StationSoccer by Soccer in the Streets named an honorable mention in the fastcompany 2026 Innovation by Design Awards. Honorees include nearly 312 projects, products, and services from Google, Adidas, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and others. Atlanta, GA September 14, 2026 - Soccer in the Streets is proud to announce its StationSoccer program has been named an honorable mention in the Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards for 2026 in the Urban Design category. Now in its 15th year, the Innovation by Design Awards celebrate the designers and businesses addressing today's most urgent challenges while anticipating the problems of tomorrow. The program is one of the most prestigious design competitions in the industry, spotlighting work that exemplifies originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural significance, and measurable business impact. StationSoccer was developed with the idea that soccer can help cultivate healthy communities, and that transit is a natural connection point for people who wouldn't otherwise have access. For too many kids in metro Atlanta, cost and transportation aren't just hurdles, they're walls. Through a groundbreaking partnership between HKS, The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), Atlanta City Studio, Atlanta United Community Fund and Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Soccer in the Streets has broken down these walls by turning vacant MARTA station lots into vibrant, state-of-the-art fields. "The challenge in Atlanta is that not all families can participate in a pay-to-play model, and if they can, the location of the fields is not always accessible. Our StationSoccer green spaces provide a free, safe space for young soccer players to grow while also highlighting a sustainable urban mobility model," said Kaseem Ladipo, executive director of Soccer in the Streets. StationSoccer will celebrate its 10th anniversary in October 2026. Honorees were selected by a panel of top designers, business executives from leading organizations, and Fast Company editors. "The Innovation by Design Awards have always recognized the ideas that challenge convention and show what's possible when design is treated as a strategic force, not an afterthought. Congratulations to this year's honorees, who demonstrate how thoughtful design can solve meaningful problems and create new possibilities for people and businesses," said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. To see the complete list, go to fastcompany.com/innovation-by-design/list, and read about the winners in the Fall issue of Fast Company magazine on newsstands September 22, 2026. About Fast Company Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com. About Soccer in the Streets: Soccer in the Streets is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that works to improve the lives of children by providing access to high-quality, community-based soccer programs and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programming. Since its founding, Soccer in the Streets has served tens of thousands of children through its innovative approach, which includes providing SEL, soccer skills training, job opportunities through its youth referee program, and youth coaching, as well as building soccer fields at MARTA transit stations through its StationSoccer(TM) initiative, making the sport accessible to communities that need it most while fostering a more connected Atlanta through the power of play. For more information, please visit soccerstreets.org.

The arthur M. Blank family foundation appoints kristen ward as managing director, mental health & well-being. Blank Foundation use cookies on its site to enhance your user experience, provide personalized content, and analyze its traffic.

Foundations look to new leaders to tell their story in a time of skepticism. Instead of staying in the "back office" new foundation leaders are called upon to take a more visible public role... By Alex Daniels Senior Editor, Foundations August 6, 2026 | Read Time: 3 minutes This year a number of large foundations have undergone leadership changes. Philanthropy veteran Fay Twersky announced her departure from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in May. Earlier in the year, Heather Gerken replaced Darren Walker, who led the Ford Foundation for a dozen years. Three leaders who served in their positions for more than a decade, Drew Altman at KFF, Jane Brown at the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, and Mike Pratt at the Scherman Foundation, announced their retirements. Those are just a few examples of turnover at the top spot; the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Charles H. Revson Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation each named new leaders this year. Many of the new leaders are arriving with important experience in nonprofits and philanthropy. That background might serve them well in their new positions, said Patton McDowell, senior director of leadership initiatives at Armstrong McGuire, a nonprofit consultancy. Philanthropy is coming under increasing public scrutiny from populist movements and the Trump administration while debates heat up over who should determine how to best use philanthropic resources, he said. In recent years, as more foundations have endorsed a "trust-based" approach to grant making that attempts to reduce the burden on grantees, many foundation CEOs are moving out of the "back office" to take a more public position helping the nonprofits they support in the face of public skepticism. Recent foundation CEO moves * Arthur M. Blank Foundation, Fay Twersky * KFF, Drew Altman * Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, Jane Brown * Truist Foundation, Lynette bell New or Starting Soon * 1890 Universities Foundation, Felecia Nave * Abell Foundation, Fagan Harris * Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Stacie Bloom * Bezos Family Foundation, Bill Hite * Ford Foundation, Heather Gerken * Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Aileen Lee * Ms. Foundation for Women, Tracy Sturdivant * Pew Charitable Trusts, William Foster * Pittsburgh Foundation, William Generett * Charles H. Revson Foundation, Maria Torres-Springer * Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Ian Solomon * Scherman Foundation, George Suttles "They may still have to manage the mechanics and the finances of effective grant making, but because it's a more collaborative process, the best foundation leaders now have some lived experience and are comfortable collaborating and communicating with their external constituencies," McDowell said. A new study designed to prepare future foundation leaders, produced by C3 Nonprofit Consulting Group, echoes that sentiment. "In this next era, the foundation CEO is not only a steward of institutional assets but an architect of alignment, legitimacy, and long-term societal impact," according to the report. New leaders searching for opportunities. Like many of the leaders in the new slate of CEOs, George Suttles has a deep background in nonprofits and philanthropy. He is wrapping up his last few weeks as president of the Commonfund Institute before stepping in as CEO of the Scherman Foundation. Previously he served in leadership positions at the John A. Hartford Foundation, the New York State Health Foundation, and the National Urban League. While the priorities of progressive foundations, including reproductive rights, racial equity, and climate change, come under attack, and the federal government cuts support for nonprofits, Suttles said a big part of his job will be searching for opportunities, especially where there are pockets of support. He cited the possibility of working on programs with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani as an example. "The partnership piece is going to be key," he said Like many new leaders, Suttles said he is likely to spend the first months of his job listening to staff and grantees. But in some ways, he said, he will "go straight to brass tacks" and begin discussions with the board on the first day about the possibility of increasing the grant maker's payout. Scherman is nearing the end of a two-year commitment to doubling its payout to 10 percent. The foundation is considering extending that level of payout and will investigate the impact increased spending would have on its investment portfolio and its grantee While such a decision likely won't happen immediately, Suttles said, it is important to consider how philanthropy shows up to "meet the moment." Suttles said his work is guided by a philosophical question: "What more can philanthropy do?"