A great story can change everything, but telling your own is hard. This two-part workshop will arm anyone making a transition - whether it's applying to high school, college, or a new job - with a powerful narrative that captures their superpowers, hopes, and dreams, plus the confidence to deliver it through coaching and interview practice. Led by Tyler Perry, mom to Elliott '25 and Spencer '28 and Co-CEO of the strategic communications firm Mission North, and Liz Hallock, mom to Annie '21, Kate '23, and Peter '26 and our legendary Director of Admissions, you or your RCS alum will be prepared to take on the world, one interview at a time.

Calling all budding entrepreneurs and wellness aficionados: one lucky bidder will flourish under the mentorship of RCS Dad of Luke '23, Eve '26, Poppy '28, and Josephine '31 and serial founder Christopher Gavigan. During this three-month mentorship program, a Ripp alum will gain practical insights and actionable ways to start and build a health-minded, purpose-driven company. Christoper spent years as the CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World, co-founded the renowned clean baby, home, and beauty products brand The Honest Company with Jessica Alba, and recently founded and sold the plant therapeutics company PRIMA. This is an incredible opportunity to get career guidance and insights from an award-winning entrepreneur!

Calling all brand builders and entrepreneurs: one lucky bidder will thrive under the mentorship of David Oliver Cohen (DOC) - entrepreneur, writer, actor, creator, and RCS dad to Hal '27 and Penelope '26, who has spent the last two decades transforming the entertainment and social media industry. During this three-month mentorship program, an alum will gain practical insights and actionable ways to build a brand and market a business with a healthy dose of witty banter. DOC is the co-creator of the social media accounts @TheFatJewish and @BabeWalker, which have nearly 20 Million followers. He is currently the Founder & CEO of FUTURE, a new startup that provides financial services and healthcare to people who work for themselves. A New York Times bestselling author and, most recently, the Founder/CEO of BABE Wine, which quickly became the fastest-growing canned wine in the country. In June of 2019, Anheuser-Busch acquired BABE. Your career will thank you.

Are you passionate about negotiation? Now is your opportunity to learn from the best. One lucky winner, an alum or a parent, will shadow a commercial mediator for the day. RCS Pre-K parent of Emerson '35 Jed Melnick mediates matters involving complex business litigation in the US and internationally. Choose the type of case you would like to observe - the date to be mutually agreed upon based on Jed's list of upcoming cases. Some landmark cases Jed has worked on include the Adelphia and Lehman bankruptcies, British Petroleum Securities Litigation, and a pro bono case between the Disability Rights Advocates and the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.

Fine print: Shadow day will likely occur during a weekday and can be arranged via Zoom or in person in New York City. Read about Jed's work on his website: https://www.jamsadr.com/melnick/

Portrait Photo Shoot with Frances F. Denny

Here is your opportunity to have a personalized portrait photo shoot with award winning photographer, Frances F. Denny, RCS mom of Virginia Brau '33. The recipient of this package will work with Frances to agree on a local location for an individual portrait session.

Frances is an internationally exhibited photo-based artist and editorial photographer. Her photographs appear in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Vogue, ELLE, Vanity Fair and Architectural Digest. She is the author of two books of photographs, Let Virtue Be Your Guide and Major Arcana: Portraits of Witches in America.

Frances' artwork is represented at CLAMP gallery (NY, NY). She is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts 2016 Fellowship in Photography and has won numerous awards, including PDN's 30. This photo is of Actress, Writer, and Director Nana Mensah.

Fine print: This is for an individual portrait, not for a couple or family.

Join Rippowam science teacher Mr. Perry and local naturalist and RCS dad of Grayson '27 Murray Fisher for a guided nature walk on your favorite trail in Bedford! A group of 8-10 kids will learn about a whole new world under their feet, in the trees, and on the flowers.

Your group will enjoy a two-hour hike with two great storytellers that will help you explore our woods in a way you've never seen before. A self-packed picnic lunch and group chat will cap this magical day off and send an army of informed minds out into the world to create a more sustainable future.

You pick a trail, or Murray picks it for you, any Sunday morning in June, July, or September.

