NextGen 10: Philanthropy, Art, & Culture [2018]

Meet this year’s class of under-40s who are disrupting philanthropy, art, and culture through advocacy, innovation, and inspiration—and leading their generation into the future

We are proud to present CSQ’s third annual NextGen10 class in Philanthropy, Art, & Culture–an immensely talented group of individuals 40 years old and younger committed to advocating for change, social reform, the power of art, and the betterment of humanity. They span across industry while also promoting a shared message of global good. These NextGen innovators and changemakers have already disrupted the world, from founding a Generation-Z consulting firm and organization for social activism before the age of 20 (Ziad Ahmed), to leading a campaign for bolstering votes through celebration (Angie Jean-Marie), to creating social justice artwork portraying racial and political disparities and honoring black culture (Watson Mere). This year’s class proves the next generation is one that is busy crafting the future of LA, NYC, and beyond.


ZIAD AHMED [19] – NY
CEO & Founder; Founder
JUV Consulting, Redefy.org

Redefining consulting through a millennial lens and inspiring social activism in teens

Residence New Haven, CT / NYC
Education Yale University (sophomore)
Industry Marketing / Social Entrepreneurship / Activism
Company HQ WeWork Times Square
Awards & Honors Crain’s #20Under20, MTV High School Trailblazer, Princeton Prize, Business Insider’s Top 15 Young Prodigies; featured: The Washington Post, The New York Times, Teen Vogue, CNN, PBS
Notable Projects Founded JÜV Consulting and Redefy
Advice “The work exists with or without you.”
Success “Success is the intersection of impact and passion.”
Mentors “Brittany Packnett, Haroon Ullah, Blair Imani, Jason Russell, Esi Eggleston Bracey, Chip Sullivan, Dean Obeidallah, so many more.”
Local Companies Admired The Bent Spoon, Two Sevens, Tico’s (Princeton, NJ)
In the Morning Twitter
Before Bed Twitter
Up at Night “Injustice.”
2018/2019 “That JÜV Consulting can empower that many more Generation Z-ers with economic seats at every damn table, that we can continue to disrupt the marketplace to make tomorrow brighter.”
Importance of Philanthropy “We have to use our voices, resources, and agency to whatever extent possible to fight for better. I’m 19, but I vow to continue to spend my life fighting for all of us.”


DAVINA A. FERRIERA [37] – LA
Publisher; Founder
Alegria Bilingual Magazine; Alegria Bilingual Media

Founder of a bilingual, LA-based magazine exposing readers to Latin American arts, culture, and lifestyle

Residence Pacific Palisades, CA
Education UC Irvine and UCLA
Industry Media
Company HQ Pacific Palisades, CA
Awards & Honors Rising Star award by the National Latina Business Women Association; Latina of Influence award by Hispanic Lifestyle magazine
Advice “What others think of you is none of your business.”
Success “True success must encompass a quality of life that allows me to keep my family close, a peaceful home, tranquility in order to create, and inner peace as my everyday compass.”
Mentors Rochelle Newman, Ruben Smith, and Robin Richards
Local Companies Admired “I love so many small businesses I discover when I visit different neighborhoods in LA filled with family tradition, culture, and legacy.”
Cause Closest to Your Heart Mental health awareness and addiction prevention for youth
In the Morning “Feeling thankful.”
Before Bed “Reading a good book.”
Up at Night “Ideas, ideas, ideas.”
2018/2019 “Inspiring more people through everything I create and being a role model for the Hispanic community in the US.”
Importance of Philanthropy “It is the way in which we can leave the world a little more hopeful, a little brighter and kinder.”


 

ROCHELLE GORES FREDSTON [36] – LA
Founder
Learning Lab Ventures

Disrupting nonprofits by bringing in strategies and values from the startup world

Residence Pacific Palisades, CA
Education Western Michigan University
Industry Philanthropy
Company HQ Los Angeles
Notable Projects “The launching of Learning Lab Ventures and our annual gala.”
Advice “There is no substitute for tenacity.”
Success “Disrupting generational poverty.”
Mentors “My father, Alex Gores, and Suzanne Marx.”
Local Companies Admired LACMA
Cause Closest to Your Heart Learning Lab Ventures
In the Morning Meditate
Before Bed Read
Up at Night “My children.”
2018/2019 “To continue to raise awareness and funds for Learning Lab Ventures.”
Importance of Philanthropy “To whom much is given, much is required.”


