Dear Friends,

I am excited to invite you to the most important event happening in New York City on the First Monday In May - the iBRAIN Gala on May 5, 2025. This is a day that marks not just a date on the calendar, but a monumental milestone in our journey. Five years ago, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC, iBRAIN was the first school in America to reopen and return to in-person learning. My daughter, Sarah Jane, and her schoolmate, Mykel, were the first two students to return to school in the U.S. that day (see below the historic photo of them on the First Monday in May 2020 back in school).

It was an ambitious move born out of dedication and a promise to never let our students’ progress and potential be compromised. We actually followed the science and did not require the students to wear masks and created our own internal contact tracing protocols which allowed iBRAIN to remain fully open throughout the remainder of the pandemic!

The path was not easy. We overcame countless challenges and navigated obstacles that many thought insurmountable. Our amazing staff, whose unwavering commitment often goes unrecognized, played a pivotal role in ensuring our students received the education, care, and support they deserved—even in the most trying times.

As we celebrate this historic date, we are also making a bold statement. While the First Monday In May coincides with the glitz of the Met Gala (which is being held a few blocks away from our event at The Central Park Boathouse), the iBRAIN Gala is the true celebration of the most beautiful people in New York City — our students and staff. Their strength, compassion, and relentless pursuit of excellence define who we are and set the foundation for a future where every student has the opportunity to thrive. Our theme for the night is Glamorous Superheroes, which means attendees will either dress glamorously or as a superhero or as a glamorous superhero!

With the assistance of the Exo-Skeleton, some of our students have been experiencing walking for the first time in their lives at iBRAIN. We will be highlighting this amazing technology during the iBRAIN Gala (see details on the following page) as some of our students will be walking for the first time in public on the iBRAIN Gala Red Carpet.

Thank you for joining us on this remarkable journey. With your continued support, we are poised to change the lives of hundreds, thousands, and eventually millions of students across the world. I am excited for the future and honored to have you alongside us as we build it together.

With deepest gratitude,

Patrick B. Donohue, JD, MBA

Founder and Chairman, iBrain

Father, Sarah Jane Donohue

iBRAIN Annual Gala 2025

Recognizing the Most Beautiful People in New York City: The Students & Staff at iBRAIN