Robin Hood CEO Richard Buery, Jr. Rings NYSE Opening Bell on First Trading Day of 2026, Affirming Commitment to Hope and Opportunity as NYC Enters a New Chapter

NEW YORK – Richard Buery, Jr.  CEO of Robin Hood, New York City’s largest local poverty-fighting organization, rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange this morning, marking a symbolic moment as the city enters a new era of leadership under Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The NYSE bell-ringing underscores Robin Hood’s enduring role as a bridge between Wall Street and communities across all five boroughs—a mission that has remained constant for more than 35 years, spanning seven mayoral administrations.

“There’s something fitting about Robin Hood ringing the opening bell here on Wall Street,” said Buery in his remarks at the Exchange. “For more than 35 years, we’ve been proud to be known as ‘Wall Street’s charity’—connecting New Yorkers on trading floors with educators in classrooms; leaders in corner offices with case workers in community centers. Different worlds, same purpose: making sure every New Yorker gets a fair shot at a better life.”

The Urgency of the Moment

Buery’s appearance at the NYSE comes at a critical time for New York City. Currently, about 2 million New Yorkers live in poverty, including 420,000 children—the highest child poverty rate Robin Hood has ever tracked. 

“These aren’t just numbers. These are our neighbors—real people facing real struggle,” Buery said. “A mom working two jobs and still coming up short on rent; a family choosing between groceries and prescriptions; a child trying to learn on an empty stomach. They deserve better.”

$140 Million Invested Last Year in Evidence-Based Poverty-Fighting Solutions

In 2025, Robin Hood invested $140 million in more than 300 of the most effective organizations across all five boroughs—helping children master early literacy skills, supporting families to find and keep good jobs, expanding access to childcare, strengthening pathways to stable housing, and helping New Yorkers involved in the justice system get back on track. In response to the shutdown of federal food benefits last fall, and as the Poverty Tracker study found that 42% families citywide cannot afford the weekly cost of groceries, Robin Hood increased its emergency food grantmaking by 50% to support partners delivering more than 5.8 million meals.

As always, 100% of every dollar donated to Robin Hood goes directly to the fight against poverty.

Addressing Affordability and the City’s Housing Crisis 

Buery’s commitment to addressing the city’s affordability crisis extends beyond his work at Robin Hood. He recently served as chair of the NYC Charter Revision Commission, whose ballot proposals to address the city’s affordability and housing crisis were voted into law by New Yorkers in the 2025 mayoral election. The Commission’s work focused on creating faster pathways for affordable housing development, streamlining reviews for modest housing projects, and modernizing the city’s land use processes—reforms aimed at building more housing more quickly to meet the urgent needs of New Yorkers.

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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 2025, through $140 million in grantmaking with 300 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 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 of Communications, Robin Hood, press@robinhood.org