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Dear Friends,

Happy Summer to one and all! After a busy year in 2023, 2024 has gotten off to a great start. For the second year in a row, we held a highly successful three-day "Inspire" program for 30 girls in Indianapolis, visiting IUPUI/Purdue, Dallara, Main St, the Speedway and karting at FastTimes. Sunday morning before qualifying, the girls heard from Lyn St. James (WIMNA), Sabré Cook, TaiJaune Robinson (General Motors Motorsports Engineering), Alison Melangton (IMS), Jimmie McMillian (the Brickyard) and others from the Speedway team as well as from Marilyn Mangin at Purdue/IUPUI. It was an exceptional morning, we're so grateful for the IMS team and their generous hospitality. We hope to raise enough money to host double the number of girls that number in 2025.

High Alpha hosted a reception for the Foundation where last year's Fellow, Alexandra Peachey, as well as the two Grand Prix karting scholars, Jordyn Cummings and Aubre Walker spoke to the audience about what the Foundation has meant to them. Check out our photo gallery for all our past events

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In April, we invited 20 girls from Sonoma Valley High School to meet the women behind the GT World Challenge at Sonoma Raceway - where they met everyone from drivers and technicians to the PR teams at the Media Center. Many thanks to Brandy Falconer who hosted us and took the girls behind the scenes on race day. 

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Thanks to a successful Giving Tuesday in November, we expanded both our fellowships and our scholarships programs. This year we offered four fellowships with General Motors Motorsports Engineering, Sonoma Raceway, the Speedway/IMS and George4 / Andretti Foundation. We also offered a development karting scholarship in partnership with NXG Youth Motorsports and look forward to racing finals September 28th for Shyanne Doran in the development program, Aubre and Jordyn in the Grand Prix program.

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Looking forward, Sonoma Raceway will be hosting a group of girls for an inspiring morning at the Ferrari Challenge August 24th. This fall we'll be in Indianapolis for the racing finals with NXG Youth Motorsports September 28th and again at WIMNA, PRI in early December. Please reach out if you'd like to meet in person.

Now in our third year, the Foundation has reached over 400 girls across three states and we look forward to continuing to expand our programs in 2025. We are the only not-for-profit 501c3 in the motorsports industry supporting girls 5-18 years old as they start on their path to adulthood. This is a critical time where so many drop out of STEM and sports. Opportunities in the motorsports industry aren't even on the radar - "if you don't see it you can't be it" still holds true.

Your support makes all the difference - listen to the videos on our site of the girls and hear how much it means to them as they explore opportunities in the motorsports industry, whether it be as an engineer or a business person. We hope you'll think of giving even a small amount to help us support the girls in our programs now and reach more girls next year. 

We are always looking for help - if you have skills, expertise or a relevant network, please reach out to either of us. We are infinitely grateful for your continued support.

 

Warm wishes,

Michelle Della Penna                 
mdp@dellapennafoundation.org 

 

Susan Lucas-Conwell

susanlc@dellapennafoundation.org

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Della Penna Foundation, in Partnership With NXG Youth Motorsports, Awards Inaugural 2024 Grand Prix Karting Scholarships

Published 10:54 AM CDT, February 16, 2024

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INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 16, 2024--

The Della Penna Foundation, in collaboration with NXG Youth Motorsports, proudly presents the annual 2024 Grand Prix Karting Scholarships. The Foundation, committed to empowering girls in motorsports, is pleased to announce Aubre Walker and Jordyn Cummings as the inaugural recipients of the Della Penna Grand Prix Scholarship.

Aubre Walker, a sophomore honors student at Anderson High School, aspires to be a mechanical engineer and has nurtured her racing dream since second grade. “I’m excited to bring all the girl power to this racing season!” Walker said. Jordyn Cummings, also a sophomore at Anderson High School, is the first karting scholar to successfully complete the NXG Youth Motorsports Development Program. “It’s a dream come true,” said Cummings. “I can’t wait to start competing!”

