OUR STORY
Our goal is to transform the next generation of the future, through initiatives geared towards professional and social development, providing individuals with the opportunities necessary to lead with creativity, confidence, and purpose.
Your contribution to ARF is what helps us to sustain and expand community focused programs dedicated to creating active pipelines and support systems for future leaders in business, education, health and society.
Our goal is to build enriching opportunities in our community.
OUR MISSIONS
ARF provides a pool of donations to a dynamic, initiative-focused portfolio whose ethos aligns with our Four Pillars of Purpose.
HEALTH & WELLNESS ACCESS
We collaborate with organizations that minimize the gaps in access and care when it comes to physical, mental, and emotional health.
Including but not limited to:
Medical Access & Advocacy
Mental Health Progamming
Food Security
COMMUNITY OUTREACH & SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY
To build social, political, and financial strength our community needs support. We partner with organizations that build our community from the ground up.
Including but not limited to:
Voting Registration & Education
Music & Arts
LGBTQIA+ rights
Economic Parity
JUSTICE SYSTEM REFORM
We identify organizations that specialize in dismantling racial inequalities and upholding American constitutional rights.
Including but not limited to:
Legal Representation
Mass Incarceration
Government Accountability
EDUCATION PARITY
Education is one of the most important pathways toward success in our society. We support organizations that provide educational opportunities and resources focused on the professional development of students.
Including but not limited to:
Professional Development Programs
Executive Mentorship
Networking Opportunities
CURRENT INITIATIVE :
SILVER ART PROJECTS
ARF takes action by providing capital to organizations as a way to inject social change. We connect you with a hand-selected portfolio of organizations aligned with our Four Pillars of Purpose.
The ARF’s current initiative supports Silver Art Projects. Silver Art Projects is a non-profit organization that supports, incubates and accelerates overlooked artists by providing free, year-long studio space at 4 World Trade Center, community-driven patronage, and career-focused mentorship designed to enable artists to conduct sustainable business practices.
MEET THE TEAM
Sesana Allen
Sesana Allen is an investor at Smash Capital, a New York and Los Angeles based Growth Equity firm. Previously, Sesana worked as a growth strategy at Accenture. She received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania where she studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics and Mandarin.
Nicolle Mora
Nicolle Mora is a fashion industry professional specializing in wholesale planning. She began her career working for Barneys New York and Bloomingdale’s while attending Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business. There, Nicolle obtained her Bachelor of Science in both Marketing and Finance. Her diverse background includes positions at Yoox Net-A-Porter group, DVF Group and Rag & Bone. While Nicolle has excelled in the Fashion industry over the last 5 years, she has been inspired to begin a career in education and will be pursuing a Masters Degree in Education and Social Work in the fall.
Lindsey Ferguson
Lindsey is an attorney and founder based in New York City who has worked within both finance and entertainment. As a graduate of Howard University (’16) and the University of California Berkeley School of Law (’19), she has a commitment to public service and driving equitable change across all industries, and looks forward to the growth and impact of the ARF.
Ken Chenault Jr.
Ken is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Benchstrength. Benchstrength is an early stage (pre-seed and seed) venture capital firm focused on investments in companies that transform business and uplift communities, with a particular focus on backing underrepresented founders. Prior launching Benchstrength, Ken was a Principal at General Catalyst. He also worked at Global Infrastructure Partners and Goldman Sachs. Ken received his bachelor’s degree and MBA from Harvard.
Kevin Chenault
Kevin Chenault is an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School class of 2021. Prior to business school, Kevin worked as a senior business development associate at DraftKings, a sports and entertainment technology company. There, Kevin led negotiations with sports data providers to develop multi-year licensing deals for data feeds critical to powering DraftKings’ gaming offerings. Kevin was previously a director of partnership at FROTH, a data-driven experiential marketing company, and a consumer marketing coordinator at Nickelodeon. Kevin graduated with an A.B in Government from Harvard in 2014.
Carter Lewis
Carter Lewis is a Vice President at Casa Verde Capital, a Los Angeles based Venture Capital firm. Previously, Carter worked as a business development associate at Jushi Holdings, a US based multi-state operator in the cannabis industry. Prior to Jushi, Carter was an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley in the consumer & retail group. Carter graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania (2017) and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (2023).
CONTRIBUTORS
Communications & Social Media
Julia Cassano and Mackenzie McKey
Legal
Anthony Dell
Consultants
Hili Banjo, Montana Blair, Jennifer Chung, Emma Cochrane, Jaime Huckins, Ari Kushner, Seth Moser
Fiscal Sponsorship
The Telos Foundation
Web Design
Human Agency