 

ANGIE JEAN-MARIE [30] – LA
Director, #VoteTogether
Civic Nation

Head of nonprofit redefining voting by bringing celebration and fun to the polls

Residence Los Angeles
Education University of Maryland, USC
Industry Nonprofit
Company HQ Washington, DC
Awards & Honors Global Shapers’ Vice Curator, 2017-2018
Notable Projects Executed three $1M grant challenges to shape the future of LA; launched a national voter engagement campaign with MTV, Nextdoor, Tumblr, and Uber to change and increase the culture of voting
Advice “When someone shows you who they are the first time, believe them.”
Success “Making my parents proud and living up to the dream they imagined in immigrating to the United States and making countless sacrifices so my brother and I could thrive in this country.”
Mentors “I have the privilege of being surrounded by many peers—mostly women—who inspire, teach, and push me to become a better version of myself.”
Local Companies Admired ,JusticeLA, From Lot to Spot, 72andSunny, Hank’s Mini Market, Everytable
Cause Closest to Your Heart “The American Dream: creating better civic and economic opportunity for the middle and working class.”
In the Morning NPR One app
Before Bed “Plug my cell phone outside of the bedroom.”
Up at Night “Overanalyzing and new ideas.”
2018/2019 “To be open to learning. To fail and regroup. To be okay with being wrong.”
Importance of Philanthropy “For philanthropy to be effective we must dissect, evaluate, and even sit with the discomfort related to the ways in which our practices—philanthropic, professional, or personal—perpetuate the problems we wish to solve.”


ESTHER Y. KANG [32] – NY
Independent Strategist; Adjunct Assistant Professor
studio e.y.k.; NYU

Strategist-researcher-educator combining restorative justice, community-centered design, and sociology

Residence Brooklyn, NY
Education School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) B.F.A. in Photography & Art Theory; Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) M.A. in social design
Industry Social change
Company HQ Brooklyn, NY
Awards & Honors Social Inno Fest Hackathon finalist, Taproot Foundation fellow, StartingBloc fellow; featured in WIRED
Notable Projects “Taught resident-centered qualitative data practices to inform their city budgeting and policy-making processes; created an equity-centered framework for a state to be applied toward private and public housing policies; co-launched the first design research project at the congressional level; designed and facilitated strategy workshops for President Obama’s Commission on the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.”
Advice “When you reach a fork in the road, pick a route that best reflects your personal values while equipping you with the tools to meet your long-term goals.”
Success “My maternal grandfather made me realize that success should be measured by the strength of one’s backbone.”
Mentors “My father and mother. If their dial tone is busy, I seek the works of Liz Ogbu, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Paulo Freire, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Dave Chappelle.”
Local Companies Admired Hester Street Collaborative
Cause Closest to Your Heart “Promoting intersectionality as one approaches an issue, an individual, and a context, which I believe is vital to understanding how we can move forward, together.”
Up at Night “Sleep’s pretty important. I used to let worries keep me up at night only to realize that it resolved very little. I now try to stick to a routine that allows me to get the number of hours I need.”
2018/2019 “Local activism; teach teens how to use and apply the design process.”
Importance of Philanthropy “Martin Luther King Jr once stated, ‘Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice, which make philanthropy necessary.’ Philanthropy that is cognizant of the kernel in this quote has the great potential to bring us closer to the ultimate goal—a world where economic injustice no longer exists.”



BETTINA KOREK [40] – LA
Executive Director; Founder
Frieze LA; ForYourArt

Los Angeles-based arts advocate leading the charge in the arts scene with the debut of Frieze LA

Residence Los Feliz, CA
Education Princeton University
Industry Art
Company HQ Los Angeles
Awards & Honors Los Angeles County Arts Commissioner
Notable Projects Weekly ForYourArt publication (since 2006); Pacific Standard Time Participating Gallery Program (2013, 2017)
Advice “Water reaches its own level.”
Success “Being useful to my community.”
Mentors Karen Marta, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Daniel Martinez, Andrea Bowers
Local Companies Admired LACMA
Cause Closest to Your Heart The Wildlands Conservancy
In the Morning “Lypo-spheric vitamin C with water.”
Before Bed Netflix
2018/2019 “Art has always been at the center of the conversation here, and Frieze LA will help show that.”
Importance of Philanthropy “For many people, creativity helps us understand what’s at the heart of being human. Supporting local artists and the organizations that work with them is not only an investment in the future of LA but encourages empathy and the cultural diversity that makes the city so great.”


