TRIIBE is a nonprofit founded in 2024, is focused on helping established college-student-run nonprofit founders scale impact. TRIIBE has already formed a community rooted in resilience, compassion, and action. Most importantly, TRIIBE has cultivated a space that places youth as the focus, not the footnote.
August 2nd marked one year since founder Kyle Matthys moved to New York City, and the launch of the inaugural TRIIBE Changemaker Summit. The event was triumphant; it lit the match of TRIIBE’s future. And like all tracks to success, this summit was also paved with obstacles; Murphy’s law was certainly in effect. Through disruptive construction, delays and canceled flights, and five independent hospital visits, TRIIBE persevered. With 110 engaged attendees, two dynamic panels featuring a blend of college nonprofit founders with seasoned leaders, and a fireside chat with venture capitalist Jean-Christian Jung, supported by an incredible suite of guest speakers, TRIIBE is already turning vision into impact.
The summit opened up with welcome refreshments and provided lunches, allowing the attendees to meet and form connections with one another. Following the introductory networking, the first panel of speakers took the stage to discuss mobilizing communities for compassionate action. The spokespeople for this group were Gregg Meyer, CSO of Steve Madden; Esha Venkat, Founder of NEST4US; Wendy Diamond, Founder of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization; and Olivia Zhang, Founder of Cancer Kids First. The discussion shed light on the criticality of focusing on people and community in inciting impactful change; it takes a village, or TRIIBE, not a single person. The speakers emphasized that nonprofits flourish when they prioritize mission over momentum, that social media fosters connections that expand outreach, and that empowerment is the power source for structural and holistic outcomes.
The first panel was succeeded by a fireside chat on fundraising and communication in this political landscape. Kyle Matthys led the chat with Jean-Christian Jung, managing partner at Anywhere Ventures & Global Sustainable Future. Jean-Christian drove home the point that aid is found in many forms: funding, expertise, and connections, with data as the main indicator of the success of solving problems. He reminded the attendees that seeking and offering help means understanding both the qualitative and quantitative components that it contains. The final panel honed in on education as a tool for social mobility and transformation. The speakers included Maya Gowda, Founder of SEED; Katja Schroeder, Associate Program Director & Founder at Columbia University; Matt Wells, Speciality Recruiter at The Adecco Group; and Anne-Sophie Frédérick, Founder of Haitech. Katja underscored the insights of how it is the duty of nonprofits to construct sustainable tracks for talent growth, and ensuring that AI serves as a complementary tool rather than a substitution to individuals. Along the same vein, Anne-Sophie provided insight into her experience of teaching computer science and AI tools to those who don’t live in a first-world country and may not know English.
Kyle Matthys, CEO of TRIIBE commented; I’m grateful to all of the support we’ve received to make this happen. Real change cannot be made alone, it takes a TRIIBE. We’re ensuring the next generation of changemakers continue their works, without burning out. I’m proud of those already in our cohorts and cannot wait for the many more to come.
TRIIBE is not a six-week program, it is a three-year holistic curriculum supporting founders who are scaling their nonprofits throughout college. TRIIBE works exclusively with youth-led nonprofits, meeting them at the pivotal moment in college when vision is high but support is scarce. Our model stands beside founders, not above them, providing consistent funding, mentorship, and community for the rest of their college journey. TRIIBE looks forward to sustaining its success, raising $300,000 to fund current and future cohorts and events; and developing stronger brand and corporate partnerships.
Coverage of the event was provided by the ESG News editorial team as part of our commitment to showcasing exceptional work and innovation driving the future of sustainability.
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