Community Support

Proud to Support East Side House Settlement (ESH)

East Side House Settlement (ESH) has been a beacon of hope for people in need for over 130 years serving the South Bronx, as well as communities throughout the Bronx and Northern Manhattan. ESH serves more than 10,000 children and families annually providing services to the youngest and oldest members of families in order to provide transformational educational services. ESH has been honored to be named an official model for best practices in family engagements by the National Head Start Association and is committed to work with vulnerable families, partnering with schools and city agencies to advocate for meaningful, lasting change.

East Side House is a trusted community resource that offers a continuum of programs ranging from early childhood programs to programs for senior citizens. The communities served are among the most vulnerable in the country and are home to some of the most dire statistics relating to educational attainment, employment, literacy rates, and attendance rates.

Richard Kolman, Head of the Municipal Securities Group and a member of the Operating Committee, has been a member of the Board of Managers for East Side House for over 15 years and has served as the Treasurer and Head of the Finance Committee for over 10 years as well as being a member of the Investment Committee. Mr. Kolman has remained an active member for East Side House driven by their focus on giving back and making a difference to ensure success.

“It is an honor to be a member of an active Board of committed individuals that have made East Side House a leading provider for New York City’s most vulnerable communities,” said Mr. Kolman.

Proud to Support American Corporate Partners

American Corporate Partners (ACP) is a national nonprofit organization focused on helping transitioning service members, returning veterans, and active-duty spouses find their next careers through one-on-one mentoring, networking and online career advice.

Dan Stahlschmidt, Head of Equity Trading, is in his sixth year as a mentor with ACP.

Proud to Support Young Kappa Foundation Mentorship Program

The Young Kappa Foundation’s mission is to impact the lives of Middle and High School students by providing financial assistance and a lasting support mechanism to help guide life decisions. The organization was created to teach community service. Their goal is to impact the life experience of high school students by first providing financial assistance upon graduation to assist them in their next step into life, and to further impact their lives by becoming a mentorship arm to aid, assist, and equip them to make good life decisions, thus being a stable foundation on which young men can be built.

Janie Mines, Senior Vice President of Inclusion and Innovation, has supported the organization and launch of the Young Kappa Foundation Mentorship Program, and her goal is to use this launch as a pilot for the definition and execution of a nationwide program.

Proud to Support Berkshire Agricultural Ventures

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures’ mission is to support the development and viability of local farms and food businesses in order to build a thriving and equitable local food economy. They help the local community’s food infrastructure via a variety of programs which include USDA loans for meat processing and farm loans. This year they will be adding an additional service via our market match to help veterans and minorities in the area.

Dan Schaeffer, Executive Director of ABS Capital Markets, has been a volunteer as well as treasurer of the organization for over three years.

Proud to Support St. John's Northwestern Academies

St. John’s Northwestern Academies serves as an independent, private college preparatory school in Delafield, Wisconsin. Their mission is to educate and develop young men and women to be responsible citizens, as well as moral and ethical leaders who are inspired to take advantage of today and tomorrow’s opportunities. Their founder Sydney Smythe felt that “The way to get the most out of a student is to make them reach just a little farther than they had supposed their arms could stretch.”

Randy Lauer, Head of Capital Markets, serves on the Board of Trustees at St John’s Northwestern as Chairman of the Governance Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.

Proud to Support La Grange Highlands Civic Association

The La Grange Highland’s Civic Association supports the La Grange Highlands Community, an unincorporated residential community with no municipal government. The association encourages residents to be good neighbors by observing zoning ordinances, traffic laws, and rules regarding their pets.

Beth Tolomeo, Equities Managing Director, has served on the LGHCA Board since 2018 as the Board Secretary and the Director of Social Media.

Proud to Support Big Shoulders Fund

Big Shoulders Fund was founded by a group of business and civic leaders in 1986 to provide support to Catholic schools with demonstrated need in Chicago. For more than thirty-five years, Big Shoulders Fund has helped Chicago’s children in need achieve their dreams through access to a quality, values-based education. They accomplish this by investing more than $20 million annually in scholarship support and academic enrichment for students, operational improvements for schools, leadership development programs for the next generation of school leaders, and academic programs and professional development for teachers.

Dan Stahlschmidt, Head of Equity Trading, has been teaching 8th grade students about financial responsibility and the stock market for the over six years.

Proud to Support Lake Forest College

Lake Forest College prides itself on a curriculum that engages students in the breadth of the liberal arts and the depth of traditional disciplines. They embrace cultural diversity, honor achievement, and their faculty of distinguished scholars take pride in their commitment to teaching. Lake Forest College celebrates the personal growth that accompanies the quest for excellence.

Randy Lauer, Head of Capital Markets and an alumni of Lake Forest college, volunteers his time as both the Chairman of Advancement and External Relations as well as a member of the Student Outcomes Committee.