>> AS PART OF OUR ONGOING

CHASING THE DREAM INITIATIVE,

POVERTY AND OPPORTUNITY IN

AMERICA, WE WANT TO TROE DUGS

-- INTRODUCE YOU TO THE

ROBINHOOD FOUNDATION WHICH FOR

DECADES NOW HAS LED THE FIGHT

AGAINST POVERTY IN NEW YORK HAS

APPOINTED WESS MOORE AS ITS NEW

CHIEF EXECUTIVE.

THE AUTHOR, COMBAT VETERAN AND

ENTREPRENEUR RAISED NEAR GUN

HILL ROAD IN BRONX SUCCEEDS

DAVID SALZMAN AFTER 29 YEARS OF

RUNNING THE NONPROFIT.

LAST YEAR THE FOUNDATION

DISTRIBUTED $130 MILLION TO

ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW YORK WHICH

WERE FOCUSED ON ELIMINATING

POVERTY.

WESS MOORE TAKES THE HELM FULL

TIME THIS SUMMER.

BEFORE HE DOES WE ARE PLEASED TO

HAVE HIM HERE WITH US AT

"METROFOCUS."

WESS, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

I'M HONORED TO BE HERE.

>> LET ME ASK YOU, BEFORE WE GET

INVOLVED IN YOUR BACKGROUND AND

HOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS, JUST

TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR US

ABOUT THE ROBINHOOD FOUNDATION.

EXPLAIN WHAT IT DOES AND HOW IT

DOES IT.

>> THE ROBINHOOD FOUNDATION WAS

CREATED ABOUT 29 YEARS AGO BY A

GENTLEMAN NAME PAUL JONES.

HE SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS GOING

TO BE ANOTHER GREAT RECESSION.

AND IMMEDIATELY HIS THOUGHT WAS,

YOU KNOW, FORGET ABOUT WHAT

HAPPENS TO THE FOLKS WHO ARE

WORKING IN FINANCE.

THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT OF POOR

PEOPLE WHO ARE ABOUT TO GET HIT

REALLY HARD AND HE SAID, WE HAVE

TO CREATE FOUNDATIONS AND

SUPPORTS FOR THE LEAST AMONGST

US, THE ONES WHO, AS IS OFTEN

SAID, WHEN SOME PEOPLE CATCH A

COLD, SOME PEOPLE CATCH

PNEUMONIA, HE'S WORRIED ABOUT

THOSE GETTING READY TO CATCH

PNEUMONIA, THE POOR.

AND THEY STARTED A FOUNDATION

WHERE THEY SAID, OKAY, INITIALLY

WE'RE MAKING INITIAL GRANTS AND

LOOKING AT EVERYTHING FROM

HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION,

EDUCATION, ET CETERA, WHERE NOW

ROBINHOOD IS 29 YEARS OLD, HAS

PUT OVER 2 1/2 BILLION DOLLAR

INTO THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY,

WAS LED BY A DEAR FRIEND AND A

GREAT, GREAT SOCIAL

ENTREPRENEUR, GENTLEMAN NAMED

DAVID SALZMAN WHO SERVED AS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THAT TIME.

AND ROBINHOOD HAS SYSTEMATICALLY

BEEN DATA DRIVEN BUT ALSO HEART

LED.

THE DATA IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT.

>> BECAUSE WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND

BENCHMARKS AND WE NEED TO

UNDERSTAND WHAT WORKS.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE CAN

NEVER FORGET ABOUT THE HUMANITY

OF THIS WORK.

WE CAN NEVER FORGET ABOUT THE

FACT OF WHO IT IS THAT WE ARE

SERVING AND WHO IT IS THAT WE

WILL UNABASHEDLY STAND FOR,

PARTICULARLY IN TIMES WHEN WE

KNOW THAT THEY ARE AT THEIR MOST

VULNERABLE.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE MORE

IMPRESSIVE -- AND THERE ARE A

LOT OF IMPRESSIVE THINGS ABOUT

THE ROBINHOOD FOUNDATION, YOU

MENTIONED $2.5 BILLION.

EVERY DOLLAR GOES --

>> ROBINHOOD IS A VERY UNIQUE

ORGANIZATION IN THAT WAY WHERE

BASICALLY THE BOARD OF ROBINHOOD

SAYS WE'RE TAKING CARE OF ALL

THE OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.

SO, EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S GIVEN TO

ROBINHOOD IS THEN GOING OUT INTO

THE FIELD.

AND THE AVERAGE DONATION TO

ROBINHOOD IS $133.

>> THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.

>> 360,000 DONORS.

SO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE

WHO WERE SAYING, LISTEN, I JUST

WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE WHAT I

CAN.

I WAS TALKING WITH A FRIEND OF

MINE FROM BALTIMORE, A GUY WHO

HAS SPENT MUCH OF HIS LIFE

INVOLVED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE

SYSTEM, BUT EVENTUALLY GOT OUT

AND BECAME AN ENTREPRENEUR

BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD HIRE HIM

AND HAS BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR,

NOW RUNS THREE DIFFERENT BARBER

SHOPS IN BALTIMORE.

