, and Commitment
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