For the first time, the Gilbert Family Foundation is excited to release our annual impact report. This 2022 report highlights the investments we've made and the programs we created in the past year, all of which support our mission to build opportunity and equity in Detroit and accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis (NF).

In our efforts to accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis, we are proud to announce a $10M investment funding neurofibromatosis research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), which will support critical medical research via CHOP's Neurofibromatosis Program.

Recently, some of our Venture 313 founders were offered a unique opportunity to attend the innovative SXSW conference in order to network, learn from other entrepreneurs and harness professional development to support their businesses. James Feagin, Director of Economic Mobility at the Gilbert Family Foundation spoke on a panel about Venture 313 and supporting underserved talent in the Midwest.

The Gilbert Family Foundation has committed $600,000 over three years to support the Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance's core programs.

In this Q&A blog post, we sit down to chat with JJ Vélez, Director of Public Spaces at the Gilbert Family Foundation. JJ talks about the unique challenges he faced starting his job at the onset of the pandemic, and how his experiences growing up influenced his perspective on the importance of thriving public spaces.