Founded in 2021 by Michelle Della Penna, the Della Penna Foundation stands as a unique force, actively engaging girls in motorsports before potential disengagement from STEM or sports interests. Della Penna expressed her excitement about the partnership with Coach Reid and the NXG Youth Motorsports Organization, emphasizing the Foundation’s goal to provide girls with karting scholarships, allowing them to explore the various opportunities within motorsports.

Rod Reid, businessman and Force Indy team owner, applauded the collaboration between NXG Youth Motorsports and the Della Penna Foundation, highlighting the focus on STEM-related careers for young women. Jordyn Cummings, inspired by the Development Program, returns for the Grand Prix racing season, thanks to the Della Penna Grand Prix Scholarships. Reid envisions expanding this impactful collaboration in 2024 and beyond, offering opportunities for young women like Jordyn and Aubre to pursue their dreams while gaining valuable life skills through go-kart racing.

The Della Penna Foundation is actively raising funds for a three-day program in May, inviting 20 high school girls from the Indianapolis metropolitan area to explore motorsports opportunities firsthand. This program, led by women actively involved in the sport, aims to inspire and inform the next generation. To learn more, donate, or sponsor, visit www.dellapennafoundation.org or contact Susan Lucas-Conwell.

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240215707617/en/

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Della Penna Foundation, in Partnership With NXG Youth Motorsports, Awards Inaugural 2024 Grand Prix Karting Scholarships

Andy Knight, The Herald Bulletin, Feb 8, 2024 

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SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) — Women are underrepresented in all areas of motorsports. The Della Penna Foundation is working to change that by exposing young girls to all facets of the sport.

It was founded by Michelle Della Penna, the daughter of IndyCar driver John Della Penna. She said for most of her life, she was one of few girls at the race track.

“Women make up half of the population and motorsports is an amazing sport that is a microcosm of the entire world,” Della Penna said. “Everything from engineering to mechanics to development to marketing to public relations to finance, there is all of that within motorsports and women are hugely underrepresented. Not to mention the actual driving component where, at the Indy 500, there is one woman on a grid of 30 people.”

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Volunteers with the foundation took 15 high school girls from the Indianapolis area around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Indy 500 qualifying weekend. The girls got to meet with drivers and technicians to learn the ins and outs of racing, and watch the drivers qualify.

“The organization itself is really supportive of bringing more women into the fold. Drifting is a newer sport and unless you have a family history of motorsports, it’s hard to get into,” explained Zandara Kennedy, a member of the driver advisory council and a Formula Drift driver.

Kennedy said she wants to be the person that young girls can look up to since she did not have that growing up.

“I have zero family history in motorsports. My parents don’t care at all about vehicles, my brother is not into cars, so I am kind of the only one,” Kennedy said. “I fell into it through stunts actually. I wanted to become a better stunt driver, so I started taking better driving courses and I learned about drifting, and that became an addiction for me.”

Della Penna said the goal is to show girls they can be successful in any role in motorsports, despite many roles being traditionally held by men.

“We focus on the ages of 5 to 16, so really girls that are starting to develop what they like to do to girls getting ready to go off to college,” Della Penna said. “If you’re getting ready to start thinking about what you’re going to be doing for college and if you’re introduced to STEM and engineering programs. The younger you are, the better off you have of making a career out of it.”

“I really want to see more women in all aspects of motorsports. As a driver, I see only two other women, but in the pits, there aren’t a lot of techs either. I know there are many women out there with the capacity or the potential to be really good on a race team,” Kennedy said. “My best friend is an engineer and she came out and helped me, and I just want to encourage more women to see themselves in any position in motorsport.”

Della Penna is a first-generation Argentinian-American who is passionate about creating opportunities for women of color.

“This is a total labor of love for me. I absolutely love it,” Della Penna said. “Motorsports is near and dear to my heart. I’ve grown up in this sport, and I just want it to look more representative of the world that we live in.”

