Latest news with #FordFoundation
New York Times
13-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
Live, Work or Hang Out Near Gotham Park? We Want to Hear From You
Gotham Park is a project that will transform a stretch of underused land at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge into a public space for the surrounding community. It has been of interest to Headway, a team at The New York Times that reports on progress and possibility, for some time. Headway is working with Citizen University this summer to look at how civic power and public space interact in everyday life. Citizen University is a national nonprofit that helps people build a stronger, more connected civic culture where they live. We're starting with Gotham Park. We're especially interested in hearing from people who have a personal or professional connection to the area. If that includes you, we hope you'll take a few minutes to fill out the short form below. Live, work or hang out near Gotham Park? We want to hear from you. The Headway initiative is funded through grants from the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors serving as a fiscal sponsor. The Woodcock Foundation is a funder of Headway's public square. Funders have no control over the selection, focus of stories or the editing process and do not review stories before publication. The Times retains full editorial control of the Headway initiative.
Time Magazine
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Marcos Gonsalez
Marcos Gonsalez is a professor and author of three books, his most recent book being, In Theory, Darling: Searching for José Esteban Muñoz and the Queer Imagination. His writing and research on queer and trans Latinx aesthetics and culture has been supported by the Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, among others.
Zawya
06-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Africa's $100 Billion in Remittances Poised to Catalyze Gender Equality and Local Development
As Africa attracts over $100 billion annually in remittances, and billions more in philanthropic flows, a bold new vision is emerging—one that reimagines these financial flows not as acts of charity, but as strategic capital to fuel gender equality and inclusive development. From 2 to 3 June 2025, UN Women and the Ford Foundation co-hosted a landmark Regional Conference on Sustainable Philanthropy and Remittances for Gender Equality in Dakar. Bringing together over 150 thought leaders from philanthropy, finance, government, technology, and civil society, the event examined how to align Africa's diverse funding streams with the urgent goal of empowering women and girls. From maternal health to agriculture and textile manufacturing, women-led businesses are building the backbone of African economies, yet access to capital remains a key constraint. Participants shared compelling examples of how remittances can unlock opportunity—when recognized as intentional, long-term investments rather than one-off transfers. ' This is not about aid—it's about shifting power and building systems, ' said Dr. Catherine Chi-Chi Aniagolu, Ford Foundation Regional Director for West Africa. ' We must build a new architecture of giving—one that centers African women's voices and leadership. ' Redefining Diaspora Engagement Participants stressed that it is time to rethink how we engage with the African diaspora—not just as a source of remittances but as partners in development and source of knowledge —and to redesign diaspora flows in ways that foster transformative, gender-responsive outcomes. Participants advocated for structured partnerships among diaspora networks, local civil society, and public institutions. Many called for deeper investments in movement-building and narrative change to amplify African-led and diaspora-supported initiatives. They emphasized the need for rigorous tracking of remittance impacts on women and the creation of gender-responsive investment mechanisms. ' Remittances are a quiet, perhaps surprising, success story, ' said Kofi Appenteng, President of the African American Institute. ' But any effort to scale them must stay grounded in the voices and needs of those sending and receiving—not just our theories of change. We must make African women and girls visible—not just as beneficiaries, but as architects of their own futures. ' The conference also highlighted the importance of developing the right financial products and enabling environment. Paul-Harry Aithnard, Ecobank Group Regional Director, added: ' Sending money home must go beyond consumption. With the right policies and investment products, diaspora capital can become a strategic engine for development. ' From Charity to Empowerment Foundations and financial institutions described how their funding models are evolving to embrace inclusive, feminist, and locally rooted approaches. ' When we launched the Tony Elumelu Foundation Grant in 2015, most applicants were men, ' recalled Oniye Okolo, Policy and Partnerships Officer. ' Today, 45% of our grantees are women. Our goal is to build an ecosystem where women can thrive and lead. ' ' In all our advocacy and outreach activities, we strive to put women and girls first and address the funding gap and mentorship needs of women entrepreneurs, including those in the informal sector ' said Ecobank Foundation CEO Elisa Desbordes. Financial leaders highlighted the need for policy reforms and inclusive fintech solutions to close the digital and financial divides, particularly for rural women entrepreneurs. ' When women thrive, everyone benefits. That's why our financial inclusion strategy puts women at the center—not