Meaningful Moments from
Meet the
Moment
A Funder Deep Dive Series Presented by Promise Venture Studio
Meaningful Moments
Did you miss some of the events in our series? It’s not too late to connect with these changemakers and the work they are leading for young children, families, and their communities across the country.
The engaging content presented by the leaders and founders in this series, alongside their funder champions, team members, key partners, and community members have been bright spots for us this year and a reminder that the work of bold, equity-centered solutions powerfully continues on.
Check out the video clips from our past Meet the Moment events below!
Wildflower Schools (Matt Kramer, CEO)
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Black Wildflowers Fund (Maia Blankenship, Co-CEO)
December 9th, 2025
Wildflower Schools and Black Wildflowers Fund | Meaningful Moment Clip: featuring Wildflower Schools CEO Matt Kramer, Black Wildflowers Fund Co-CEO Maia Blankenship, Founding Teacher Leaders Katie Rodrigues (Orchid Montessori School) and Amelia Sherwood (Sankofa Learning Center), and Nora Flood (Thriving Youth Initiative Lead at Zephyr Impact).
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At this event, we explored the first decade of Wildflower Schools and Black Wildflowers Fund's growing impact! We are grateful to Nora Flood for hosting and to Teacher Leaders Amelia Sherwood and Katie Rodrigues for inviting us into their experience as school founders.
As these organizations look toward their second decade – and the creation of another 100+ schools over the next five years – they are focused on expanding access for families and school founders alike, increasing startup capital available for nonprofit programs, and ensuring schools remain academically strong and financially sustainable.
Together, we can spark the conditions for more innovative educators to design teacher-led, child-centered models. We look forward to what's next and hope that you will stay connected!
Join us in supporting the growth of more beautiful learning environments where every adult and child can flourish together.
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Email info@wildflowerschools.org to connect with Wildflower Schools or Black Wildflowers Fund!
Unearthing Joy
Ashley Brailsford, PhD (Founder)
November 13th, 2025
Unearthing Joy | Meaningful Moment Clip: featuring Founder Ashley Brailsford, PhD, Unearthing Joy participants Tonya Abari with daughter Tolani, Dr. Sabine Thomas (Chief Flow Office, Anchoring Our ROOTS), and Jen Bailey (Executive Director, The Maddox Fund)
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Unearthing Joy is building a movement to ensure all children have access to culturally centered experiences in nature!
At this event, Founder Ashley Brailsford, PhD, shared about the evolution of Unearthing Joy, how culturally centered nature experiences shape children’s creativity and climate leadership, and ways funders and partners can support and expand this movement.
When given opportunities to engage with nature through cultural traditions and stories, children not only develop respect for diverse cultures, but also build the imagination needed to confront our most pressing climate challenges. Unearthing Joy believes these experiences lay the foundation for a generation of problem-solvers who view nature, culture, and community as interconnected.
It was also powerful to hear from key partners Ashley called into the virtual event space to share wisdom about Unearthing Joy’s work:
Tonya Abari: participant of Unearthing Joy and parent of Tolani who also spoke powerfully about her climate leadership and impactful experiences with Unearthing Joy
Dr. Sabine Thomas: Chief Flow Officer, Anchoring Our ROOTS
Jen Bailey: Executive Director of The Dan & Margaret Maddox Fund
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Email ashley@unearthingjoytogether.com to connect with Unearthing Joy
National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI)
Dr. Leah Austin (President & CEO)
September 8th, 2025
NBCDI | Meaningful Moment Clip: featuring President & CEO Dr. Leah Austin and Alycia Hardy, Vice President, Policy and Research
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We gathered leaders, funders, and partners committed to reimagining the systems shaping the lives of Black children.
At the event, we explored how NBCDI’s Afrofuturist Systems Design Process is disrupting harmful systems and building thriving futures. We also heard three story threads that revealed what’s under attack—health, culture, and safety—and the interventions already in motion. We learned about opportunities to align our priorities with NBCDI’s work and co-design the future together.
NBCDI believes protecting Black children means protecting health, culture, and safety. Together, we can co-design futures where Black children thrive with dignity, joy, and power.