 

WATSON MERE [31] – NY
Artist
Art of Mere

An artist of Haitian descent, Mere has been painting since childhood and now finds inspiration in the African diaspora, creating pieces of artwork meant to invoke emotion and spark a viewer’s imagination

Residence Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY
Education Florida A&M University (B.A. and M.B.A)
Industry Art
Company HQ Brooklyn, NY
Awards & Honors Featured: The Washington Post, National Public Radio (NPR); Creole Image winner
Notable Projects “My Brother’s Keeper”; exhibit at the Urban Art Gallery, Philadelphia; group exhibit at sk.ArtSpace, Brooklyn, NY
Advice “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” –Napoleon Hill
Success “I define success as effectively manifesting a thought into the physical world and having it give a voice to the voiceless, and effectively move culture forward.”
Mentors “My father, my mother, my ancestors.”
Local Companies Admired MoMA, The Brooklyn Museum, artists Kehinde Wiley and Mickalene Thomas
Cause Closest to Your Heart “Any causes related to benefiting and improving the conditions in Haiti and causes geared toward art programs for youth.”
In the Morning “Meditate in order to get my mind clear, calm, and at peace. Then I begin to look over and tackle my to-do list for the day.”
Before Bed “Write out the events of the day. I basically reflect on the last 24 hours.”
Up at Night “I have found that it is within these hours that the muses come to me in the form of visions or inspiration that ultimately manifest themselves into the art I share with the world.”
2018/2019 “Continue to grow as a human, to partner with more galleries, experiment with new mediums of art, expound on subjects focused on social change. Work more with causes aimed toward improving conditions in Haiti and artistic youth programs.”
Importance of Philanthropy “The betterment of the human condition as a whole is paramount. Philanthropy opens the door toward positive change by shining a light on causes that would otherwise go unseen and be undermined.”


 

ANDREW RESNICK &  SERINDA SWAN [37, 34] – LA
Co-founders; CEO
Deedly

Educational program dedicated to teaching youth about world issues and charities, empowering them to take action, and leading them become philanthropists and world-changers, now and in the future

Residence West Hollywood; Los Angeles and Miami
Education University of Miami; Waldorf School
Industry Philanthropy
Company HQ Los Angeles
Notable Projects “Created hundreds of apps and websites that in total had millions of daily unique visitors. Currently working
on apps for 123Wish and The Hunt.” (AR)
Advice “Don’t judge and always give the benefit of the doubt.” (AR) “May your success be for the success of humanity.” (SS)
Success “Success is giving.” (AR) “ Make sure that your success is the success of another.” (SS)
Mentors Rabbi Zweig (AR); “My grandmother, Dhyan Vimal, my parents!” (SS)
Local Companies Admired Fellows (AR); Fortuned Culture, Raven and Lily, and The Giving Keys (SS)
Cause Closest to Your Heart “Deedly.” (AR) “Education is key, empowerment is essential, equality is non-negotiable, and the time is now.” (SS)
In the Morning “Warm water with half a lemon and turmeric. Life changer.” (AR)
Before Bed “A book and a snuggle with my dog, Buddha.” (SS)
Up at Night “Thinking about how everyone has a choice to use technology for good, evil, or personal gain. The winner of this battle will seal humanity’s fate.” (AR) “Lately it’s been animal rights. The legislature must change the horrific and archaic conditions animals ‘live’ in.” (SS)
2018/2019 “Deedly across the world!” (AR & SS)
Importance of Philanthropy “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We need philanthropy and giving to reach our true potential.” (AR); “Philanthropy is the gateway to understand that we are all the same. It allows you to reach out and affect another’s life, which in turn affects your own.” (SS)


