The social gathering at the Hotel Monaco following the screening of “TEN9EIGHT: Shoot for the Moon,” had a different tone than the typical Washington ballroom.
The big guys — like chief executive officers, famous journalists and department heads — were crowding around the little guys: Inner city students whose inspirational stories were featured in the documentary, which chronicles the race to the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s annual business competition.
Seasoned business leaders were eager to talk to the young entrepreneurs about their business plans for products and services ranging from film production to scented body lotions.
Hilary Rosen, political strategist and cousin of the network’s CEO Amy Rosen, said, “You look at a film like this and you see the kids and you have to ask yourself, am I doing enough?”
And Hilary Rosen brought in some major players for self-reflection, including Greta Van Susteren, who told Yeas & Nays she attended the event for Rosen. CNN’s Jessica Yellin also was in attendance.
“Friends inspire friends,” Rosen told Yeas & Nays.
Among the high rollers eager to meet finalist Rodney Walker and semifinalists Jamal Wills and William Mack were self-made millionaire and “Pursuit of Happyness” author Chris Gardner, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Commerce Dennis F. Hightower, Chairman and CEO of Visa Joseph Saunders and the film’s producer-director and CEO of 50 Eggs Film Mary Mazzio, among others.
Chris Gardner, the inspiration for the 2006 film, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” spilled to Yeas & Nays that he is working with Will Smith on an upcoming project.
“Well, yeah, we’re working on some other stuff,” Gardner said. “Maybe a sequel, we’ll talk…”
And Gardner may have been in the pursuit of a different type of happiness Monday night when he tried to pick-up CNN reporter and former WTTG beauty Brooke Baldwin, who is town for the week from Atlanta. The reporter, taken back by his advances, responded to his firm handshake and mention that he would like to see her later with, “I like your suit.”
Also spotted at the event was Howard W. Buffet, a grandson of Warren Buffet, with Emily Riff. Sources say she is his on-again, off-again girlfriend from college.
