The Cast of New Girl to Reunite for the Inaugural Rising Phoenix Award at the 2026 Chrysalis Butterfly Ball

Banc of California Chairman & CEO Jared Wolff to Receive the Corporate Trailblazer Award

Max Greenfield Returns to Host Ball on October 10 in Los Angeles

 

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 4, 2026) – Chrysalis, the Southern California nonprofit organization that helps people find meaningful work and build futures they can be proud of, regardless of their past or present, announced today that the cast of the beloved comedy series New Girl (Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone and Damon Wayans Jr.) will receive the Rising Phoenix Award at the 2026 Chrysalis Butterfly Ball on Saturday, October 10, at The Beehive in Los Angeles. Jared Wolff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Banc of California, will be honored with the Corporate Trailblazer Award, and Max Greenfield will host the evening.

The New Girl cast will reunite 15 years after the series premiered to receive the first-ever Rising Phoenix Award, in recognition of a seven-season comedy series built on starting over, and on the people who make starting over possible. Success is almost never a straight line, and it rarely comes without the unconditional support of others. That idea was at the foundation of the show and remains at the core of how Chrysalis works with its clients, supporting them from ashes to their success bells ringing. The award takes its name from one of the show’s most-quoted lines, delivered by Greenfield as Schmidt: “Without ash to rise from, the phoenix would just be a bird getting up.”

Wolff will receive the Corporate Trailblazer Award, which honors individuals and companies that demonstrate a visible and sustained commitment to uplifting the communities Chrysalis serves. He has led Banc of California as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2019 and was elected Chairman of the Board in 2025. A longtime Chrysalis supporter, Wolff has made improving Los Angeles as a place to live and work a personal priority. He serves on the CEO Council of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission and joined Steadfast LA’s coalition of business and civic leaders working to rebuild the city after the January 2025 wildfires.

“This year’s honorees reflect the resilience and second chances at the heart of Chrysalis’ work,” said Mark Loranger, President & CEO of Chrysalis. “Jared, through his leadership at Banc of California, has invested in Los Angeles where our clients are doing the same and New Girl built seven seasons around characters navigating through life changes and starting over. Every year, Chrysalis helps thousands of people achieve goals they may not have thought possible, and the Butterfly Ball allows us to celebrate their accomplishments while ensuring that even more people have access to the support they need.”

The Butterfly Ball is Chrysalis’ signature fundraiser, bringing together leaders from entertainment, business and philanthropy to raise critical funds in support of the organization’s mission to help individuals navigate obstacles on their path to meaningful employment. Everything Chrysalis does is about getting people jobs, because a job isn’t just about a paycheck. It’s about feeling safe, finding stability, growing within the community, moving in and moving up. Jobs change people’s lives.

The 2026 Honorary Co-Chairs are Betsy Beers, Rebecca Gayheart Dane, Max Greenfield, Hayward Kaiser & Susan Harris, Chris Hart, Cynthia & Bob Hart, Rick Hess, Josh Lieberman, and Amelia Williamson. 2026 sponsors include The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, TruAmerica, and US Bank.

Past Butterfly Ball honorees have included Betsy Beers, Common, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Hudson, Ice Cube, Donna Langley, Shawn Levy, LL Cool J, Seth MacFarlane, Ryan Murphy, Queen Latifah, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Curtis Stone, Scott Stuber, and Olivia Wilde.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ChangeLives.org/Butterfly.

ABOUT CHRYSALIS
Chrysalis helps people find meaningful work and build futures they can be proud of, regardless of their past or present. Since 1984, Chrysalis has served more than 95,000 individuals at its six centers and locations throughout Southern California. In 2025, nearly 2,200 Chrysalis clients secured employment while participating in Chrysalis’ program, and nearly 1,600 worked a transitional job with the organization’s employment social enterprise. Learn more at ChangeLives.org.

MEDIA ASSETS: Press materials, including approved photography and honoree bios, are available for download HERE.

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