The Pursuitof Purpose.

An EVENING OF GIVING: OCTOBER 10, 2026 | Amenia, NY |7:00 PM ET

Join us for an intimate evening with leaders in sport, art and music exploring what drives extraordinary achievement, and what we do with it once we get there. All in support of three inspirational nonprofit organizations: Angels of Light, The Person First, and Road to the Top.

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MEET THE SPEAKeRS

Fireside Conversation

A conversation across disciplines, bringing together accomplished figures from tennis, motorsport and equestrian sport to explore mentorship, excellence and the experiences that shape a lasting career. Moderated by Chloe Melas.

CHLOE MELAS

moderator

NBC News entertainment correspondent

A conversation across disciplines, bringing together accomplished figures from tennis, motorsport and equestrian sport to explore mentorship, excellence and the experiences that shape a lasting career. Moderated by Chloe Melas.

More About Chloe Melas

Chloe Melas is an entertainment correspondent at NBC News appearing on the Today show, Nightly News, and NBC News Now. She previously worked at CNN where she broke numerous high-profile stories during the Me Too era and co-hosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve show alongside Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. In 2023, Chloe worked to publish her late grandfather’s memoir, Luck of the Draw, which became a New York Times bestseller. Chloe is the co-founder of the gut health brand Bio.me. She lives in New York with her two sons, four pets, and husband.

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Ivan Lendl

featured speaker
Tennis legend and eight-time Grand Slam champion

Ivan Lendl is a retired Czech-American professional tennis player renowned for his powerful baseline game…

More About Ivan Lendl

Ivan Lendl is a retired Czech-American professional tennis player renowned for his powerful baseline game and exceptional work ethic. Lendl's consistent performance and tactical prowess made him one of the most dominant players in men's tennis during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Lendl turned professional in 1978 and quickly established himself as a formidable competitor. His breakthrough came in 1984 when he won his first Grand Slam title at the French Open, defeating John McEnroe in a five-set epic. This victory marked the beginning of a remarkable career in which he would capture eight Grand Slam singles titles, including three US Opens, three French Opens, and two Australian Opens. Known for his powerful forehand and rigorous physical conditioning, Lendl's style of play was ahead of its time, emphasizing baseline control and relentless consistency.

During his career, Lendl reached the world No. 1 ranking in 1983 and held the position for a total of 270 weeks, a record at the time. He was a regular fixture in Grand Slam finals, reaching 19 in total, and his intense rivalries with players like McEnroe, Boris Becker, and Mats Wilander were highlights of the era. Lendl's methodical approach to the game and his commitment to fitness set new standards in professional tennis, influencing the next generation of players. Despite his numerous achievements, Lendl faced challenges in winning Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam title that eluded him. He ended his career with 94 singles titles, ranking third in the Open Era for most career titles. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001.

After chronic back issues forced him to retire in 1994 at the age of 34, Lendl continued to contribute to the sport as a coach and mentor. He notably coached Andy Murray, helping him win three major championships and an Olympic gold medal. Lendl's coaching philosophy emphasized the same discipline and strategic thinking that characterized his own playing career.

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Butch Leitzinger

featured speaker

Championship-Winning Sports Car Driver

Butch Leitzinger is one of America’s most accomplished sports car drivers, with three IMSA championships and…

More About Butch Leitzinger

Butch Leitzinger is one of America’s most accomplished sports car drivers, with a career spanning nearly three decades. A three-time IMSA champion and three-time overall winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, he also earned two class victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring and finished third overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Bentley in 2001. Leitzinger competed across IMSA, Grand-Am, the American Le Mans Series, Trans-Am and NASCAR before concluding his professional racing career in 2015.

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McLain Ward

featured speaker

Six-time Olympian and
five-time Olympic medalist

McLain Ward was introduced to riding before he could walk and has a competitive prowess which only continues to increase with age…