MATTHEW SWIFT [32] – NY
Co-founder, CEO, & Chairman
Concordia

Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization rooted in developing partnerships to create positive social impacts and a more sustainable future

Residence Central Park South
Education Georgetown University
Industry Nonprofit
Company HQ New York
Notable Projects “We’ve overseen a huge variety of projects, but one in particular is our Concordia Americas Initiative. Latin America has remained a focal point for Concordia and we returned to Bogotá this year to provide the first major international convening following the country’s presidential elections.”
Advice “Be nice to everyone on the way up, because they will be there on your way down.”
Success “I think it is about feeling fulfilled and confident.”
Mentors “I’m fortunate to have some great people in my life who mentor me at certain times. I’ve also learned that following your gut is one of the most important life lessons.”
Local Companies Admired Shinola, Warby Parker
Cause Closest to Your Heart “The humane treatment of animals.”
In the Morning “My morning normally starts with me immediately turning on the news and going online and reading as many newspapers as possible.”
Before Bed “I have a brutal sweet tooth, so I usually have to always have something sweet. I also like to review the news again.”
Up at Night “The long-term health of Concordia.”
2018/2019 “To continue to grow Concordia, both through regional summits and annual summit.”
Importance of Philanthropy “Philanthropy is important because it shows that it is not always about ‘me’ but about ‘we.’ Philanthropy is about the broader collective of society and how we move forward.”


CAROLYN TISCH BLODGETT & EMILY TISCH SUSSMAN [33, 36] – NY
Co-SVPs, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund; SVP, Global Brand Marketing, Peloton (CTB); Senior Advisor, Swing Left (ETS)
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund; Peloton, Swing Left

Daughters of our New York Visionary of the Year, Laurie M. Tisch, the Tisch sisters are NextGen philanthropists, co-serving at the Illumination Fund while leading in political changes and marketing

Residence NYC, Upper West Side; Upper East Side
Education Yale University (B.A.), Harvard Business School (M.B.A.) (CTB); Skidmore College (B.A.), Cardozo Law (J.D.) (ETS)
Industry Marketing (CTB); Advocacy (ETS)
Company HQ NY; Remote
Awards & Honors AdAge 40 under 40, Adweek Brand Genius, Adweek Most Powerful Women in Sports (CTB); Alumni of the Decade, Cardozo School of Law, 2017; LGBT Alumni Award, Cardozo School of Law, 2011; Next Generation of Philanthropists, Town & Country, 2016; 40 Under 40 Movers and Shakers, Washington Life magazine, 2014, 2016, 2017; Truman Values Award, Truman National Security Project, 2012; 40 under 40 Emerging Leaders in Politics, New Leaders Council (inaugural list), 2008 (ETS)
Notable Projects “Growth of Peloton from startup to $4.15B company, launch of Peloton Tread, launch of Peloton commercial product, launch of Peloton globally.” (CTB); “The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, confirmation of Surgeon General Vivek Murthy against the NRA campaign, started Think Blue, created national surrogates program for Swing Left.” (ETS)
Advice “Some days I can be a good employee, some days I can be a good mother, but rarely there are days that can I be both.” (ETS)
Success “Making an impact and setting an example for others every day.” (CTB)
Mentors Mary Musca, Greg Lyons, John Foley (CTB); Aubrey Sarvis (ETS)
Local Companies Admired Warby Parker, Harry’s, Casper (CTB); The Wing, The Skimm, The Soze Agency (ETS)
Cause Closest to Your Heart Robin Hood Foundation (CTB); “Finding ways for low-income women to connect to entrepreneurship.” (ETS)
In the Morning “Hug my kids. And coffee.” (ETS)
Before Bed “Sadly, it’s check my email.” (ETS)
Up at Night “Everything! But mostly by my 3-year-old daughter!” (CTB); “I don’t know how we undo the hate that Trump has unleashed and normalized. I know how to run an effective advocacy campaign, but what he has done is too huge.” (ETS)
2018/2019 “Find a way to spend more time volunteering with my family so that they start to understand the importance of philanthropy.” (CTB)
Importance of Philanthropy “My grandparents made it very clear to us from an early age, ‘to those whom much is given, much is expected.’” (CTB); “We need philanthropy to be able to take risks and try new things that can later be implemented to scale.” (ETS)