Fine Print: Great for nature lovers ages 5-15, and 1-2 parent chaperones.

Helen Keller once said that language "awakened my soul, gave it light, joy, set it free." Give your child the gift of learning American Sign Language with an outstanding expert: Ossining School District's Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Krystle Roth. Working in the field of Deaf and Hard of Hearing education since 2007, Roth developed her expertise in ASL while spending nearly a decade teaching at residential deaf schools.

She is now offering a package of 6-10 ASL lessons, 30-minutes each, to interested RCS students, RCS alums, and parents.

Fine print: Lessons at the winner's home can be one-on-one, or in a small group of up to three students. In-person is preferred but Zoom is possible. Ms. Roth is available in July and during the first two weeks of August. Exact dates to be mutually agreed upon.

Are you book curious, or an aspiring author? Seize this chance to consult with RCS mom of Harry '24 and Poppy '27 and top literary agent, Elisabeth Weed, of The Book Group, a full-service literary agency representing a diverse range of books for all ages and genres. Elisabeth will provide expert feedback, editorial, and publishing advice about your work.

Elisabeth began her publishing career at Curtis Brown in 1999 before forming her own agency in 2007, Weed Literary, where she began focusing primarily on upmarket fiction. She is especially attracted to plot-driven novels with a sense of place, and loves discovering new voices. Her clients' novels have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists as well as international lists.

But, there is more! The lucky winner can select 10 hardcover books from The Book Group. Website: http://www.thebookgroup.com

Fine print: Date to be mutually agreed upon in 2024 or 2025.

Have a great idea for a new product or invention? Now's your chance to have it vetted by a veteran product designer with over 1000 consumer products brought to market!

Christian Garnett, RCS father of Felix '31, is a product design and development consultant at Spanner PD, the co-founder of Circadia Lighting, and former Director of Engineering at Sonneman - A Way of Light. He has helped inventors everywhere from mom-and-pop startups to multi-billion dollar companies bring their product dreams to life. Whether you need help getting things started, back on track, or across the finish line, you will receive up to 8 hours of one-on-one consulting time to be used in the way that serves you and your idea best. Possible topics include: product strategy; product definition; user journeys/user experience; industrial design review; product architecture; 3D CAD creation or review; rapid prototyping; design for manufacturing; detailed design/mechanical engineering; value engineering/cost reduction; and more!

This Boot Camp can take place in-person or remotely, and as a full-day intensive or split over multiple sessions, based on your needs and schedule.

No matter how high-tech society gets, a good magic trick can still be astonishing, thought-provoking, and maddening. If you win this auction item, "Magic for Dummies" author David Pogue will give you two private lessons in street magic, each an hour long, to suit your schedule. You'll learn to perform impromptu tricks requiring no special props or preparation. These are tricks with ordinary objects like forks, pencils, pennies, string, and cards-so that whenever anyone says, "Do a trick!" without warning, you'll be ready!

David will come to you. He's happy to teach one person, a family, or you and your friends (up to ten people). He'll teach you very easy tricks that will blow people away! You will also walk away with an autographed copy of David's book, 'Magic for Dummies' so you can continue to hone your skills.

About the instructor: Seven-time Emmy winner David Pogue may be best known for his work as a "CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent. But in his secret life, he's been a magician for 50 years. He's the author of "Magic for Dummies," he taught magic classes at the New School in NYC, and he worked his way through high school doing magic at over 400 birthday parties.

There is nothing more soothing than working with clay. One lucky winner will enjoy two one-on-one private lessons on the pottery wheel with RCS's very own Jade Vincent, parent of RCS student, Sienna '34.

In addition to acquiring some incredible skills, you will take home a fired and glazed piece of pottery to give to a special someone or display your talents at home!

Fine print: Date and times to be mutually agreed upon.

There is nothing more soothing than working with clay. One lucky winner will enjoy two one-on-one private lessons on the pottery wheel with RCS's very own Jade Vincent, parent of RCS student, Sienna '34.

In addition to acquiring some incredible skills, you will take home a fired and glazed piece of pottery to give to a special someone or display your talents at home!

Fine print: Date and times to be mutually agreed upon.