The foundation is based in California, but has many opportunities for Indianapolis girls because of the prominence of IndyCar in central Indiana.

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Rising star Aubre Walker

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Founder Spotlight: Susan Lucas-Conwell WG83

WAFFA, Jan 6, 2024 

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“Seeing the smiles on girls’ faces when they discover the world of motorsports and realize that they, too, can participate. Sounds corny but absolutely true. Changing one life makes all the difference.”

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Meet Susan Lucas-Conwell WG83, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Della Penna Foundation, a not-for-profit devoted to driving change in motorsports, one girl at a time. Women are widely underrepresented in all facets of motorsports, from the business office and engineers to trainers and drivers. This foundation was created to provide more opportunities for young women to get involved in the industry. Research shows that girls often drop out of STEM classes between the ages of 9 and 16 which creates barriers to future careers in tech or science.

Susan’s Co-Founder is Michelle Della Penna, whose father, John Della Penna, was a renowned Indycar driver and team owner. Michelle recalls her experience watching her father at races, often as the sole girl. Susan grew up as an athlete and as a mother of four athletic daughters, she understands the challenges of breaking into male-dominated sports. Their passion has paved the way for girls to explore motorsports through events and karting scholarships.

In her extensive career, Susan has pursued various roles that combine her passion for entrepreneurship, science and sports. From being on the boards at Sparrow, a subscription product that makes science accessible to 97% of the world, and Women in Sports Tech (wist), connecting women with sports tech opportunities, Susan is driving change, on and off the racetrack.

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Della Penna Foundation team left to right:
Susan Lucas-Conwell, Gino Verna and
Michelle Della Penna

Tell us a bit about your company

Della Penna Foundation is a not for profit dedicated to driving change in the motorsports industry, one girl at a time. I founded it with Michelle Della Penna, whose father was a race car driver and team owner.

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What inspired you to start your business — what opportunity in the market are you seeking to address?

We’re looking to change the dynamic in the motorsports industry by introducing the breadth of career opportunities to high school girls before they drop out of STEM and lose interest in sports.

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What is it about your personal background, experience, or perspective that fuels your passion for this venture?

As an athlete myself (not motorsports though!), I have four daughters who were all college athletes, one on the national team.. and recognize the incredible challenge of breaking into an almost completely all white mens’ sport and industry that is generally only accessible to those with deep pockets.

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What are one or two of the biggest wins or most encouraging experiences you’ve had so far?

Despite the challenging environment of a covid world when we started, we’ve reached over 100 girls with programs and events — in 2023, the first Della Penna Fellow shadowed women at George 4 Foundation for a week and the first Della Penna Scholar is completing a karting program with NXG Youth Motorsports in Indianapolis.

What has been one or two of your biggest learnings so far?

The motorsports industry offers an exceptional breadth of opportunities for young adults yet its image and current composition have created barriers for girls. Particularly those coming from economically disadvantaged communities.

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What is an obstacle that you are grappling with as you continue to build this venture?

To date the Foundation has been privately funded with a few generous in-kind donations. We can’t scale without funding — particularly challenging in a sport where every actor is looking for funding from drivers to teams to tracks.

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What surprises have you encountered as an entrepreneur? Something out of left field?

This is the second time I’ve been an entrepreneur, first time as a co-founder of a not-for-profit. The surprises are universal I think — the people who say they’ll support at the start rarely do and those who seem to have the least connection to the mission with the smallest resources are the most generous.

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How can the WAFFA community help you?

Support, funds, promotion.

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What has been the most rewarding thing about starting your own business?

Seeing the smiles on girls’ faces when they discover the world of motorsports and realize that they, too, can participate. Sounds corny but absolutely true. Changing one life makes all the difference.

Learn more about Della Penna Foundation here, and connect with Susan here.

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This article is published solely for informational purposes and has no regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any person or entity. The information is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice. Please seek your own independent financial advice and do your own research in regards to any partnership or investment opportunities.

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