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Email swaheed@nbcdi.org to connect with NBCDI
RISE Center for Liberation in Early Childhood Education
Dr. Choquette Hamilton (Founder & CEO)
August 13th, 2025
RISE Center for Liberation in ECE | Meaningful Moment Clip: featuring Founder & CEO Dr. Choquette Hamilton with Deseré Cross Ward (Mother & Entrepreneur who uses RootEd pop-up care), and co-host Dr. Nara Topp (W.K. Kellogg Foundation)
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At this event designed for mutual learning, honest reflection, and action, we heard unfiltered insights from the front lines—what families are experiencing, how RISE, a community-rooted organization, is responding, and what’s needed most from philanthropy today. We also engaged in a facilitated dialogue and walked away with concrete takeaways we could implement immediately—plus bold ideas to consider for the long term.
We left this conversation with new insights, fresh energy, and a sense of our collective efficacy—the belief that, together, we have the power to create lasting change.
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Email dr.hamilton@risecdc.org to connect with RISE
Our Roots: Priya Iyer (Founder & CEO)
May 21st, 2025
Our Roots | Meaningful Moment Clip: featuring Founder & CEO Priya Iyer with co-host Nadiyah Morris (Camelback Ventures) and Erasma Beras-Monticciolo (Promise Venture Studio)
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Priya began her journey with Our Roots as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Promise Venture Studio followed by early belief and support from Camelback Ventures—their very first institutional funder. What started as a bold idea grounded in love and justice has grown into a powerful movement built by and with birthing parents of color. At this event, we learned about what Our Roots is building and experienced the spirit, stories, and community that drives Our Roots’ work!
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Email team@promisestudio.org and we will support you with a connection to Our Roots
The Feelings Company: Karen Cuthrell (CEO)
April 24th, 2025
The Feelings Co | Meaningful Moment Clip: featuring CEO Karen Cuthrell and Principal Diamond Gwyn of Kimberly Park Elementary School, a school that has implemented The Feelings Friends school-wide
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Rooted in the belief that Love is the Most Important Feeling, they’ve got classrooms talking, singing, and grounded in love, and the impact is phenomenal. The Feeling Friends has been implemented in 300 classrooms from pre-kindergarten to grade 5 across six states, and three independent studies have shown consistent, statistically significant gains in children’s emotional literacy and social and emotional development. These results demonstrate the program’s feasibility, cultural responsiveness, and effectiveness. But here’s the truth: The Feeling Friends isn’t in enough schools. This is where you come in. We envision a future where every child, regardless of their background, is equipped with the emotional tools to succeed in school, in relationships, and in life. Investing in The Feeling Friends can make that vision a reality.
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“We’re looking for champions—educators, funders, and community leaders—who believe in the power of emotional intelligence for every child. Is that you? Every child deserves the language of feelings—help us put it in their hands. Let’s talk! Email karen@thefeelingfriends.com”
Jumpstart: Crystal Rountree (CEO)
April 3rd, 2025
Jumpstart | Meaningful Moment Clip: featuring CEO Crystal Rountree with co-host Johanna Meadows (The Centerbridge Foundation) and Demetra Brown (Promise Venture Studio)
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Jumpstart shared how they are meeting this moment to ensure every child enters kindergarten ready to thrive. This virtual event was an opportunity to learn about the organization’s vision for the future under the leadership of new CEO Crystal Rountree, and the lasting change it aims to drive for children, families, and early education. Invest in Jumpstart’s $5M Innovation Fund to Fuel This Work! Enable tech integration and innovation, market research, evaluation design, and staffing of product design and community-based strategy leads and help propel Jumpstart to meet the moment for tomorrow’s kindergarteners, today.
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To connect with Jumpstart, email Izzy Hastie, Head of Fundraising at: izzy.hastie@jstart.org
About Meet the Moment, A Funder Deep Dive Series
Why Meet the Moment?
Through this series, we’re excited to feature dynamic leaders and impactful organizations and ventures addressing today’s most pressing issues and promising opportunities in early childhood development—while building a stronger foundation for the future.
The challenges facing young children , families, and their communities in this moment require bold, equity-centered solutions. We’re bringing together changemakers who are driving these solutions.
What is a Funder Deep Dive?
A more personalized way for organizations and ventures to connect with interested funders and partners. Funder Deep Dive virtual events are great opportunities for attendees to learn more, ask questions, and hear from others in the featured organization’s community about the impact of their work. The goal is to find committed partners and passionate funders that support each organization’s journey to impact and growth.
