Goldman Sachs x Robin Hood Inaugural Rising Leaders Forum Attracts Nearly 300 Young Investors to Chart Philanthropic Impact

NEW YORK, NY – January 26, 2023 – Robin Hood, the largest philanthropy focused on fighting poverty in New York City, joined forces with Goldman Sachs, a premiere global banking and investment institution, to present the Rising Leaders Forum, an invitation-only event for rising investors and philanthropists.  The inaugural forum for young leaders included sessions with CEOs, leading philanthropists, academics, activists, and athletes —all of whom are focused on making a sustainable impact in New York and across the globe. Nearly 300 of the top investing, entrepreneurial, and innovative thinkers shared insights and case studies on data-driven grant-making, public-private partnerships, and the role of advocacy.

“Our city, state and nation must become more equitable and just, and the next generation of leaders and philanthropists have a critical role to play in achieving that vision,” said Richard R. Buery, Jr., Robin Hood CEO. “The participants in the Rising Leaders Forum, like Robin Hood’s donors and supporters, want to make sure that one’s starting point in life does not define where one ends up. We want New York City to be the world’s greatest engine for opportunity and a place where everyone gets a fair shot. I was gratified to share time with these next generation leaders who are ready and willing to support the 1.4 million New Yorkers who live in poverty.”

“Goldman Sachs is proud to join with Robin Hood to bring together some of the brightest minds in philanthropy to share strategies and develop meaningful solutions to fight entrenched poverty in New York and beyond,” said Dina Powell McCormick, Goldman Sachs Global Head of Sustainability and Inclusive Growth and incoming Chair of Robin Hood. “We’re humbled by the participants and believe our inaugural forum will help equip the next generation of leaders and innovators with the tools they need to drive sustainable impact by leveraging their power and influence across capital and networks. Building a more inclusive society begins with driving economic empowerment and opportunity for all.”

The Rising Leaders Forum builds upon Goldman Sachs’ long record of driving inclusive growth through strategic philanthropy. In addition to supporting clients on their giving strategies, Goldman Sachs has deployed more than $3 billion in philanthropic capital to over 9,000 non-profits globally in the last decade.

Game-changing initiatives including Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses and 10,000 Women have advanced economic opportunity and growth for nearly 200,000 small business owners globally. One Million Black Women, a $10 billion initiative built on Goldman Sachs research that demonstrated the potential for increasing GDP growth by narrowing the wage gap for black women, has been recognized for its unique and innovative approach to addressing social and economic disparities. Goldman Sachs Gives, has created signature initiatives supporting the most innovative leaders in the global philanthropic sector with over $2 billion in grant-making. In recent years, the fund has collaborated with veterans returning from service; supported underserved students by granting more than $450 million in need-based financial aid at more than 400 colleges and universities, and most recently, worked to ensure Ukrainians have support, resources and economic opportunity. 

This year’s forum showcased impact in action by sharing the model used by Robin Hood. Over its 35-year history, Robin Hood has invested more than $3 billion in the fight against poverty, fueling some of the city’s most impactful and effective human service organizations across all five boroughs. Through its advocacy and grantmaking, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have found permanent escapes from poverty. The Robin Hood model was presented by its CEO, Richard Buery, Jr. and John Griffin, founder of Blue Ridge Capital and the organization’s outgoing board chair.

Robin Hood has more than 460 active grants, totaling more than $217 million at work across the city’s five boroughs tackling the immediate needs of New Yorkers, as well as confronting long-term conditions that enable poverty to persist. Robin Hood’s approach is evidence-based, informed by its proximity to community voices closest to the issues driving poverty, a convener of leaders across sectors driving partnerships focused on problem-solving and a tradition of taking risks and making smart bets on solutions that help New Yorkers permanently escape poverty.

Robin Hood’s grantmaking and advocacy is centered around driving solutions to issues like hunger, homelessness, affordable and supportive housing, job training and workforce development, immigration and legal aid, early childhood development, education, access to public benefits, health disparities, and capacity building for non-profit organizations working on the frontlines of the fight against poverty.

Speakers at the Rising Leaders Forum who volunteered their time and expertise included:

• Mark Bezos, co-founder, HighPost Capital; director, Bezos Family Foundation
• Tory Burch, executive chairman & chief creative officer, Tory Burch LLC & Tory Burch Foundation
• Barbara Bush, vice president of social impact, NBA; co-founder & board member, Global Health Corps
• Lauren Bush-Lauren, founder, FEED
• Geoffrey Canada, president, Harlem Children’s Zone
• Misty Copeland, ballerina & founder, The Misty Copeland Foundation
• Allyson Felix, athlete, track & fi­eld Olympian; founder & president, Saysh
• Thelma Golden, director & chief curator, The Studio Museum in Harlem
• Tom Hanks, award-winning actor, producer, writer & director; founder, Hanx For Our Troops
• John King Jr., D., Ed.D., chancellor, State University of New York (SUNY)
• Karlie Kloss, supermodel, entrepreneur & founder, Kode With Klossy
• Marc Lasry, chairman, chief executive officer & co-founder, Avenue Capital Group
• Richard Lovett, co-chairman, Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
• Alexis Ohanian, tech founder & venture capitalist, Reddit, Seven Seven Six and 776 Foundation
• Ruth J. Simmons, president, Prairie View A&M University
• Henry Timms, president & chief executive officer, Lincoln Center
• Paul Tudor Jones II, founder, co-chairman & chief investment officer, Tudor Investment Corporation; founder, Robin Hood
• Darren Walker, president, Ford Foundation
• Danielle Weisberg, co-founder & co-CEO, theSkimm
• Russell Wilson, Super Bowl champion, entrepreneur & philanthropist
• Carly Zakin, co-founder & co-CEO, theSkimm

View the full list of speakers here

About Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs is a leading global financial institution that delivers a broad range of financial services across investment banking, securities, investment management and consumer banking 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
Robin Hood has been fighting poverty in New York City since 1988. Because Robin Hood’s board covers all overhead, 100% of every donation goes directly to the poverty fight. Last year, Robin Hood awarded $172 million in grants, filling a critical void during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing cash assistance, meals, housing, healthcare, education, and other urgent needs to one million New Yorkers impacted by COVID-19, as well as funding an array of programs and initiatives developed to elevate families out of poverty in New York City. Follow the organization on Twitter @RobinHoodNYC and learn more at www.robinhood.org.