Unbound Talks
Unbound Talks
Unbound Talks will be a series of thought-leadership conversations that will explore numerous transformative actions to create, support, and enhance the growth of philanthropy in the black community.
With only 2% of philanthropic funds being allocated to this demographic, critical change is long overdue. Everyone has a role here and we look forward to your active part in attending one or all of the events below.
Sessions
Love, Peace & Soul: How Do We Balance and Restore to Continue to Build for Justice?
Thursday, August 27th at 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST
Healing is a form of resistance. As we build and sustain the movement, how do we keep love in our communities; peace in our hearts; and let our souls soar all at the same time? We know that we can’t fully help others if we don’t take care of ourselves and our folks on the frontline, but how do we put this into practice?Moderator
Jimmie Briggs | Journalist | Author | Principal at Skoll Foundation
Panelists
Yolo Akili Robinson | Executive Director and Founder | BEAM
Ruben Feliz | Founder and CEO | The Healing Circle Foundation
Melinda Weekes Laidlow | Founder/CEO | Beautiful Ventures
Seitu Jemel Hart | CEO, Careers in Entertainment | Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation
Zerandrian Morris | Founder & Principal Strategist | The Ignant Intellectual Group, LLC
DJ
DJ Spynfo
Wellness Moment
Yolo Akili Robinson | Executive Director and Founder | BEAM
Infrastructure Building: Can we Build Support for Movements Before Crisis?
Thursday, August 6th at 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST
We are in a moment of urgency. But we have been here before and will be here again. How can we stop the vicious cycle of having to build something new every time we are in a moment of crisis? Can we get the fundamentals right so there is a blueprint for sustaining movements to create real and lasting change? How do we build systems that support and create space for communities to unfold and grow?Moderator
Marcus Walton | CEO | Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Panelists
Emmet Pierson, Jr. | President & Chief Executive Officer | Community Builders of Kansas City
Cheryl L. Dorsey | President & Chief Executive Officer | Echoing Green
YahNé Ndgo | Chief Visionary Officer | Deep Blu Womyn Company
DJ
DJ Kenneth Kyrell
Wellness Moment
Yolo Akili Robinson | Executive Director and Founder | BEAM
Financing Our Work: Can We Learn From the Past and Construct A New Normal?
Thursday, August 20th at 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST
Justice is not cheap. There has always been a cost put on the freedom of Black people. We have been innovative in financing our freedom. But with few exceptions, we are still subject to forces outside ourselves to support the structures we build. What can we learn from our Black funding/financial institutions that have succeeded and those that were not sustainable? How can we build financial independence into philanthropy models that support Black communities?Moderator
Patricia MacDonald | Sisters’ Circle Greater Kansas City
Panelists
Yvonne Moore | Principal Advisor | Moore Philanthropy
Karris M. Jackson | Chief Operating Officer | POISE Foundation
Ian S. Fuller | Managing Director & Co-Founder | WestFuller Advisors
Erika Seth Davies | Founder | The Racial Equity Asset Lab
DJ
DJ Khalia Russel
Wellness Moment
Yolo Akili Robinson | Executive Director and Founder | BEAM
Black Girls vs. Black Boys: Is This Really What We Want?
Thursday, August 27th at 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST
Funding for Black organizations is already scarce, which causes a cycle of competition that makes our organizations jump throw hoops for funding. But on top of that, depending on the “flavor of the month” we are forced to separate our work into issue areas that breaks down our communication, rather than build up our communities. What would it look like if we did not compete, but demanded that institutional philanthropy bend to our needs? Is that possible? How do we make it possible?Moderator
Micah Gilmer | Senior Partner | Frontline Solutions
Panelists
Gregory Hodge | Interim Executive Director | Executives’ Alliance for Boys and Men of Color
Shawnda Chapman Panelist | Director of the Girls Fund Initiative, Ms. Foundation for Women
Chi-Ante Singletary | Chief Reparations Officer and Co-Founder Movements Partnerships Manager | Cypress Fund Solidaire Network
Michael Smith | Executive Director | My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Obama Foundation
Dr. Monique W. Morris | Executive Director | Grantmakers for Girls of Color
DJ
DJ Poison Ivy
Wellness Moment
Yolo Akili Robinson | Executive Director and Founder | BEAM
Partners
Advisors
SEITU JEMEL HART
Chief Executive Officer, Careers in Entertainment - Will and Jada Smith Foundation
Since securing his first grant at 14 for young people to discuss violence prevention, Seitu’s career has been an intersection of the philanthropic, nonprofit, education, art, entertainment and fashion sectors. Most recently Mr. Hart was hired as Careers in Entertainment first Chief Executive Officer, incubated as an initiative inside the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation bringing the entertainment industry to cities around the country, exposing high school, college students and their families to careers in front of and behind the camera. As the new CEO Seitu is tasked with growing Careers in Entertainment into a nonprofit social enterprise.
