Developing a Shared Vision for Community Wealth Building for New York City's Children
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
2:00-5:30 PM Conference, Reception to Follow
NYU Kimmel Center
60 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012
Since 2017, the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program has created college and career savings accounts for over 280,000 NYC public school students with nearly $50 million invested for their college and career paths. This first-of-its-kind universal wealth building platform has allowed us to achieve significant investment in our children's future across each of our neighborhoods. New York City has the unique opportunity to continue to build on this platform to measurably expand economic opportunity, and to bring New Yorkers together to support our collective futures.
Sponsored by Amalgamated Bank, Gray Foundation, and NYU's Office of Interdisciplinary Impact Initiatives in the Office of the Provost
The urgency and opportunity of building wealth for New York City children and neighborhoods
Featured speakers include:
Rev. Emma Jordan Simpson, President Auburn Theological Seminary; Board Member, NYC Kids RISE Board of Directors
Georgina ("Gigi") Dopico, Provost, NYU
Dana Zucker, Chief Executive Officer, Gray Foundation; Chair of the Board, NYC Kids RISE
Julie Menin, Council Member, New York City Council
Deputy Major Leader Michael Gianaris, New York State Senate
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli
2:45 PM – 3:15 PM
The Save for College Program in Practice
Eisner & Lubin Auditorium, 4th Floor
How the Save for College Program works today for students, families, schools, neighborhoods and systems
Special Remarks by Melissa Aviles-Ramos, Chancellor of NYC Public Schools
In this level-setting panel discussion led by Founding Executive Director, Debra-Ellen Glickstein, you'll hear directly from partners (a parent, a community and faith leader, a school leader and a business owner) who have helped build the Program into what it is today: a universal community driven wealth building platform for New York City neighborhoods that expands access to mainstream financial products; builds individual, family, and collective financial assets; provides financial education for families and students; and brings schools and communities together to support all their children's futures. Today nearly 280,000 NYC public school students have close to $50 million saved for college. Together, they'll demonstrate how the Program works in communities, reflect on learnings, and help to anchor us for the rest of the afternoon.
Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor, Senior Pastor, Center of Hope International; Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Urban Upbound
Latisha Cotton, Principal, PS 44 The Marcus Garvey Magnet School of Engineering and Design
Council Member Sandra Ung, District 20
Nadia Landy, Parent of 8th Grader
Special Remarks:
Melissa Aviles-Ramos, Chancellor of NYC Public Schools
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
Breakout Sessions
Attendees select one of four concurrent discussions:
Session 1: A Promise to Our Students Room 909
Advancing College & Career Pathways through the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program
In this breakout session, we will dive into our shared commitment to NYC public school students—and what it truly takes to deliver on that promise. We'll examine the key conditions needed to make educational and economic opportunity a reality for every child, and how the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program and other important initiatives can help build those conditions citywide. Panelists and attendees will explore how we can further leverage the Program to ensure that every NYC public school student is not only prepared for college and career, but sees these pathways as both attainable and expected.
Moderator:
Dr. Meisha Porter, Board Member, NYC Kids RISE Board of Directors
Panelists:
Jane Martínez Dowling, Chief, Office of Student Pathways, NYC Public Schools
Dr. William (Willie) Elliott, Professor, Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion (AEDI) at University of Michigan
Council Member Rita Joseph, District 40; Chair, New York City Council Committee on Education
Superintendent Harry Sherman, Community School District 9, NYC Public Schools
Vilda Vera Mayuga, Commissioner, NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
Session 2: Building a Capital Stack for New York City Kids Room 912
Exploring how government, philanthropy, businesses and communities can work together to increase the funds in NYC Scholarship Accounts
In this session, we'll get creative, examining ways big and small to increase funding to Community Scholarships. Participants will consider mechanisms ranging from endowments and dedicated tax revenues alongside approaches like business partnerships and creative municipal revenue streams. Together, we'll identify opportunities to attract the broader business community, unlock government funding pathways, and develop multiple revenue streams that systematically build assets and create opportunities for generational wealth.
Moderator:
Maria Torres-Springer, Senior Fellow, Ford Foundation
Panelists:
Jonathan Bowles, Executive Director, Center for an Urban Future (CUF)
James Johnson-Piett, Principal and CEO, Urbane Development
Randy Peers, President & CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso
Murray Abeles, Chief Financial Officer, The Public Theater; Board Member, NYC Kids RISE Board of Directors
Leveraging the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program platform to build generational wealth in New York City
In this session, we'll examine how the platform underpinning the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program currently operates, then explore how it could be leveraged to support or implement other initiatives in NYC such as baby bonds or guaranteed basic income. Participants will hear from leaders involved in complementary income and asset-building programs and consider opportunities for integration—from ensuring NYC families understand and access Trump accounts to integrating with programs providing income support to new mothers to serving as infrastructure for an ambitious Baby Bond program. Together, we'll envision how to build a comprehensive portfolio of assets for NYC children's futures.
Moderator:
Matthew Klein, Chief Program & Impact Officer, Robin Hood
Panelists:
Madeline Brown, Senior Policy Associate, Urban Institute
Andréa Comer, Chief of Staff & Assistant Treasurer for Administration, Office of the Treasurer, Connecticut
Stephanie Silkowski, Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives, The Bridge Project
Session 4: The Other Capital - Social Capital Room 406
Strengthening connections among and between students, families, schools and neighborhoods to set all our kids up for success
This session will discuss what the social science research says about the effects of different kinds of social capital on children's outcomes, as well as best practices for promoting social capital and social infrastructure. We will then explore how the Save for College Program can build on its existing work to strengthen social capital and invest in social infrastructure within and across communities. As the city's social infrastructure faces challenges and disinvestment on various fronts, this session will consider how the Save for College Program can play a role in counteracting those trends and bring communities together to make sure every child in every neighborhood can succeed.
Moderator:
Lisa Cowan, Director, The Haven Fund; Board Member, NYC Kids RISE Board of Directors
Panelists:
Eric Leslie, Founder/Lead Organizer, Union Capital
Michael Partis, Executive Director, Red Hook Initiative
Mariela Regalado, Parent of Kindergartener, Founder of Los Sures Community Scholarship
NY State Senator, Kristen Gonzalez, District 59
Maura Keaney, Senior Vice President, Amalgamated Bank
4:15 PM – 5:25 PM
What's Next?
Eisner & Lubin Auditorium, 4th Floor
Creating an ambitious vision to build generational wealth across New York City neighborhoods
Closing Remarks from Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO and Executive Director, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)
What does success look like? Imagine it's 2030, and the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program has become as fundamental to being a NYC public school student as having a library card. Every student graduates high school with meaningful assets for college or career training. Communities across all five boroughs have mobilized to invest in their children through creative funding streams. The platform is an integral part of comprehensive infrastructure for wealth building for students and families—from baby bonds to basic income programs. And networks of stakeholders—schools, businesses, community organizations, alumni—actively support students in achieving their educational and economic dreams.
In this interactive session, we'll hear from leaders who will capture the opportunity we have before us and each paint a picture of what we can build the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program into if we as a city are ambitious and committed to creating economic opportunity, building generational wealth, and strengthening our communities. Then it's YOUR turn. In small group discussions at your tables, you'll envision the changes we can make to truly embed the Program into our social fabric. What partnerships had to form? What policies had to change? What innovations emerged? This is our opportunity to dream big together and leave with a shared vision that guides our collective efforts.
