Malvern-Based Tech Company Hosts Concert That Features Opera Philadelphia, Tequila Rock Revolution and Donn T

by Melissa Jacobs

Sponsored Content

Opera, rock ‘n roll, bluegrass, and metal-infused mariachi will share the stage at Rajant’s World Music Benefit on Nov. 8 from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. at City Winery in Philadelphia. The exclusive concert will raise funds for UNICEF USA, the United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children in 190+ countries worldwide.

Musicians from around the country are coming to Philadelphia for the concert. Tequila Rock Revolution from Texas, Philadelphia’s Donn T, Jake Morelli, and Walt Lafty, globe-trotting opera tenor James Valenti, NJ’s James Pace Band, Kentucky bluegrass legend Ray McLain, and members of Opera Philadelphia are joining forces for this first-of-its-kind event.

Rajant CEO and co-founder Robert Schena wants the roster to reflect the global nature of UNICEF. “Children around the world are in dire need of humanitarian aid, and that need has increased with the pandemic and war in Ukraine,” Schena said.  

This is Rajant’s third World Music Benefit. Through the first two, held online  in 2020 and 2021, Rajant raised $125,000 for UNICEF USA. The team plans to meet its $100,000 goal through ticket sales to the Nov. 8 World Music Benefit. The evening, hosted by PBS alum Denise Richardson, a former “Good Morning America” correspondent, includes a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner, and exclusive silent auction in addition to the live, musical performances.

Rajant, which is headquartered in Malvern, supports many local and international nonprofits; COVID accelerated the company’s plans to raise funds for UNICEF. “When we saw the human toll that COVID was taking on children around the world, we felt compelled to act,” Schena said.

Acting quickly to address disasters is part of Rajant’s corporate DNA. Schena and Paul Hellhake founded the company in the aftermath of 9/11. Seeing how failures in mobile voice and data networks used by first responders contributed to the chaos after the terrorist attacks, Schena and Hellhake fast-tracked broadband communications technology they’d created. By November 2001, Rajant had produced a dynamic communications network featuring mobility, scalability, bandwidth, and immunity to failure.

Rajant’s inventions include Kinetic Mesh® networking, BreadCrumb® wireless nodes, and InstaMesh® networking software. The company continues to be on the cutting edge of technological innovation. Rajant’s latest Peregrine LTE BreadCrumb won Security Today magazine’s 2022 New Product of the Year in Intelligent Communications.

Now, Rajant’s technologies are used in more than 75 countries by organizations in a wide range of fields, from military to mining, oil and gas to agriculture, and others. While the company’s products are used in far-flung locations worldwide, Rajant’s Malvern offices remain Schena’s home base.

The Malvern HQ features a corporate dining area and facility that hosts musical events. It was there, under the COVID-style outdoor tent, that the idea for the first World Music Benefit was born. “We could bring entertainment and connection to people who were stuck at home – and raise money for UNICEF,” Schena said.

UNICEF has a special connection to Philadelphia. UNICEF’s signature orange boxes debuted here in the 1950s. “Mary Emma Allison distributed the little orange boxes so children could collect money for UNICEF while Halloween trick-or-treating,” said Rajant VP of Global Marketing Alice DiSanto. “Back then, the money was used to help children left vulnerable by World War II. Since then, that little orange box idea has grown by leaps and bounds. It is an entirely digital experience in 2022.”

Tickets for the World Music Benefit at City Winery, 990 Filbert St. in Philadelphia, cost $125 per person and can be purchased here.

Love this story? Share it!

Connect with Main Line Tonight!

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn