Goldman Sachs and Robin Hood Host Rising Leaders Forum

NEW YORK, NY – April 1, 2025 – Robin Hood, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting philanthropy, joined forces with Goldman Sachs, a leading global financial institution, to present the Rising Leaders Forum, an invitation-only event bringing together the next generation of investors, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists for a day of discussions on how to maximize impact. The forum included sessions with CEOs, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, elected officials, and athletes — all of whom are dedicated to making a positive impact locally and globally. Two hundred attendees gathered to hear these top investors, business leaders, and innovative thinkers share insights on data-driven grant-making, impact investing, and the role they can all play in addressing society’s most pressing challenges.

“Today, we were thrilled to see people from an emerging generation of investors, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists come together to explore what it means to be a leader at a moment where we need leadership more than ever,” said Richard R. Buery, Jr., Robin Hood CEO. “The attendees at the Rising Leaders Forum spent the day discussing how philanthropists can work with government, business, and civil society to build a better world, one where your start in life doesn’t dictate where you end up in life. New York is the city of opportunity, and our shared mandate is to ensure that opportunity is accessible to all New Yorkers. I was inspired and honored to witness the gathering of a new generation of leaders who will bring compassion, creativity, and new blood to the fight against poverty.”

“Around the world, philanthropic engagement has never been more important,” said David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs and member of the Robin Hood Board of Directors. “The clients who joined us this week are already making an impact in their communities locally and globally and still have a drive to do more. It’s an honor to again team up with Robin Hood to create a platform for this next generation of philanthropic leaders.”

The Rising Leaders Forum is inspired by both Goldman Sachs’ long record of driving inclusive growth through strategic philanthropy, and Robin Hood’s own network of dedicated young professionals.

In line with Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management’s focus on empowering the next generation of wealth decision makers to maximize their impact, the Rising Leaders Forum provides a platform for young visionaries to connect with today’s philanthropic leaders. The event explored strategies for maximizing their influence, aiming to equip the next generation with the tools and network necessary to drive sustainable change through their philanthropic, investment, and entrepreneurial endeavors. The forum facilitated discussions on leveraging capital and influence for social good, featuring main stage sessions with prominent industry experts and breakout sessions led by experts from both Goldman Sachs and Robin Hood on topics ranging from entrepreneurship to effective philanthropy and investment fundamentals.

Robin Hood’s Rising Leaders Collective (RLC) is a learning and action cohort of the next generation’s emerging philanthropists, all of whom are deeply committed to growing their impact in New York City and beyond. With exclusive access to events, curated informational sessions, engagement opportunities with our grantees, and more, Robin Hood’s RLC is an unstoppable force in the fight for good.

This year’s forum showcased Robin Hood’s impactful approach to philanthropy. Robin Hood CEO, Richard Buery, Jr., Chief Impact Officer Matt Klein, and John Griffin, founder of Blue Ridge Capital and Robin Hood board member, presented “Purposeful Path: Leading, Launching, & Learning,” a deep dive into how Robin Hood applies innovation, metrics, and cutting-edge investment principles in our grantmaking strategy and partnerships. Robin Hood’s approach is evidence-based, informed by its proximity to community voices closest to the issues and supported by its role as a convener of leaders across sectors, driving partnerships focused on problem-solving, leveraging policy to scale ideas that are most impactful while leaning into a tradition of taking risks and making smart bets on solutions that help New Yorkers permanently escape poverty.

Robin Hood’s portfolio managers also led a grantmaking workshop, offering attendees an inside-look into its rigorous approach to funding the most promising poverty-fighting nonprofits and delivering solutions with maximum impact. In 2024, Robin Hood administered nearly 300 active grants, totaling $129.5 million across five boroughs to address the immediate needs of New Yorkers, and confront long-term conditions that enable poverty to persist. In partnership with grantees, Robin Hood tackles issues ranging from homelessness and affordable housing, career advancement and financial stability, immigration and legal aid, to early childhood development and education, access to public benefits and health disparities, and capacity building for organizations working on the frontlines to fight poverty.

The Rising Leaders Forum featured a slate of high profile speakers who volunteered their time and expertise to the event, including:

• Jesse Bongiovi, Co-Founder, Hampton Water Wine
• Cristina Ros Blankfein, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Swoon
• Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, CEO, Next 3; Governor, Gotham FC; Strategic Advisor to the Tisch Family at the New York Giants
• Rich Buery, CEO, Robin Hood
• Geoffrey Canada, President, Harlem Children’s Zone
• Anna Doherty, Partner, G9 Ventures
• Meena Flynn, Co-Head of Global Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs
• Michelle Cordeiro Grant, Founder & CEO, GORGIE
• John Griffin, Founder & President, Blue Ridge Capital
• Will Harsh, Principal, Whitman Harsh Foundation
• Ankur Jain, Founder & CEO, Bilt Rewards
• Priyanka Jain, Co-Founder & CEO, Evvy
• Derek Kaufman, Founder & CEO, Inclusive Abundance
• Ben Kennedy, Executive Vice President, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer, NASCAR
• Dina Powell McCormick, Vice Chair, BDT & MSD Partners
• Governor Wes Moore, State of Maryland
• Tony Pasquariello, Global Head of Hedge Fund Coverage for Global Banking and Markets, Goldman Sachs
• Lauren Permuy, Chief Growth Officer, Power Design
• Zach Reitano, Co-Founder & CEO, Ro
• Harrison Soffer, Principal, Turnberry Associates
• David Solomon, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Goldman Sachs
• Barry Sternlicht, Chairman & CEO, Starwood Capital Group
• Rich Torrisi, Chef/Owner, Torrisi & Major Food Group
• Tucker York, Global Head of Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs

View the event agenda here.

About Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs is a leading global financial institution that delivers a broad range of financial services to a large and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world.

About Robin Hood
We are NYC’s largest local poverty-fighting philanthropy and since 1988, we have invested nearly $3 billion to elevate and fuel New Yorkers’ permanent escapes from poverty. In 2024, through $129.5 million in grantmaking with 285 community partners, we created pathways to opportunities out of poverty through our strategic partnerships on child care, child poverty, jobs, living wages, and more. We are scaling impact at a population level for the nearly 2 million New Yorkers living in poverty. At Robin Hood, we believe your starting point in life should not define where you end up. To learn more about our work and impact, follow us on X @RobinHoodNYC or go to robinhood.org.

Media Contact

Crystal Cooper, Deputy Director, Communications, Robin Hood
press@robinhood.org