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HOLBROOK, N.Y. (Jan. 23, 2019) — American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (AP), a privately-held, independent broker/dealer that services financial advisors across the country, is pleased to announce the official opening of the American Portfolios Assistive Technology Lab at The Center for Discovery’s (TCFD) Technology Hub and Incubator (THINC). A ribbon cutting ceremony for the next-generation assistive technology lab was held on Jan. 10, 2019, at TCFD’s THINC, located in Hurleyville, N.Y. AP has entered into a five-year funding commitment with TCFD through the American Portfolios Foundation, Inc., to establish and operate the American Portfolios Assistive Technology Lab, which is focused on the creation of innovative products, cutting-edge technologies and new assistive devices with the sole purpose of developing new ways to help people with a range of disabilities and complex conditions overcome their limited mobility and interact more easily with the world around them.
“For the last 10 years, AP staff members, affiliated colleagues and friends of the firm have been doing Adventure Team Challenges through World T.E.A.M. with residents and caregivers at The Center for Discovery,” says AP CEO Lon T. Dolber. “You need that time with people, seeing their humanity, together doing outdoor physical challenges they never thought possible. Being a part of that transforms you. That’s why the American Portfolios Assistive Technology Lab is the perfect partnership for us to dedicate resources to because it develops devices that help individuals with complex disabilities get into the woods, get on a bike or get into a kayak. I’m so grateful to the Center and the families for allowing us to spend time with their very special loved ones, and enabling every resident and student at the Center to build the confidence they need to spread their wings.”
“For more than 30 years, we’ve been committed to developing assistive technologies and devices for individuals that allow them the right to move—with dignity and with freedom,” says Patrick H. Dollard, president and CEO of The Center for Discovery. “The official opening of the American Portfolios Assistive Technology Lab brings us one step closer to being able to transform lives not just here, but everywhere. We are deeply grateful to Lon and American Portfolios for their unwavering support and commitment, and we look forward to our continued partnership.”
The American Portfolios Assistive Technology Lab, led by TCFD, will leverage more than three decades of leadership in this area. The lab will serve as an incubator and design hub for TCFD’s clinicians and educators to collaborate on new ideas and product development. By sharing resources and knowledge, the American Portfolios Assistive Technology Lab will promote the progressive development of assistive technology interventions that have the potential to provide life-changing benefits for people with complex conditions, including disabled veterans and those with age-related issues.
Immediately preceding the event, Dolber was interviewed within the American Portfolios Assistive Technology Lab by TCFD Director of Innovation Jason Kean. During the interview, which went out via Facebook Live, Dolber and Kean discussed AP’s relationship with TCFD and what AP hopes to accomplish through its partnership with the non-profit organization. The discussion also traversed the collaborative effort between TCFD clinicians and educators that resulted in the design and development of the indieGo—an innovative power mobility device that instantly turns almost any manual wheelchair into a power wheelchair—which first debuted as a demo at American Portfolios’ annual national conference, Connections 2017. The indieGo, whose mission is The Right to Move, was initially funded and supported by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the American Portfolios Assistive Technology Lab was attended by state and local politicians, including New York Senator Jen Metzger; New York Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther; Superintendent of Roscoe, Livingston Manor and Downsville Schools John Evans; Fallsburg Town Supervisor Steven Vegliante; Catskill Mountainkeeper Executive Director Ramsay Adams; and the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce, as well as members of the press. In addition to Dolber, representing American Portfolios was Chief Financial Officer Damon Joyner, Chief Administrative Officer Dalchand Laljit, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications Melissa Grappone, and Vice President of Human Resources Lisa DiBella.
AP’s association with TCFD stems back to 2010, with the inception of the Adventure Team Challenge (ATC), which is produced in conjunction with World T.E.A.M. (WT), a non-profit organization that brings adaptive and able-bodied athletes together by empowering individuals through inclusive athletic events. The ATC is facilitated for residents from TCFD. During the two-day event, groups partake in a series of athletic, recreational and outdoor experiences to provide a sense of achievement and teamwork for those with significant physical and behavioral disabilities. Dolber continues to serve as the organizational force between TCFD and WT to arrange the annual event. Each year, a number of AP employees, affiliated investment professionals, friends and other volunteers serve as team members and assist TCFD staff in providing essential logistical support. Of the 1,200 students and residents TCFD serves, 35 of them are from Long Island, N.Y., which includes almost 25 percent of its new pediatric admissions over the past two years.
In addition to its relationship with TCFD and WT, AP also supports the following organizations: Virtual Enterprises International, Inc. (VEI), a non-profit organization that offers in-school experiential learning programs for high school students to form entrepreneurial, start-up businesses within a live global simulated setting; Thame Sherpa Heritage Fund, which supports community efforts in the Thame Valley, Nepal, focusing on short- and long-term earthquake recovery; The Butterfly Effect Project, a free program that empowers young girls by giving them the tools to assist in achieving emotionally-stable and self-confident futures; and Honor Flight Long Island, a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s war veterans for their sacrifices by flying them to Washington, D.C., to visit their war memorials.
About American Portfolios
Headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS) is a full-service, independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Both entities, along with technology entity American Portfolios Advisory Solutions, LLC, collectively reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH). Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently serves 831 independent investment professionals located in 381 branch locations throughout the nation. It was named Broker-Dealer of the Year* (Division III) by Investment Advisor magazine in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well as one of the top 10 Best Companies to Work for in the state of New York for 2016, 2017 and 2018 by the New York State Society for Human Resources Management (NYS-SHRM) and the Best Companies Group (BCG).
*Based on a poll of registered representatives conducted by Investment Advisor magazine. Broker/dealers rated highest by their representatives are awarded “Broker/Dealer (B/D) of the Year.”
About American Portfolios Foundation, Inc.
American Portfolios Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization—originally created in New York in 2004 and amended in 2018—headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., is intended as a non-profit entity designed to advance awareness, assistance and support for charitable causes. Board members include AP CEO and President Lon T. Dolber, president; AP Chief Administrative Officer Dalchand Laljit, vice president; and AP Chief Financial Officer Damon Joyner, treasurer/secretary. Additionally, various roles are held by members of AP headquarters staff. The board meets on a quarterly basis to discuss its existing relationships with various charities and to determine the focus for various upcoming initiatives that will require the Foundation’s services and support.
About The Center for Discovery
The Center for Discovery (TCFD) is a leading provider of healthcare and education services for more than 1,200 children and adults with complex conditions, medical frailties and Autism Spectrum Disorders, located 90 miles northwest of New York City. Named a Center of Excellence in 2016, TCFD has long been a leader in developing new models of care for individuals with complex conditions. On 1,500 acres of land in Sullivan County, TCFD houses school campuses, residences, medical and research facilities, organic and biodynamic farmland, and leased private businesses. Deeply focused on an individual’s personal potential and possibilities, rather than a disability, TCFD strives to create better care and unique and challenging opportunities for the most vulnerable populations. For more information about TCFD, please visit https://thecenterfordiscovery.org/.