Whiskey, Wine & Cheese Fundraiser Raises $50,000 for Education

Over 75 people gathered at a private Westlake residence in Austin, Texas on November 5, 2022 in support of education for underserved youth. Deemed as Casoro Group Education Foundation’s ritziest event of the year, the event raised $50,000.00 to fund a real estate concentration program at a local historically-black university.

Whiskey, Wine & Cheese attracted guests outside the State of Texas

People from all over flocked to the Lonestar State for the event. Guests came from Dallas, Boston, D.C., and even as far as Switzerland. The Austin community and the investment and real estate industry (including event sponsor CoStar Group), enjoyed an evening of good company, carefully curated libations and fun.

An Education in Whiskey and Wine in Support of an Education in Real Estate

The night’s program started off with Madeleine Thompson, Portfolio Specialist from Campari Group’s RARE Division leading a whiskey tasting. She was followed by a carefully selected wine tasting by Seema Tikare, DiplomaWSET, a self-confessed wine nerd.

Panel of Beneficiaries

Guests were able to hear from the beneficiaries themselves. CGEF Board Member, Jessica Lee-Wen, led a panel interview with representatives from Austin Independent School District, Huston-Tillotson University, and a student who has benefited from the Foundation’s efforts. Dr. Creslond Fannin, Executive Director of ECHS and P-TECH at AISD shared about the P-TECH program and the challenges it solves for students. HT’s Provost, Dr. Archibald Vanderpuye spoke about what the partnership with and funding from Casoro Group Education Foundation means to the university. Jaden Arnobit, a student from University of Texas-Dallas and former JLL intern, shared why he chose commercial real estate as a career. He talked about how his peers are not even aware of the options there are in the industry, underlining the importance of exposing youth at an early age to the opportunities available.

The Most Sought-After Category at Auction was not in a Bottle

A lively auction led by CGEF Board President Yuen Yung capped off the night. An autographed basketball signed by the legendary Magic Johnson left the auction block first, kicking off a fiery bidding competition. Numerous bottles of wine and whiskey went to the highest bidder. The most coveted item up for grabs was a two-night weekend stay at the luxurious Inn at Hastings Park in Lexington, Massachusetts with a prix-fixe dinner with wine pairing at a local fine-dining establishment specifically chosen by guest speaker Seema Tikare.

Surprisingly, this wasn’t the last item as a generous guest graciously offered his family’s vacation home in Maine as an impromptu auction item. The weeklong stay quickly grew in popularity and became two separate offers, each going to the highest two bidders.

Thank You

A heartfelt thank you to our generous donors, partners, and supporters. Monies raised was matched by Casoro Group founder, Monte Lee-Wen.

This event would not have been possible without a fantastic list of sponsors and volunteers. Thank you for supporting the cause and lending a helping hand.

About Casoro Group Education Foundation

Casoro Group Education Foundation (“CGEF”) is committed to increasing diversity in the real estate industry by building the next-gen pipeline of talented professionals. We accomplish this through our E4 Approach.