GIVES KIDS FREE HAIR CUTS WHEN

THEY BRING BOOKS IN.

I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE FROM HIM.

THIS MORNING SAYING, MY MAN, I'M

GETTING READY TO MAKE MY $133

DONATION TO ROBINHOOD.

>> THAT'S GREAT.

>> THAT'S WHAT ROBINHOOD IS

ABOUT.

WE ARE ABOUT BUILDING AN ARMY OF

POVERTY FIGHTERS.

>> LET ME TALK ABOUT YOUR

BACKGROUND.

I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK FOR

LEADERSHIP, WE ARE THE PRODUCTS

OF WHAT OUR EXPERIENCES HAVE

BEEN.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> I THINK YOU HAVE FASCINATING

EXPERIENCES.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

>> ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M SO

EXCITED ABOUT ROBINHOOD IS THIS

IS A VERY PERSONAL MISSION TO

ME.

YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF WHAT IT'S

LIKE TO COME UP IN A PLACE THAT

HAS BEEN CHRONICALLY NEGLECTED,

AND WORST OF ALL, TO KNOW IT, TO

KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN AN AREA

THAT HONESTLY IS NOT BEING

THOUGHT ABOUT BY MANY OTHER

PEOPLE.

I LIVED IN THOSE AREAS.

I SAW MY MOM WORKING THREE

PART-TIME JOBS AND NOT GETTING

HER FIRST FULL-TIME JOB UNTIL I

WAS ABOUT 14 YEARS OLD.

I KNOW THAT REALITY.

AND I THINK KIND OF THE

JUXTAPOSITION THEN OF ME KIND OF

WALKING INTO THIS SEAT OF

ROBINHOOD COMING FROM A

COMMUNITY ROBINHOOD HELPED TO

FUND -- HELPED TO FUND

>> REALLY.

>> LIKE 15 YEARS AGO, THE

EVANDER NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> TALK ABOUT CLOSING A CIRCLE.

>> TALK ABOUT CLOSING A CIRCLE.

FOR ME THIS BECOMES A PERSONAL

MISSION KNOWING THAT I BENEFITED

FROM THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS.

I KNOW I BENEFITED FROM MENTORS

AND PEOPLE WHO SAW SOMETHING IN

ME BEFORE I WAS READY TO SEE IT

IN MYSELF.

BUT I ALSO KNOW THIS.

WE ARE NEVER GOING TO CHERRY

PICK OUR WAY TO FIXING

STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS.

WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS

STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS AS WELL SO,

THEN, WHEN WE'RE WATCHING PEOPLE

ADVANCE AND WE'RE WATCHING

FAMILIES WHO ARE THEN GOING TO

BE ECONOMICALLY MOBILE, THAT

THAT MOBILITY IS NOT BECAUSE WE

CHERRY PICKED, BUT THAT MOBILITY

IS BECAUSE WE FIXED SOCIAL

INEQUITIES.

>> RIGHT.

I'VE SEEN YOU QUOTED AS SAYING

PHILANTHROPY ALONE, AS IMPORTANT

AS IT IS IN THIS BATTLE AGAINST

POVERTY, PHILANTHROPY ALONE IS

NOT GOING TO SOLVE THIS.

YOU TALK ABOUT WE NEED TO BE

CONVENERS.

>> YES.

>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

>> I THINK ROBINHOOD HAS AN

IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN TERMS

OF THE CAPITAL THAT IT CAN

DISTRIBUTE AND ONE THING WE TAKE

A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE IN IS THE

FACT THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE

TRUSTING ROBINHOOD WITH THEIR

RESOURCE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S

PUT OUT WISELY AND SMARTLY, THAT

WE TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY AND WE

FEEL LIKE WE ARE BEST IN CLASS

AT THAT.

HOWEVER, PHILANTHROPY ALONE WILL

NEVER FIX WHAT POLICIES HAVE

CREATED.

THERE ARE POLICIES THAT ARE

PUTTING PEOPLE AND KEEPING

PEOPLE IN POVERTY EVERY SINGLE

DAY.

WHETHER IT'S THE WAY WE THINK

ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, THE WAY WE

THINK ABOUT HOUSING, THE WAY WE

THINK ABOUT EDUCATION, THE WAY

WE THINK ABOUT HEALTH AND HUMAN

SERVICES.

SO, I THINK PART OF THE JOB OF

ROBINHOOD IS IN ADDITION TO

BEING AN INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE

DISTRIBUTOR OF CAPITAL TO MAKE

SURE WE'RE HELPING AND

SUPPORTING GREAT ORGANIZATIONS

LIKE ONES THAT ROBINHOOD HAVE

BEEN INVOLVED WITH FOR A LONG

PERIOD OF TIME, ORGANIZATIONS

LIKE KIPP, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE

THE ASSOCIATION OF BENEFIT

CHILDREN, THE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE

THE HARLEM CHILDREN ZONE, I

THINK ROBINHOOD ALSO HAS A

UNIQUE ROLE TO PLAY IN THE FACT

WE CAN BRING OTHER LIKE MINDED

ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER.

WE CAN BRING OTHER

PHILANTHROPISTS TOGETHER.

