ACES All-Star Evening
May 23, 2024 • 6-9 PM
The Fillmore Minneapolis
After 30 years of transformative programming, 30 years of building education equity, 30 years of opening doors and changing lives... it’s time to celebrate! Community leaders, education champions, and Minnesota’s business and philanthropic communities are coming together for an unforgettable night in support of ACES’s mission to close the academic opportunity gap and prepare students for success. Join the 2024 All-Star Evening to celebrate ACES’s milestone 30th anniversary and to power the next three decades of vital work on behalf of Minnesota students.
Get your Varsity Ticket today!
Varsity tickets include reserved Mezzanine-level Box seating, access to the exclusive pre-event reception, hosted drinks, and more! Every ticket purchase directly supports ACES classrooms and helps level the playing field for Minnesota students.
General Admission tickets will become available in early April. A limited number of scholarship tickets are also available. Please contact Taylor Anderson at tayloranderson@aces4kids.org for more information.
Featuring David Billingsley’s All-Star Band
All-Star Evening guests will be moving and grooving to the music of David Billingsley and his all-star band! Billingsley is a versatile and talented pianist, composer, bandleader, producer, entrepreneur, and educator. Founder and executive director of the Billingsley School of Music & Arts, he also tours the world as keyboardist and background singer for Stokley. Billingsley will be joined by a star-studded group of musicians including Brandon Commode, Jesse Larson, Jaylyn Spencer, Lyndora Turner, and Cameron Wright. These incredible artists have performed with Grammy nominees and winners including Mint Condition, New Power Generation, Chaka Khan, and Beyoncé!
Featuring Michael Houston
2023 Minnesota Teacher of the Year
Michael Houston is a mathematics teacher at Harding High School in the St. Paul Public School District #625 where he teaches Algebra 2 and Accelerated Geometry. Houston is a proud first-generation college student, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education from Concordia University, St. Paul. Raised in a single-parent household – with the help of his beloved grandparents – Houston continued to exceed expectations by earning his Masters in Education from Hamline University in 2011. Houston’s 20-year career at Harding includes 18 years as a football coach – 10 of which he was head coach. A professional point of pride for Houston is becoming an adjunct professor at his alma mater. For six years, Houston has taught both online and face-to-face math classes to prospective elementary teachers. Houston also takes great pride in the respect he has earned from his colleagues at Harding where he is the mathematics department chair, a learning team facilitator, and union steward. He was humbled when colleagues voted him teacher of the year at Harding in 2016, which led him to being nominated – and becoming a finalist -- for Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2017. Houston was named Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2023. His teaching philosophy has always been centered upon creating classroom community, and in light of the COVID pandemic and the persistent inequities and ongoing trauma that are pervasive in the communities in which he serves has incorporated financial literacy in mathematics to help close the wealth, opportunity, and achievement gap.
Featuring Miss Shannan Paul
Miss Shannan Paul is a comedian, radio and television host, keynote speaker, benefit auctioneer, voice actor, and event host. She was named "Best Stand-up Comedian" by City Pages Magazine in 2020 and Campus Activities Magazine® included her as one of eight Top Speaker Picks for 2015. She has appeared on “Nick Mom’s Night Out,” “Laughs TV,” Hulu, and as part of the SXSW Comedy and Music Festival. She regularly brings her wit, whimsy, and pop culture expertise to Twin Cities television as part of "The Jason Show” and can be heard weekly on MyTalk 107.1 and her "Be Our Geek" podcast on the PodcastOne network.
Pre-Event Reception Featuring Coach Larry McKenzie
Coach McKenzie is a passionate and experienced Twin Cities community leader and basketball coach. He coached Minneapolis’s Patrick Henry and North high school boys’ teams to six state titles. In 2014, McKenzie became the first African American coach selected for the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. A certified national speaker, he has served on numerous community boards and, with his wife, Pamela, co-founded the Above the Rim Youth Sports Foundation. In 2019, Coach McKenzie received a Living Legend Award from the NCAA and the NABC Guardian of the Game (Education).
With a performance by the Step with Soul youth steppers!
Step with Soul Ministering with Hands & Feet utilizes the art of stepping to teach African American history and support youth development. Serving young people ages 7 to 18, Step with Soul helps youth build self-esteem, confidence, and integrity. Founded in 2016, Step with Soul has grown to include members from across the Twin Cities.
At the stunning Fillmore Minneapolis
525 N 5th St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Opened in February 2020, The Fillmore is a state-of-the art music hall and event venue with an atmosphere of elegance and innovation.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Sponsorships for the All-Star Evening are now available! Click here to review sponsorship levels and benefits. To secure your sponsorship, contact Taylor Anderson, Director of Development & Communications, at tayloranderson@aces4kids.org or 952-688-1590.
Step off the sidelines for Minnesota students
At ACES, we believe that every student – regardless of race, socioeconomic background, or zip code – deserves an all-star education. Unfortunately, that is not the reality in our state. Minnesota ranks at the bottom – #49 out of 50 states – for equity in the education system. Proficiency rates for students of color and those from lower-income households are 20-30 points below those of their white and higher-income peers, and gaps between school districts are even more staggering These disparities are evidence of a systemic problem that can and must be fixed – and the youth-centered, responsive programming ACES provides is part of the solution.
With a proven track record of success, ACES is stepping up to meet this moment. We have enhanced curriculum, strengthened partnerships, expanded to new communities – and we aren’t slowing down. By supporting ACES at the All-Star Evening, you power this important growth and help level the playing field for Minnesota students.