MARCUS LITTLES
Senior Partner, Frontline Solutions
Marcus Littles is a visionary leader, a sought-after thought partner, and an organizational strategist. He founded Frontline Solutions in 2005 to help Ford Foundation and other key partners determine the best use of a multibillion-dollar investment in Gulf Coast recovery after Hurricane Katrina. He has also served as an instrumental leader in directing philanthropic investment at the intersection of race and gender. He was integral in launching the Executives’ Alliance to Expand Opportunities for Boys and Men of Color, a network of over 40 national, regional and community foundations working together to redefine opportunity for boys and men of color, their families, and their communities. In 2016, Marcus was named one of 25 Disruptive Leaders Who Are Working to Close Racial Opportunity Gaps by Living Cities. Prior to founding Frontline, Marcus worked for TCC Group, the Ford Foundation, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A native of Mobile, AL, Marcus is a graduate of Auburn University. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Delaware.
YVONNE L. MOORE
Founder and Principal Advisor, Moore Philanthropy
Yvonne L. Moore is the Founder and Principal Advisor at Moore Philanthropy and its newly launched exempt arm, Moore Impact. She brings over 25 years of experience in the government, civil society, and philanthropic sectors to her work in providing strategic and tailored philanthropic advisement and solutions to families, individuals and institutions. Prior to launching Moore Philanthropy, Yvonne was the Chief of Staff to filmmaker and philanthropist Abigail E. Disney where she oversaw the family’s network of media, philanthropic and advocacy organizations. Before joining the philanthropic sector in 1999, Yvonne spent 10 years working in child protection and advocacy. Yvonne holds a BA from Texas Tech University and a MS in Nonprofit Management from the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at the New School. She has completed post-graduate studies in democracy and civil society at the University of Cape Town, and nationalism, post-conflict violence and gender at the University of Lower Silesia in Poland. Yvonne serves as a trustee of The Daphne Foundation, the New York Women’s Foundation, Africa Grantmakers’ Affinity Group and Comic Relief USA. She also serves as an advisor to the Triskeles Foundation, the Accountability Council, Jola House Liberia and the Periwinkle Initiative.
GEORGE SUTTLES
Director of Research, Commonfund Institute
George Suttles supports Commonfund’s educational, market research, and professional development activities as Director of Research of Commonfund Institute. He also serves as a member of the Commonfund Diversity and Inclusion Office. Prior to joining Commonfund, George was a Program Officer at the John A. Hartford Foundation, an independent, national private foundation focused on improving care for older adults. Before joining the foundation, he was a Vice President, Senior Philanthropic Relationship Manager at U.S. Trust/Bank of America. In this role he worked with private and institutional clients on issues related to best practices in strategic grantmaking and governance. He is also a member of numerous nonprofit boards, including the New York Foundation and the Support Center for Nonprofit Management. Currently, he is on the Adjunct Faculty at the New York University (NYU) School of Professional Studies.
Yma Gordon Reid
Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact, United Nations Federal Credit Union
Yma is a seasoned philanthropic professional and social justice advocate who has worked in philanthropy for both corporate and nonprofit foundations for over 19 years. She is currently the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact for the United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) where she leads the corporate social responsibility function and staff of the UNFCU Foundation. In addition to directing the operational activities of the Foundation she works closely with staff on the Sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts of UNFCU. Prior to UNFCU, Yma managed the operations team and grants management of the Veatch Program of UUCSR, a 12.5 million national giving program to social justice organizations. In prior roles, Yma has managed the grants, volunteering and strategic giving programs in both domestic and international-facing roles including at Citigroup, Broadridge Financial and the Ms. Foundation for Women. Yma is a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Long Island. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Spelman College and a Masters in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University.
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