Adani Illo and Dorothy Mehta Elected to Rising Ground's Board

(Brooklyn, New York…July 21, 2023) Matt Del Percio, President of Rising Ground, one of New York’s largest and most impactful human services organizations, announced today the election to Rising Ground’s Board of Directors of Adani Illo, a managing director at Evercore, and Dorothy Mehta, a Partner at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. They each will serve a three-year term. Both Mr. Illo and Ms. Mehta, who hold executive-level positions at their respective firms, have immigration experiences in common, which they both said was a compelling reason to support Rising Ground and the important work that it does.

Mr. Del Percio noted: “These two outstanding individuals have heightened awareness, empathy, and sensitivity about the many issues our supported families face including social identity, trauma, discrimination, and acclimation. They are proof that given the right resources and encouragement, people can move forward in their lives.”

Mr. Illo, who emigrated to the United States from Niger in 1999 to attend boarding school, said he wanted to “do things near to my heart. I am living the American dream,” he explained. “The reason I have achieved so much is there were many people who believed in me. But I also want to learn and expand my perspectives and understand the issues. In this season of my life, I’m more reflective about how one can contribute. The more sustainable an organization, the more impact it has. For someone like me, part of an underrepresented minority with a 6-year old Black child, I care a lot about that.”

Ms. Mehta was equally enthusiastic and had a similar perspective. “The mission statement struck me in that Rising Ground is helping people get back on track and live their potential,” she explained. “I’m a daughter of immigrants who came here from Poland after World War II, and I’m married to a someone whose family is from India. I grew up in Hartford in a very diverse environment where I saw firsthand that those who needed and received assistance could lead their best lives.” She said she was excited to join the Board and to have the chance to combine her childhood and professional experience in order to help. “I know from my own upbringing that people do thrive when resources are accessed properly.”

The Road to Success

A graduate of Middlebury College (BA) and Yale University (MBA), Mr. Illo manages Evercore’s equity capital markets practice. Prior to that he was employed at Goldman Sachs, where he originated and executed public and private equity transactions across Latin America with an emphasis on tech and fintech. Earlier in his career, he held a similar role within equity capital markets origination at Barclays, concentrating on the natural resources and chemicals sectors.

At Middlebury, he studied economics and Spanish, one of five languages he speaks.

He said he loved studying languages, but it was only after he joined an investment club at Middlebury that his interest in pursuing finance as a career was sparked. That, and a little advice from his history professor who observed that “in America, you have to make money!” A scholarship recipient throughout his school years, Mr. Illo is particularly interested in Rising Ground’s work with minorities. “Mental health matters as does the well-being of women and children, foster care, and preventing violence,” he said. “I value the work Rising Ground does; their mission matters to me. And at this point in my career, I want to make sure they attract the right dollars to sustain that mission.”

At Fried Frank, Ms. Mehta is a corporate partner and member of the firm's Asset Management Practice. She has expertise in the structuring, formation, and operation of a variety of investment products. She was named a leading hedge fund lawyer by Chambers USA, as a top-rated securities and corporate finance attorney in New York by Super Lawyers and was included in The Best Lawyers in America (2020 - 2022 editions), among other awards. Ms. Mehta holds a BA from Cornell University and a JD from Fordham University School of Law. Prior to Fried Frank she is a Partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where earlier she was special counsel.

As a first generation American, she said she enjoys being around people from different cultures,” she said. “Unlike litigation, my practice has cross-border international appeal.” She adds that passion about improving oneself is something she embraces, which is another of the reasons she was attracted to Rising Ground.

“First, there is their wonderful mission. Then, I met with the CEO and various directors, who were so passionate, so energetic, so positive about what they do, I was impressed,” she said. “I know their work is hard and difficult, and I know they’ve spent years doing it. But it was that positivity that clinched it for me.” In her spare time. Ms. Mehta dotes on her two Cavapoos and says her retirement plan is to build a dog sanctuary.

About Rising Ground

Rising Ground is a leading nonprofit human services organization, currently operating more than 101 programs at 138 sites across all the New York City boroughs and Westchester County, and employing a workforce of 2000+ people. Rising Ground provides 25,000 children, adults, and families annually with the resources and skills needed to rise above adversity and to positively direct their lives. Rising Ground won the prestigious New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Award in 2014. Founded in 1831 as Leake & Watts, an orphanage, Rising Ground has been at the forefront of supporting evolving community needs and is a leader in utilizing result-driven, evidence-based practices. Today, the organization’s work is a positive force in the lives of more than 25,000 children, adults, and family members on any given day. For more information, visit RisingGround.org.