We are pleased to announce the appointment of Roland Kennedy, Jr. as Executive Director of the Executive Alliance for Boys and Men of Color.

In this role, Roland will lead the Executive Alliance’s efforts to harness philanthropy’s collective power to improve life expectancy and outcomes for boys and men of color. He will oversee strategic donor engagement and grantmaking strategies focused on advancing education, health and wellness, and economic security, while managing high-impact partnerships across philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and the private sector.

“I am confident that Roland’s leadership, vision, and deep experience driving bold philanthropic strategies to expand opportunity and improve life outcomes will provide the momentum needed to accelerate the impact of the Executive Alliance,” said John H. Jackson, President and CEO of the Schott Foundation.

Established in 2014 by philanthropic CEOs representing more than 20 foundations, the Executive Alliance for Boys and Men of Color was created to aggregate philanthropic resources and invest in strategies, organizations, and leaders working to improve outcomes for boys and men of color nationwide.

Roland brings a strong record of leadership and service to this role. Previously, he was the grants director at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and prior to that, served as the internal liaison at Bloomberg Philanthropies on the Greenwood Initiative. He currently serves as Board Chair of Barbershop Books, Inc., a literacy and technology nonprofit that aims to increase the reading identity of Black boys, and as a board member of PEAK Grantmaking. He also serves on the advisory boards of Black Film Space, Bowie State University’s Philanthropy Initiative, and StreetWise Partners. Roland earned a Bachelor of Arts from Villanova University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

We are excited to welcome Roland and are confident that his leadership will strengthen the Executive Alliance’s impact and advance our shared commitment to equity and opportunity.

Please join us in welcoming Roland to the Schott Foundation and the Executive Alliance.