ROBBIE + RAY ARE RIVER FUND!
On October 27th, we will honor their creative voices and celebrate how they share their lives in moving our kids, and their families, off the lines of poverty.
More than 1 in 4 New Yorkers live on the lines of poverty. 40% are children.
Only 4% of youth living in poverty finish college.
Our diagnostic method of approaching those living on the lines of poverty is our 'Family-by-Family Approach'. RIVER FUND Educational Pathways serves as the capstone for our Cradle to College Initiative - expanding our educational horizons.
“Education is our most powerful investment to move our youth beyond the lines of poverty”
Through Kids Worldwide, created by Robbie, our RIVER FUND youth explore their potential in art workshops, mentoring and a variety of artistic outlets. Robbie’s innovative program cultivates imagination and provides our youth further ways to communicate as well offer an outlet for normalcy and with a caring embrace. To date, Kids Worldwide has launched two collections with 10% of the net proceeds given back to RIVER FUND, directly impacting the families of the kids involved in this project.
With his storytelling, generosity, and humanity, Ray brings our clients a dignity and an awareness they deserve while capturing our RIVER FUND Mission – to feed and empower those we serve to move beyond the lines of poverty. Ray has captured our ethos and RIVER FUND’s various programs through his artistry and advances our footprint with each film he brings to life. His impact has been profound in not only advancing our work, but in significantly helping build and broaden our RIVER FUND community.
RIVER FUND launched our Frontline Force at our inaugural gala and inducted its first honorees. Our objective: to recognize people whose dynamic support for the organization inspires and motivates others to take a strong stand as they join us in ‘taking poverty personally.’
Robbie and Ray take poverty personally!
ROBBIE STUART
KIDS WORLDWIDE WAS CREATED BY ROBBIE STUART, A CANADIAN LIVING IN BROOKLYN. ROBBIE HAS OVER A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE IN FASHION SALES, MERCHANDISING AND RETAIL.
SHE HAS HELD SENIOR POSITIONS AT ALEXANDER WANG AND HELMUT LANG. SHE ALSO ACTS AS A BUSINESS CONSULTANT FOR EMERGING BRANDS IN THE FASHION SPACE.
ROBBIE HAS SPEARHEADED EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR YOUTH OUT OF THE RIVER FUND NY SINCE 2018. THERE SHE REALIZED HER STRONG DESIRE TO BUILD A COLLABORATIVE AND INCLUSIVE BRAND THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS LOCAL UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES.
ROBBIE REALIZES THE VALUE OF CREATIVITY IN HER OWN UPBRINGING THAT PROPELLED HER TO PURSUE A CAREER IN FASHION.
HER MISSION IS TO EMPOWER KIDS TO EXPLORE THEIR POTENTIAL AND REALIZE THE POSSIBILITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM THROUGH CREATIVE EXPRESSION.
RAY KLONSKY
RAY KLONSKY IS A MULTI-FACETED STORYTELLER AND PRODUCER WORKING ACROSS MEDIUMS. HIS DEBUT FEATURE DOCUMENTARY, FIGHT FOR JUSTICE: DAVID & ME, CHRONICLED HIS DECADE-LONG FRIENDSHIP WITH NEW YORK STATE INMATE DAVID MCCALLUM WHO WAS WRONGFULLY CONVICTED OF MURDER WHEN HE WAS 16-YEARS OLD. THE FILM WON AWARDS AT FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD, WAS INTEGRAL TO MR. MCCALLUM’S EXONERATION AFTER 29-YEARS IN PRISON AND HAS SINCE BEEN OPTIONED BY NETFLIX AND AMAZON PRIME. HE HAS ALSO DIRECTED DIGITAL CONTENT FOR SAMSUNG, AMEX, RAY BAN, AND CALVIN KLEIN AND HIS RECENT SHORT DOCUMENTARY, BREAKING THE CYCLE, RELEASED EXCLUSIVELY BY SHONDALAND, TELLS THE STORY OF A WOMAN ATTEMPTING TO OVERCOME A HISTORY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
RAY HAS WORKED AS A PRODUCER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ON TELEVISION SERIES, EPISODIC AND BRANDED DIGITAL CONTENT, AND COMMERCIALS FOR OUTLETS AND BRANDS SUCH AS GOOGLE, MASTERCARD, MICROSOFT, VERIZON, L’OREAL, ESPN FILMS, AND THE COOKING CHANNEL. FROM 2017 TO 2020 HE SERVED AS THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF CRAFT STUDIOS, MCCANN NEW YORK’S INTERNAL PRODUCTION COMPANY AND IN 2021, HE WORKED WITH AWARD-WINNING SLATE JOURNALIST AND MEDIA PERSONALITY AYMANN ISMAIL TO CREATE SCOOT OVER, A LIMITED PODCAST SERIES FEATURING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE WORLD AND WHAT IS STANDING IN OUR WAY TO CELEBRATE THE 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARIENE DE ROTHSCHILD FELLOWSHIP.