In honor of the launch of their new foundation, Fortune & Forks hosted their inaugural gala at The Ritz-Carlton NoMad last weekend to honor some of the entertainment industry’s most culturally shaping celebrities. The Fortune & Forks Foundation Gala welcomed Jordyn Woods, Olandria Carthen, Jayah Arnett, Shannae Ingleton-Smith, and La La Anthony.
Founders Krystal Vega and Naomi Wright brought to life their vision of honoring women of color within the industry for their achievements that may not always get the recognition they deserve. Additionally, they highlighted the responsibility that exists to support the next generation. Krystal and Naomi have chosen to do this by turning access into action through funding exclusive programming such as partnership drives, career workshops, and mentorship for the future of the foundation.
“We want to encourage our members and extended friends and family to figure out how they can get involved and support the mission of the foundation. The gala will be a night to speak directly to our community and those who have invested early into what we’re doing and what the impact of the foundation will be and how we’re designing the program so that the impact we’re talking about is actualized,” Wright explained in an interview with GU.
With the lively personality of host Jamila Mustafa at the helm, the evening ran smoothly for attendees both as they enjoyed connecting with each other and hearing glimpses of each honoree’s unique path towards the special evening. Many attendees noted that they’d been made aware of the event through a friend who may have invited them or was a member of the organization. For others, their admiration for founders Krystal Vega and Naomi Wright ran deeper than just resharing posts on social media.
“Not only the cause but to support Naomi and Crystal in their future endeavors. We know this is their first one and want to support it while it’s coming from the ground up. […] we just want to give them their flowers,” producers of Pineloft Entertainment Dane Clarke II and Joel Poku, and director Cole Swanson collectively remarked as they represented some of the few males in attendance at the event.
In an exclusive interview with GU, Jordyn Woods expressed her gratitude for the award, and what it meant to her. “It’s everything to me, that’s what my whole mission is to always be authentic and always be me. I always say my superpower is my individuality, and if there’s something that I can change or work on and do better then I can change, and if I can’t that’s what makes me me. So this feels super authentic to me, and it’s really an honor,”
Jordyn was presented the Advocate of Authenticity award by her mother, Elizabeth Woods, who shared with the audience a heartfelt speech in tribute to her daughter. “Beyond the lights and accolades, I’ve seen who she is in the quiet moments and on the hard days. She reminds young women that power lives in their truth.”
For honoree Shannae’s acceptance speech for the Architect of Access award, she highlighted the importance of being in an ecosystem of access and what trailblazing truly means for her and her company. “We’ve helped change the face of influencer marketing from the inside out. We’ve helped make several women and men multimillionaires, and we’ve opened doors that shaped futures,”
Olandria was presented the Visibility with Vision award by host and commentator Blake Newby, while Jayah Arnett received the Community Catalyst award. Sadly, La La Anthony was unable to attend the event in person but accepted the award virtually through a prerecorded acceptance speech. “It’s so powerful to be aligned with Fortune & Forks, who believe in that vision of bringing women and community together and creating amazing opportunities, because nobody can do it alone. I’m so inspired by what Fortune & Forks is doing,”
In an era when Black and brown women are over mentored and under sponsored, the objective behind the Fortune & Forks Foundation is to bridge the gap between opportunity and the young women of color who don’t always receive them. Though the foundation is just getting started, Vega and Wright have already set their sights on providing job placement and mentorship through the foundation with the support of their members, as well as instilling in said young women confidence, career readiness, and leadership skills to last across their lifetime.
“I truly believe in Fortune and Forks mission in order to inspire and elevate the next generation of minority women. I came to make connections and wanted to support the cause of supporting the next generation of young women,” attendee of the gala, Precious White expressed when speaking to GU about what drew her to the event.
By the end of the evening, the organization surpassed their fundraising goal of $30,000 towards the aforementioned flagship initiatives they’re focused on for the foundation. The Fortune & Forks organizational body is spread across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Atlanta with more than 400 members whose mission is to not just invest in one another, but the next generation of women of color leaders and entrepreneurs.
Applications to the Fortune & Forks Foundation Mentorship Program are now open, and can be found here.