In honor of Gotham Gives’ anniversary, Fred and Joanne sat down with Executive Director Jennifer Klopp to reflect on one year of Gotham Gives. We talk about the path that led to the creation of Gotham Gives, why we invest in people and in programs that have demonstrated results, and how we leverage our investments by bringing in partners and working closely with our grantees. We also discussed why social justice and equity are primary catalysts for all of our philanthropy.

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Joanne describes the inspiration she felt when she first crossed paths with Jason Gibson. He is a man with a big heart, an entrepreneurial mentality, and a large hardworking family behind him. Growing up in NYCHA, Jason spent forty-five months in jail for his small-time drug empire. He educated himself in prison and vowed to help other kids get access to opportunities he never had. The organization he founded, Hood Code, teaches kids to code and opens up better possibilities for them.

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Gotham Gives supports cultural institutions like the High Line, the Shed, and the soon-to-be-open Perelman Arts Center (PAC). Joanne was introduced to Bill Rauch, the Artistic Director of the PAC, as Gotham Gives made our investment. Joanne and Bill talk about his career and his excitement about the opportunity ahead. Bill’s entire career has been about social responsibility through the arts. All of those dots connect towards the mission of the PAC which is dedicated to cultivating bonds between extraordinary artists and communities.

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Joanne speaks with Roy Castro, the co-chair of STRIVE, a non-profit that helps the underserved and formerly incarcerated lift themselves out of poverty by finding meaningful careers. Gotham Gives supports Fresh Start which provides a range of services to give participants, like Roy, a second chance.

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Joanne gets to know Richard Clemmons, COO of Generation USA. Generation USA is a nonprofit that provides free job training, placement, and support to help people find life-changing careers. Gotham Gives supports its expansion into the New York City market with a focus on helping young people find meaningful jobs in the tech sector. Richard talks about Generation’s wrap-around services and the “special sauce” that brings success.

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Joanne talks with John MacPhee, the CEO of JED, a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults in the US, about the mental health crisis that we are experiencing. John asks that all adults become caring resources for the children in their lives, and reach out and listen if they see someone struggling.

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Joanne speaks with Alex Zablocki, the dynamic Executive Director of the Fund for Public Housing Community. Alex has a bold new vision for the Fund which is responsible for creating and leveraging resources and relationships to enhance the opportunities and quality of life for residents in New York City Housing Authority communities.

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Joanne shares stories with Christy Crawford, senior director of Partnerships and Culturally Responsive Education at Computer Science Education at Computer Science For All (CS4All) at the NYC Department of Education. Christy works with teachers who are taking training courses in computer science to better understand the specific contexts and challenges of their students. She uses her expertise in education and media to foster equity by all means necessary.

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Joanne talks with Mike Zamansky, a leader in Computer Science Education in NYC. He and Fred Wilson crossed paths 25 years ago and found a lot of common ground in their efforts to improve K12 Computer Computer Science Education in NYC. For the past 3 years, with the support of Gotham Gives, Mike has developed the teacher certification program at Hunter, which allows NYC DOE CS teachers to become state certified.