Events

The IDEA Promise Foundation creates meaningful experiences that bring donors, partners, alumni, and communities together in support of student success. Through our signature events, supporters can celebrate student achievement, connect more deeply with IDEA's mission, and see firsthand what's possible when we invest in students and their futures.

Attendees at the IDEA Promise Foundation Key Gala fundraising event supporting students and college completion.

Key Gala

Celebrating generosity. Unlocking opportunity

The Key Gala is IDEA Promise Foundation’s signature national fundraising event, bringing together donors, alumni, educators, and community leaders to invest in the future of IDEA students.
Each year, the Key Gala travels to a different Texas city, celebrating the collective impact of philanthropy while showcasing the remarkable achievements of IDEA students and alumni. Together, we celebrate what’s possible-and invest in what comes next.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KEY GALA
Students celebrating College Signing Day with university signs.

College Signing Day VIP Experience

Experience the promise in action.

College Signing Day celebrates IDEA’s graduating seniors as they announce the colleges and universities they will attend. Through the Foundation’s VIP experience in select regions, donors and partners receive a unique opportunity to experience this milestone alongside students and see the impact of their support first-hand.

It’s a powerful reminder of what students have accomplished-and the journey that continues as they work toward earning their college degrees

RELIEVE THE MAGIC OF CSD 2026
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Erich Hollister serving as Treasurer of the IDEA Promise Foundation Board of Directors.

Erich Holmsten - Treasurer

Erich Holmsten brings more than 20 years of finance experience to IDEA and its operations as a large publicly and privately funded nonprofit.

Based in Fort Worth, where he also chairs the Tarrant County IDEA Regional Board, Erich is the Founder and the Managing Partner of E Capital in Fort Worth. Before his current role, he was a Vice President in Corporate Finance with Merrill Lynch in New York and an Associate with Morgan Stanley.

Erich is active in a variety of boards and organizations. He is a board member of Performing Arts Fort Worth. Previously, he was a member of the University of Texas 1883 Council and a Partner for the Next Generation Fellows at Robert S. Strauss Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

Erich and his wife, Gloria, have three daughters. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his M.B.A from Rice University.

Ed Rivera serving as Vice Chair and Secretary of the IDEA Promise Foundation Board of Directors.

Ed Rivera - Vice-Chair & Secretary

Ed Rivera grew up in Brownsville, Texas, and can relate to the experiences of IDEA’s students in the Valley based on his experience attending schools in Brownsville ISD.

Ed worked for more than 40 years in the petrochemical and consumer product industries. He has experience leading global business initiatives in 29 countries, including Russia, China, South Korea, and throughout Western Europe and South America. Back in his home region, Ed is an active civic leader in the Rio Grande Valley. He served as the President of the Economic Development Corporation of Laguna Vista, Texas, where he supported the growth of small businesses. He also served as a Trustee for Texas Southmost College and has served on multiple government and nonprofit boards, including the Laguna Vista Planning and Zoning Board, the Foundation Board at the University of Texas RGV, Hooked for Life, Brownsville International Airport, the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts, and the American Marine Institute. Ed earned his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Houston and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Collin Sewell, Board Chair of the IDEA Promise Foundation Board of Directors.

Collin Sewell - Board Chair

Collin Sewell is a son, husband, father, leader, and entrepreneur. His responsibilities span from serving his family to leading a team of over 500. Collin finds his roots in two hardware store families in the late 1800s and early 1900s. On his mother’s side, the Meacham family left their hardware store in Fort Worth, Texas for the newly released Oklahoma territory. In Western Oklahoma, they laid their claim to their own homestead during the Oklahoma Land Run. On his father’s side, Edward Franklin Sewell started selling Ford Model Ts from his hardware store in 1911. As the Great Depression took its toll in 1929, E.F. loaded up his family and headed west for a new start. That new start landed them in Crane, Texas, just south of Odessa. In 1935, The Sewell family began their next chapter of the car business in Odessa, Texas. Brothers Woody and Carl Sewell purchased Sewell Ford in 1935. Four generations and over one hundred years later, Collin Sewell is now the Proprietor of The Sewell Family of Companies, which includes:
  • Sewell Ford
  • Sewell BMW of the Permian Basin
  • Sewell Cadillac of the Permian Basin
  • Sewell Buick GMC of Midland
  • Sewell Chevrolet Buick GMC of Andrews
  • Sewell Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Andrews
  • Press Café
  • The Parks Legado Town Center
Collin’s leadership in his family’s automotive dealerships and his people-focused efforts consistently promote living a life in service to others. Collin currently serves as a member for:
  • The Education Partnership of the Permian Basin
  • Opportunity Odessa
  • EQUIP Global Leadership
  • The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation
  • Chair of IDEA Public Schools
His past service includes:
  • Two-term President of The National Dealer Council for Ford Motor Company
  • Two-term President of The Education Foundation of Odessa
  • Member of Growing Leaders founded by Dr. Tim
  • Member of The Lincoln National Dealer Council