We hope you are all enjoying Memorial Day weekend. This is a time where we all welcome the arrival of nice weather and the end of the school year. However, for many, this is a solemn time of reflection and honoring those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice for our Country.

It is truly an honor to introduce you to Hugo Lentze, a veteran of the U.S. Army and the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF). This incredible foundation is dedicated to empowering veterans and the families of fallen heroes. It began after 1st Lieutenant, Travis Manion (USMC) was killed in Iraq while saving his wounded teammates. Travis lives on through TMF's mission to inspire and develop character among future generations. Hugo is joining us as a speaker and attendee at this year's Cause Marketing Summit. ​

​Photo courtesy of the TMF Facebook page.

More about Hugo Lentze: Hugo is a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Army and a graduate of the United States Military Academy. In transitioning out of the Army, Hugo struggled with what he wanted to do next. He was hired for a job in Horsham, PA that left him unsatisfied and later worked in a local bike shop. Still, Hugo felt service to others was his true calling. He found exactly what he was looking for at the Travis Manion Foundation. There he works to forge strategic partnerships to fuel their mission and enjoys working alongside like-minded colleagues and helping veterans as they transition from the military to civilian life. 

We asked Hugo a few questions as part of our 'Plays Well With Others' series. Here's what he shared with us.

Question: If you could solve/cure ONE of the world's biggest challenges, what would it be?
Answer: Equality, specifically educational equality.

Question: What is your most pressing agenda item for this calendar year?
Answer: Ensuring that we have a pipeline of dedicated capable volunteers to help deliver our programs. 

Question: What main cause(s) are you currently working on? 
Answer: Helping veterans thrive in their post-military lives. 

Question: What is the current status/trend of the causes/issues you work on?
Answer: In the past, veterans have been seen as charity cases, but the trend nowadays is seeing them as assets to the community. 

Question: Do you see the need for funding and support increasing or decreasing over the next five years?
Answer: In order to deliver our programs effectively (execution, research, curriculum development), funding needs will increase. 

Question: What do you work tirelessly on to further your mission?
Answer:  Spreading the word about what we do and making more individuals, companies, and organizations aware of what TMF does.

Question: How can we (the CMS Tribe) help you?
Answer: Help us to focus our pitch and the ask, which often depends on the audience we are addressing. 

Question: Name a favorite community nonprofit or effort you support locally on a personal level.
Answer: TMF, of course, but also Cub Scouts 

Question: What are some of the tools you use to do business?
Answer: SalesForce, LinkedIn, and the internet in general.

Question: Theme song?
Answer: My Way by Frank Sinatra or the Sex Pistols, it depends on my mood. 

Question: Why are you going to the Cause Marketing Summit?
Answer: For professional and personal development; to hone and tailor my pitch.
We are so grateful to have Hugo join us on June 7 as he delivers his pitch for the Travis Manion Foundation. 

On behalf of the CMS family, thank you to all those who have served and continue to serve. We will never forget. 

Jenn & Team CMS

About Brittany Hill: As a data seeker and trend translator, Brittany specializes in using analytics and innovations to connect companies and causes to do more good in the world. She leads the product and business development efforts at Catalist. As a nonprofit entrepreneur, Brittany is behind some of the industry’s newest products and tools that help nonprofits elevate their mission.Brittany’s extensive background in the nonprofit and agency sectors supports her vision for nonprofit innovations. She's built multi-channel partnerships and award-winning campaigns with some of the most notable blue-chip nonprofit organizations (American Heart Association, UNICEF, Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Make-A-Wish International) and corporate brands (Pepsico, General Mills, Hasbro, Best Buy).
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We asked Brittany a few questions as part of our 'Plays Well With Others' series. Here's what she had to say! 

Question: If you could solve/cure ONE of the world's biggest challenges, what would it be?
Answer: Hunger. 

Question: What is your most pressing agenda item for this calendar year?
Answer: To connect more causes with companies that want to make an impact. 

Question: What main cause(s) are you currently working on? 
Answer: We work with environmental organizations, health, hunger, human service, and education.

Question: What is the current status/trend of the causes/issues you work on?
Answer: All could use increased funding from the corporate sector. 

Question: Do you see the need for funding and support increasing or decreasing over the next five years?
Answer: With today's political climate, we are seeing and expecting corporate support increasing. 

Question: What do you work tirelessly on to further your mission?
Answer: Data curation and connectivity. 

Question: How can we (the CMS Tribe) help you?
Answer: Spread the word about the only online platform where causes and companies find each other. 

Question: Name a favorite community nonprofit or effort you support locally on a personal level.
Answer: Girls Who Code. 

Question: What are some of the tools you use to do business?
Answer: Zoho, MailChimp, Dropbox, and Vimeo.

Question: Theme song?
Answer: Girl on Fire, Alicia Keys

Question: Tell me something good (describe something positive) that has happened since CMS NYC last Spring. 
Answer: Consumers are activated and involved in social causes more than ever! ​

​We are excited to welcome Catalist to our CMS NYC community as they share their secrets to getting your cause noticed by the corporate world at the Cause Marketing Summit NYC this June. Until then, come check out Catalist and find the right partners for your organization.