Goldhirsh Foundation and its LA2050 Initiative Add Talented Fellows To Team

Nida Ahmed and Mana Koike Begin Roles in Social Innovation, and Design

LOS ANGELES -- January 14, 2021

The Goldhirsh Foundation announced today that a pair of talented new Fellows have joined the staff of the innovative and impactful organization. Nida Ahmed is the new Goldhirsh Foundation Social Innovation Fellow, and Mana Koike is the new LA2050 Design Fellow.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new colleagues," Tara Roth, president of the Goldhirsh Foundation, says. “Similarly to how we support emerging talent in our grantmaking and our investing, we apply the same standard to our team. Nida Ahmed and Mana Koike are rising stars in their respective careers, and we like the fresh perspective and energy they bring to bear to the social impact sector."

Ahmed is a public policy professional currently pursuing her Masters in Public Administration at USC with an emphasis on social impact and innovation. Her cross-sectoral background includes working as a management consultant for state and local governments, economic empowerment work at nonprofits, and human rights policy work in the private sector

Ahmed's Goldhirsh Foundation tenure will revolve around completing special research projects, such as developing and assessing economic inclusion metrics, analyzing equity and opportunity indices, undertaking strategic analysis of the Foundation's equity investment portfolio, and understanding social change across Los Angeles.

“The Goldhirsh Foundation has the unique opportunity to take risks and propel the vital work of organizations across regions," Ahmed says. “I am excited to contribute to this work."

Koike, meanwhile, is a 2020 graduate of ArtCenter College of Design, with a background in visual communication design. She currently works with clients such as lululemon and globalhouseofmaryam. This is Koike's second fellowship with LA2050. In 2019, she served as the initiative's Social Innovation Design Fellow, focused on the annual, popular My LA2050 Grants Challenge.

The My LA2050 Grants Challenge is an annual open call for ideas to make LA the best place to learn, create, play, connect, and live. A total of $1,000,000 is awarded among 25 organizations to implement their proposals. Each organization receives grant funds andpartnership from LA2050 to support its efforts. Additional funding and prizes are often awarded by My LA2050 partners. More than 1,500 past proposals from Los Angeles-area non-profits, for-profits, individuals and government agencies are available for anyone to search, view, and make donations at the MyLA2050 Ideas Archive.

This year, Koike will again focus on the graphic design and implementation of the digital campaign for the My LA2050 Grants Challenge. She will help create a cohesive visual brand across the My LA2050 Grants Challenge website, LA2050 social media channels, and newsletter. She will also work on other marketing and communication projects.

ABOUT LA2050

LA2050 (www.la2050.org) is an initiative driving and tracking progress toward a shared vision for the future of Los Angeles. We are centered around five unique goals that in 2050 Los Angeles will be the best place to learn, create, play, connect, and live.

Connect with @LA2050 on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, and sign up here to receive our newsletter, which includes social impact job listings and events.

ABOUT THE GOLDHIRSH FOUNDATION

At the Goldhirsh Foundation, (www.goldhirshfoundation.org), we connect the dots between the best emerging innovations and the financial, social, and human capital to make them thrive.

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