Celebrities and Tech Luminaries Face Off at KIPP Smackdown

Mimi Kingsley, Jane Kim, MC Hammer and Dan Kingsley
Mimi Kingsley, Jane Kim, MC Hammer and Dan Kingsley      Photos by Drew Altizer Photography

KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) threw their 2nd annual Ping Pong Smackdown at Airbnb’s uber cool new headquarters at the historic 888 Brannan Street building in San Francisco.

This year’s event shined a spotlight on tech companies coming together in support of KIPP’s network of college-prep charter schools for low-income students.

The crazy fun-filled party, produced by celebrity interior and lifestyle designer Ken Fulk, brought luminaries from government, entertainment and Silicon Valley for a doubles ping pong tournament, including Mayor Ed Lee, MC Hammer, and tech investors Ron Conway and Bill Gurley.

Stephanie Reynaga, Mayor Ed Lee, Patricia Bartow, Mauricio Alvarez and Ximena Alvarez
Stephanie Reynaga, Mayor Ed Lee, Patricia Bartow, Mauricio Alvarez and Ximena Alvarez   Photography for Drew Altizer

The tournament also drew support from the Bay Area’s hottest tech companies including Apple, Zynga, Dropbox, Jawbone, and Twitter, who faced off against each other in the name of charity and fun. The KIPP program is has even received attention from Facebook’s head honcho. Though he wasn’t in attendance, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently visited KIPP’s newest high school in Potrero Hill.

The 2nd Annual Ping Pong Smackdown raised money for KIPP’s eight Bay Area charter schools, which serve nearly 3,000 students.

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