BreakThrough T1D Houston Promise Ball With Rick Byrd And Ali Bruskoff

How does a nonprofit maintain a successful gala after the organization rebrands with a new name? Today, I talk with Rick Byrd, Executive Director of the BreakThrough T1D Southern Texas Chapter, as well as Ali Bruskoff, event chair for the region's most successful annual gala, the 2026 Houston Promise Ball. Two years ago, the organization retired its longtime Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (also known as JDRF), becoming known as BreakThrough T1D. This allowed the organization to modernize its name while maintaining its core mission to find a cure for T1 Diabetes. The organization has not missed a beat and has continued to build upon the success of its annual signature fundraising events. The Houston Promise Ball has been especially impactful, with the sold-out 2025 event raising over $2.5 million for the organization. Rick and Ali provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including how to select event themes that engage and excite your audience, tips on creating strong relationships between nonprofit leadership and event chairs, successfully balancing a national/global organization's mission while maintaining a local feel, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.