just as beneficiaries, but as drivers of economic transformation, ' said Ms. Ndeye Amy Ngom Seck, speaking on behalf of the Central Bank of West African States. ' Reallocating even a portion of diaspora remittances toward their empowerment could be truly transformational. ' Innovation and Next Steps From maternal health to green entrepreneurship, the conference showcased how strategically aligned remittances and philanthropy can drive sustainable change. Participants proposed connecting diaspora and private capital and foundation support to grassroots women-led initiatives through digital tools, community platforms, and leverage public-private partnerships to mobilize funds. The conference ended with a resounding call to action: ' We must shift from viewing remittances and philanthropy as acts of charity to seeing them as strategic levers for inclusive, sustainable change, ' said Dr. Maxime Houinato, UN Women Regional Director for West and Central Africa. ' Let's stop designing systems around those who already have access—and start building for women who are off the grid yet hold entire families together. ' ' We too must build permanent bridges between the continent and its diaspora, ' he concluded. ' It's time to move from remittances to resilience. ' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women - Africa.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Holding Company Nine Dean to Invest in Quality Jobs that Drive Business Growth
Differentiated holding company structure will ensure alignment among all stakeholders, enable investment in employees, and focus on long-term value creation NEW YORK, June 03, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nine Dean, a newly established holding company, today announced its official launch. Backed by a significant anchor investment from the Ford Foundation and founded by a seasoned team with deep expertise across all facets of business ownership—including entrepreneurial ventures, capital markets, credit, private equity, and operations—Nine Dean will focus on acquiring middle-market businesses, a vital segment of the economy, and unlocking long-term value through operational excellence. Nine Dean will take an innovative approach to propelling business growth, operating as a permanent holding company that aligns all stakeholders and focuses on operational improvements. The team will leverage their operational expertise to promote continual optimization and invest in their operating companies' most valuable asset—employees—to drive profitability. In doing so, Nine Dean endeavors to generate attractive and stable risk-adjusted returns. "Nine Dean aims to be a permanent partner—one that measures success not in quarters, but in generations," said Aren LeeKong, CEO of Nine Dean. "The combination of our holding company structure and our team's extensive operational and financial expertise, enhanced by the investment from the Ford Foundation and partnership with the Good Jobs Institute, will allow us to invest in our future companies, and in particular, their people, for the long term. We believe that by aligning with all stakeholders and prioritizing Quality Jobs, we can help businesses prosper for decades to come." Data shows that 62% of U.S. employees are not engaged at work. The consequences of this are significant: disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy up to $605 billion each year in lost productivity. As part of its approach, Nine Dean has engaged the Good Jobs Institute, a nonprofit consultancy that helps companies improve the lives of their employees and boost their performance by implementing the "Good Jobs Strategy," which focuses on investing in employees and making smart operating choices to increase employee productivity, motivation, and contribution, ultimately promoting best-in-class operations and business growth. "A company's success starts with superior operational design, but you can only execute at a superior level when your workers are engaged. World-class operations are not achievable without meaningful investment in corporate culture and human capital," said Roy Swan, Head of Mission Investments at the Ford Foundation. "Nine Dean is Mission Investments' largest direct investment commitment to date, demonstrating our belief in the profit potential of Quality Jobs. We're excited to collaborate with Nine Dean's talented team to cultivate great corporate cultures that aim to uplift employees, deliver excellent customer service, create great products and services, and build healthier families and communities where they operate." "When companies invest in their people through fair compensation, comprehensive benefits, and career advancement opportunities, and ensure that employees' work is motivating and productive, they create a powerful ripple effect that extends beyond individual well-being to improve customer value, reduce turnover, fuel productivity, and foster sustainable business growth," said MIT Sloan School Professor and co-founder of the Good Jobs Institute, Zeynep Ton. "We look forward to helping Nine Dean and its future operating companies achieve superior financial and operating performance." Learn more about Nine Dean at About Nine DeanNine Dean is a holding company that acquires middle-market businesses and positions them for enduring success through operational excellence and investing in their most valuable asset: employees. The firm's permanent holding company structure aligns all stakeholders and invests in employees to drive profitability across its operating companies, focused on long-term value and sustainable growth. Based in New York City, Nine Dean was founded by a seasoned team with deep expertise across all facets of business ownership, including entrepreneurial ventures, capital markets, credit, private equity, and operations. About the Ford FoundationThe Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. About the Good Jobs InstituteThe Good Jobs Institute is a non-profit, established in 2016 in Cambridge, MA. Its mission is to help companies thrive by creating good jobs. The institute is built off Ton's research in retail operations, highlighting companies that have created good jobs while outperforming peers in terms of customer satisfaction and financial performance such as Trader Joe's, Mercadona, Costco and QuikTrip. View source version on Contacts Nine DeanC Street Advisory Groupninedean@ Ford Foundationpressline@ Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Business Wire
