Lessons on Capital Raise From a Savvy Nonprofit
With Subject Matter Experts
Afam Onyema - Co-Founder and CEO, GEANCO Foundation
Matt Sitter - CEO, AFN
Every charity wants celebrity supporters who can use their star power to bring much-needed attention and funding to their cause. But how does one successfully engage with those often considered unreachable?
Over the course of 15 years, and with no prior connections to Hollywood or the entertainment industry, the GEANCO Foundation's CEO, Afam Onyema, has partnered with some of the famous names and brands in the world. They include Oprah, Charlize Theron, Jimmy Kimmel, Angelina Jolie, The Oscars, Netflix, and more to raise money for and awareness of his charity's work in Nigeria.
Join Matt Sitter, AFN Global CEO, and Afam to discuss how to develop and maintain mutually beneficial and lasting partnerships with celebrity and high-profile supporters.
Key Takeaways:
• What are effective ways to "get" to celebrities and establish meaningful, lasting relationships with them?
• How is the cultivation of high-profile supporters unique, and how is it the same?
• "The dog that finally catches the car" - Once you have a celebrity interested in your cause, what do you do with them?
Afam Onyema
Afam Onyema is the Co-Founder and CEO of The GEANCO Foundation. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University. After graduation, Afam worked for Hill & Knowlton, Inc., a global public relations firm. Afam entered Stanford Law School in September 2004. While at Stanford, he served as Vice President of the Black Law Students' Association and a two-time Public Interest Fellow. In January 2006, Afam traveled to Ghana as part of the law school's International Community Law Clinic.
GEANCO's mission is to save and transform lives in Nigeria. GEANCO leads complex surgical missions to Nigeria. It runs an innovative program to fight anemia and builds modern maternity clinics to help poor, vulnerable pregnant women deliver healthy babies. Through its David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship for Girls, GEANCO provides tuition, medical care, and social & psychological support to young female victims of terrorism and gender inequality in Nigeria.
Afam has been profiled and/or interviewed by BBC News, National Public Radio (NPR), US News & World Report, Forbes.com, Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post, American Lawyer, NBC News, KTLA, Harvard Magazine, Stanford Magazine, Stanford Lawyer, Ebony Magazine and Newsweek.
Co-Founder and CEO, GEANCO Foundation
Matt Sitter
Matt Sitter is a passionate believer in the power of networks to innovate and realize new opportunities. His career has focused on helping leaders grow, succeed, and to mobilize their teams, organizations, and networks.
Matt’s work has spanned a broad array of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Real Estate Investment, Consumer Products, and Finance (amongst others). He has worked with multiple Fortune 500 executive teams, Private Equity firms, startups, and everything in between.
In addition to his role at AFN, Matt is currently a partner at the Advisory Services firm, Advantary. His experience includes leadership roles at The McChrystal Group, CrossLead, Inc., and MedLever. He has led multiple functions including Product Management, Marketing, Reimbursement, and Product Development.
Matt is a certified Executive Coach, completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University and received his MBA from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business. He is a proud father and husband.
CEO, AFN