More About McLain Ward

McLain Ward was introduced to riding before he could walk and has a competitive prowess which only continues to increase with age. In 1990, Ward became the youngest rider ever to win both the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Medal Finals and the USET Talent Derby at age 14. After turning pro, he quickly became the youngest rider to reach the $1 million mark in earnings in 1999, at the age of 24. Ward is a six-time Olympian, including as a member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. teams in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 with his longtime mount, Sapphire. With HH Azur, he was part of the U.S. team that took silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ward was also a team silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games riding Contagious and most recently earned team silver once again, this time aboard Ilex at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He was a member of the gold-medal winning NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team for the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 riding Clinta, WEG Normandy 2014 team bronze medalist with Rothchild, and a WEG Aachen 2006 team silver medalist with Sapphire, and represented the U.S. in 2022 in Herning with Contagious. As a Pan American Games athlete, Ward was a part of the gold-medal team in Guadalajara 2011 riding Antares F, as well as aboard Contagious at Santiago 2023, where the pair helped the team secure their Paris 2024 qualification. In 2025, Ward was selected to the U.S. Jumping Team for the LLN Ocala CSIO5*, where he and Ilex contributed to the team’s top podium finish. He went on the compete for the U.S. in the Rome Nations Cup CSIO5* on Imperial HBF and La Baule Nations Cup CSIO5* on Ilex. He was named to the winning U.S. Jumping Team for the CHIO Aachen CSIO5* with Imperial HBF, and also contributed to a second place finish for the team at the Falsterbo Nations Cup CSIO5* with High Star Hero.

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Bradley Theodore

featured speaker

Contemporary Artist

Bradley Theodore is a contemporary artist known for his bold, colourful portraits that merge street art with fine art…

More About Bradley Theodore

Born in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bradley Theodore grew up in Miami, Florida and later moved to New York City where he embarked on his art career. The aesthetic influence of Miami’s vibrancy and bright colour palette continues to influence his artwork. Theodore taught himself painting by watching YouTube tutorials, as well as studying the techniques of canonical artists like Salvador Dali. Working as a digital designer in New York City, he immersed himself in the city’s buzzing artistic scene and started creating his first colourful murals featuring his iconic skeleton motif on the Lower East Side. One of his most famous works is Anna and Karl in New York, depicting Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld in colourful skeleton-form in honour of their lasting friendship. This piece was a catalyst for Theodore’s popularity and success as a street artist. He was chosen as Google’s virtual artist in residence in 2016 and was the subject of a documentary in the same year entitled “Becoming: Bradley Theodore”, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Since then, he has created murals and paintings depicting numerous celebrities including Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, and Queen Elizabeth II. His public works can be seen on the streets of Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Oslo, and Paris. He has also collaborated with designers such as PUMA, Moët & Chandon, Jordan Brand, RMK, Kent & Curwen and Moleskine. Aside from commercial collaborations, making public art remains of crucial importance to Theodore’s mission to contextualize his work outside of formal gallery settings.

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Benefiting Charities

At the heart of The Pursuit of Purpose is a commitment to giving back. The evening supports three remarkable organizations whose work brings that purpose to life—supporting families through hardship, empowering young people and helping the next generation pursue their potential.

ANGELS OF LIGHT

Supports Hudson Valley children and families facing life-threatening illness or life-altering circumstances with financial assistance, compassion and community support.
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THE PERSON FIRST

Equips youth and young adults with mentorship, skills and science-backed programs that build resilience, foster purpose and support whole-person wellness.
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ROAD TO THE TOP

Develops the next generation of American show jumping champions by providing promising young riders with mentorship, training and opportunity.
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The Evening at a Glance

Cocktails &
Hors d'oeuvres

Fireside
Conversation

Special Musical & Performance

Live Auction

Musical Performance

Marcus Miller

Internationally acclaimed bassist, composer and producer Marcus Miller has been a transformative force in the music industry for over four decades. A five-time Grammy Award winner and UNESCO Artist for Peace, Miller’s signature bass style and creative ingenuity have helped shape the sound of modern jazz, R&B, and urban film scores for decades.

With a credit list spanning well over 500 recordings ranging from Beyonce to Miles Davis, Miller’s characteristic bass sound can be heard on a limitless catalog of classic hits, from Bill Wither’s Just The Two Of Us to Luther Vandross’s Never Too Much. His distinctive style – a unique combination of funk, jazz, soul, and pure virtuosic technical skills, has solidified his reputation as one of the most significant and influential bassists of our time.

The Autumn Invitational

The evening is part of the 2026 Autumn Invitational, two weeks of world-class equestrian sport, art, automobiles, hospitality and culture in New York’s Hudson Valley. It takes place Saturday night on the eve of the Highlands Cup CSI5* Grand Prix and Bridlemont Concours.

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Join us for an unforgettable evening.

OCTOBER 10, 2026 | Amenia, New York
7:00 PM ET

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