A packed ballroom enjoyed musical talents from NYC as the private equity firm recognized investors, community leaders and employees during celebratory night

After toasting the plethora of achievements and honoring Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner with a special award, Houston’s finest joined star athletes, civic leaders, investors and employees to dance the night away and raise funds for youth athletes at ZT Corporate’s annual Chairman’s Gala at the Hilton Americas Hotel in downtown Houston.

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ZT Corporate hosted the 2023 Chairman's Gala. Pictured is former Houston Texan and community leader, Chester Pitts; Houston Police Chief Troy Finner; Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner; ZT Corporate Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Taseer Badar. Badar paid special recognition to Mayor Turner with the 2023 Champion of Service Award, honoring dedication to the City of Houston, courageous leadership and support of Houston-based ZT Corporate and ZT Baseball over the years. Also recognized was Houston Police Chief Troy Finner for his service to protect Houston. (Photo: Business Wire)

The leading private equity firm that specializes in healthcare and automotive investments hosted an unforgettable night that was a culmination of a busy year for ZT Corporate, whose portfolios experienced dynamic changes and tremendous growth despite an uncertain economy and one of the highest interest rate environments.

“We host our annual Chairman’s Gala as a way to come together, have fun and express our gratitude to those who play an important role in ZT Corporate’s success year after year,” said Taseer Badar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ZT Corporate. “This year’s event was extra special as we benefitted the ZT Baseball Foundation, a nonprofit close to my heart that levels the playing field for young baseball players throughout the country. It’s important to me that we give back while reflecting on all that we have achieved, and this year we took it to the next level for these young athletes.”

A Night to Benefit Youth Sports

The Chairman’s Gala raised funds for the ZT Baseball Foundation, an organization founded by Badar in 2017. To date, more than 500 athletes have benefitted from the Foundation, which gives access to quality baseball programs while removing the financial challenges that many talented and enthusiastic players may face. This includes tournament costs, uniforms, travel, accommodation, training at world-class facilities, equipment, access to high profile coaches and more.

Featured auction items raising funds for the Foundation included luxury handbags from vintage Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Prada; signed sports memorabilia from Houston Astros Jose Altuve and legendary Muhammad Ali; and luxury vacation packages.

A special art piece by Houston-based performance speed painter Ange Niyikiza was commissioned for the evening. As the program began, the artist only needed five minutes to create the painting, which sold to benefit the ZT Baseball Foundation.

A Black-tie Evening for a Global Audience

The Hilton Americas Hotel exuded an air of luxury for the evening, adorned in platinum hues that created an environment of opulence. Renowned athletes mixed and mingled with leaders from Houston’s business, civic and nonprofit communities as well as prominent guests from the U.S. and international cities. NYC-based Village Theory electrified the audience during the program while DJ Kalkutta kept party goers on the dance floor late into the night. Former Houston Texan and community leader Chester Pitts served as emcee.

ZT Corporate’s Badar also paid special recognition to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner with the 2023 Champion of Service Award, honoring dedication to the City of Houston, courageous leadership and support of Houston-based ZT Corporate and ZT Baseball over the years. Also recognized was Houston Police Chief Troy Finner for his service to protect Houston. Other notable guests in attendance included 2022 Miss Universe R’Bonney Gabriel and Houston’s Dominique Sachse.

A Bright Outlook for 2024

ZT Corporate’s leadership team celebrated business achievements over the year, including a major liquidity event for investors through a strategic management buyout of its auto dealership portfolio and expansion of Altus Community Healthcare to become the largest privately-owned, acute care provider in North America.

“Despite macro headwinds in 2023, we managed to grow. We kept momentum to build a more resilient portfolio in this new environment. This was all made possible by the focus and discipline of our team and steady support from our investor base. We’re already hard at work to ensure an even brighter, more exciting 2024,” continued Badar.

About ZT Corporate

Established in 1997, ZT Corporate is a Houston-based private equity firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. The firm focuses on healthcare and auto dealerships as core investment verticals. ZT Corporate’s investment team collaborates with its operators to support the day-to-day operations of the firm’s portfolio investments. This close collaboration drives value creation by developing stronger operator-investor relationships, cross-functional expertise, and a deeper understanding of the target industries. Since its founding, ZT Corporate has successfully completed more than 60+ investments, including platform companies and follow-on opportunities with multiple liquidity events for its investors. The team provides full-service wealth management services to its clients and investors and creates value through a broad range of financial channels, including traditional and alternative investments. For more information: www.ztcorporate.com

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