We are choosing to take the time to reflect and share, not because we have to, but because we believe it matters.

Each person on this team has brought their own questions, values, and lived experience into this work. We’ve wrestled with what it means to move with clarity, to act with urgency, and to trust that something more powerful can take root when we do.

While the stories we intend to share in this space are not designed to center us, we understand that leadership requires transparency, especially in philanthropy. And we believe that sharing our reflections – both individual and collective – may help others move forward with courage of their own. 

We offer these stories in the spirit of transparency, accountability, and solidarity. If you’re here to learn and to ask your own questions, we hope these reflections help you feel supported.

This is what it looks like to choose strategy over status quo; thoughtfulness over performance; power with, and not power over.

New York sits at the intersection of defense and possibility, as authoritarianism rises. It can demonstrate that when communities lead, and the government listens, democracy works for everyone. With its deep organizing infrastructure, a history of movement leadership, and philanthropic capacity, New York has the vision and leadership to defend people and model how communities can organize across differences to dismantle authoritarianism through policy, legal channels, and collective power. 

We’re honored to share this journey with you.