03-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
New Holding Company Nine Dean to Invest in Quality Jobs that Drive Business Growth
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nine Dean, a newly established holding company, today announced its official launch. Backed by a significant anchor investment from the Ford Foundation and founded by a seasoned team with deep expertise across all facets of business ownership—including entrepreneurial ventures, capital markets, credit, private equity, and operations—Nine Dean will focus on acquiring middle-market businesses, a vital segment of the economy, and unlocking long-term value through operational excellence. Nine Dean will take an innovative approach to propelling business growth, operating as a permanent holding company that aligns all stakeholders and focuses on operational improvements. The team will leverage their operational expertise to promote continual optimization and invest in their operating companies' most valuable asset—employees—to drive profitability. In doing so, Nine Dean endeavors to generate attractive and stable risk-adjusted returns. 'Nine Dean aims to be a permanent partner—one that measures success not in quarters, but in generations,' said Aren LeeKong, CEO of Nine Dean. 'The combination of our holding company structure and our team's extensive operational and financial expertise, enhanced by the investment from the Ford Foundation and partnership with the Good Jobs Institute, will allow us to invest in our future companies, and in particular, their people, for the long term. We believe that by aligning with all stakeholders and prioritizing Quality Jobs, we can help businesses prosper for decades to come.' Data shows that 62% of U.S. employees are not engaged at work. The consequences of this are significant: disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy up to $605 billion each year in lost productivity. As part of its approach, Nine Dean has engaged the Good Jobs Institute, a nonprofit consultancy that helps companies improve the lives of their employees and boost their performance by implementing the "Good Jobs Strategy," which focuses on investing in employees and making smart operating choices to increase employee productivity, motivation, and contribution, ultimately promoting best-in-class operations and business growth. 'A company's success starts with superior operational design, but you can only execute at a superior level when your workers are engaged. World-class operations are not achievable without meaningful investment in corporate culture and human capital,' said Roy Swan, Head of Mission Investments at the Ford Foundation. 'Nine Dean is Mission Investments' largest direct investment commitment to date, demonstrating our belief in the profit potential of Quality Jobs. We're excited to collaborate with Nine Dean's talented team to cultivate great corporate cultures that aim to uplift employees, deliver excellent customer service, create great products and services, and build healthier families and communities where they operate.' 'When companies invest in their people through fair compensation, comprehensive benefits, and career advancement opportunities, and ensure that employees' work is motivating and productive, they create a powerful ripple effect that extends beyond individual well-being to improve customer value, reduce turnover, fuel productivity, and foster sustainable business growth," said MIT Sloan School Professor and co-founder of the Good Jobs Institute, Zeynep Ton. 'We look forward to helping Nine Dean and its future operating companies achieve superior financial and operating performance." Learn more about Nine Dean at About Nine Dean Nine Dean is a holding company that acquires middle-market businesses and positions them for enduring success through operational excellence and investing in their most valuable asset: employees. The firm's permanent holding company structure aligns all stakeholders and invests in employees to drive profitability across its operating companies, focused on long-term value and sustainable growth. Based in New York City, Nine Dean was founded by a seasoned team with deep expertise across all facets of business ownership, including entrepreneurial ventures, capital markets, credit, private equity, and operations. About the Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. About the Good Jobs Institute The Good Jobs Institute is a non-profit, established in 2016 in Cambridge, MA. Its mission is to help companies thrive by creating good jobs. The institute is built off Ton's research in retail operations, highlighting companies that have created good jobs while outperforming peers in terms of customer satisfaction and financial performance such as Trader Joe's, Mercadona, Costco and QuikTrip.