WE CAN BRING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

TOGETHER AND HELP TO THINK ABOUT

HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT

BUDGETS, HOW WE'RE THINKING

ABOUT POLITICAL PRIORITIES, AND

WHAT IMPACT IS THAT GOING TO

HAVE ON THE POPULATION THAT WE

WILL ALWAYS DEFEND AND THAT WE

WILL ALWAYS SERVE.

>> ONE OF THE OTHER INTERESTING

THINGS I FOUND IN YOUR

BACKGROUND, AS I MENTIONED, AS A

COMBAT VETERAN.

WHAT DID YOU BRING BACK WITH YOU

FROM THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU

THINK HAVE PUSHED YOU IN THE

DIRECTION THAT YOU'RE GOING INTO

NOW, AND THIS NOTION OF

PHILANTHROPY AND FIGHTING

POVERTY?

>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS INTERESTING

BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY MY

MILITARY EXPERIENCES THAT

ACTUALLY GAVE ME MY FIRST DIRECT

CONNECTION TO ROBINHOOD BECAUSE

WHEN I CAME BACK FROM

AFGHANISTAN, I REALLY BECAME AN

ADVOCATE FOR VETERANS AND ALSO

SPECIFICALLY VETERANS FAMILIES.

BECAUSE I STARTED NOTICING THAT

EVERY TIME WE NEEDED ANYTHING

WHILE WE WERE OVERSEAS WHEN WE

WERE FIGHTING, WE GOT IT.

WE GOT IT INSTANTANEOUSLY.

BUT THEN I HAD SOLDIERS AND PARA

TROOPERS COMING BACK HOME AND

WAITING NINE MONTHS TO SEE A

DOCTOR.

>> WHERE DID THAT ALL GO, THAT

INSTANTANEOUS SORT OF IMMEDIACY.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

>> THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT

DISAPPEARS.

>> THE IMMEDIACY, THE URGENCY.

I BECAME ACTIVE IN THE VETERANS

FIGHT BECAUSE I WAS SAYING, WE

MADE A PROMISE TO THESE MEN AND

WOMEN.

AND WHEN THESE MEN AND WOMEN

DECIDED TO SERVE OUR KWUN TRI,

THEY DIDN'T ASK THE COUNTRY TO

WAIT.

WHY NOW WHEN THEY COME HOME IS

THE COUNTRY ASKING THEM TO WAIT?

ROBINHOOD AND THE EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR DAVID SALZMAN GOT WIND

OF A LOT OF THE WORK WE WERE

DOING AROUND VETERANS.

ROBINHOOD SAID WE WANT TO BE

ABLE TO ATTACK THIS ISSUE OF

VETERAN HOMELESSNESS.

HOW COME THEY CAN'T FIND A HOME?

THEY PUT TOGETHER A ADVISORY

COUNCIL SAYING WE ARE GOING TO

ATTACK THE ISSUE OF VETERAN

HOMELESSNESS.

AND INCLUDED ME ON THIS COUNCIL

WITH THE COLLECTION OF OTHER

PEOPLE, ADMIRAL MULLEN AND A

COLLECTION OF OTHER ADVOCATES AS

WELL.

AND THROUGH THE WORK OF THAT

COUNCIL AND THROUGH THE WORK

THAT THEY WERE DOING WITH THE

CITY OF NEW YORK, THE STATE OF

NEW YORK, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS,

ET CETERA, HAVE REALLY CREATED A

NATIONAL MODEL ABOUT THE WAY

THAT WE ADDRESS VETERAN

HOMELESSNESS.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE EXCITING

THINGS I THINK ROBINHOOD ONE OF

THE ROLES ROBINHOOD CAN PLAY.

ROBINHOOD HAS A UNIQUE PLACE OF

BEING BOTH AN IMPORTER AND AN

EXPORTER OF REALLY GOOD IDEAS.

SO, IF IT'S WORKING IN NEW YORK,

LET'S BRING IT ELSEWHERE.

AND IF IT'S WORKING SOMEWHERE

ELSE, LET'S BRING IT TO NEW

YORK.

THAT'S ANOTHER UNIQUE ROLE.

>> FOR AN ORGANIZATION TO HAVE

THAT WILLINGNESS, TO EMBRACE

SOMETHING -- OKAY, THIS IS NOT

OURS, BUT IT WORKS.

>> BUT IT WORKS SO WE'RE GOING

TO EMBRACE IT AND MAKE IT OURS.

THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

IT'S NOT ABOUT OWNERSHIP.

IT'S ABOUT EFFICACY.

WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF

IT'S EFFECTIVE LET'S SPREAD IT

OUT.

>> IT'S A MAGNIFICENT

ORGANIZATION AND THEY COULD NOT

HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF

CHOOSING A NEXT LEADER TO FOLLOW

IN DAVID'S FOOTSTEPS THAN

BRINGING YOU ON, WESS.

WE HOPE YOU'LL COME BACK AND WE

CAN TALK MORE.

>> I WOULD LOVE THAT, I WOULD

LOVE THAT.

THANK YOU.

>> GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

BE WELL.