Christine O’Connell of Riley’s Way Foundation shares a 2 year progress update on the Call For Kindness

We interview Dr. Christine O’Connell, Executive Director of Riley’s Way Foundation, in a progress report update from an initial conversation on the Questions of the Day program on the network two years ago. O’Connell continues to double down on Riley’s Way’s mission of providing young people with the programs, leadership training, coaching, and community they need to build a better world that values kindness, empathy, and connection. The conversation covers innovative initiatives like the Call for Kindness fellowship, dynamic youth leadership retreats, and a rapidly growing alumni network. Framed through the lens of their four strategic goals, O’Connell details the foundation’s growth and progress.

Since 2019, the foundation has supported a diverse range of organizations focused on STEAM education and more broadly on youth empowerment. Those more civic science-oriented include Enabling Access to STEAM Education (EASE), Grow Healthy, and Yes2STEM. In 2020, it backed Helping Hands, STEM Hour, and the Wilmington Urban STEM Initiative, while 2021 saw support for Blooming Seeds, RisingSTEMS, and Tech Inclusion. In 2022, the portfolio expanded with Girls STEM Academy, Girls who STEAM, RoboRecovery, and T.R.A.N.S, and in 2023, initiatives like Codology, myNetwork, Sci+Pi4All, SEED, The Ceres Organization, and WikiVision were funded. Finally, in 2024, the foundation further broadened its impact by supporting the Conservation Kid Fishing Line Recycling Program, Friends of Guatemala, Research to Empower, Sangwa’s Technical Resources, and Teen Coalition 4 Climate.

Actionable Insights

🚀 Program Expansion: Call for Kindness fellowship now offers up to $5,000 grants and awards 45 projects annually.

👥 Community Building: A robust alumni network of over 1,200 fosters mentorship and lasting connections.

🌎 National Reach: Active across states with a goal to expand to all 50 states within five years.

🎯 Strategic Focus: Progress is measured through four strategic goals: deepening impact, growing national presence, strengthening the community, and building organizational infrastructure.

🤝 Empowering Youth: Investing in leadership training, coaching, and community support to nurture the next generation of kind leaders.

📊 Organizational Growth: Significant team expansion (from 2 to 11 full-time employees) and investment in systems like CRM to better track impact and foster sustainability.

🌟 Innovative Partnerships: Collaborations with media outlets and partners like Google and Ashoka are key to expanding visibility and influence.

💡 Kind Leadership Values: Emphasis on bottom-up leadership and creating environments where kindness, empathy, and connection drive change.

References

(1) Conversation with Christine O’Connell in Feb 2023

(2) Riley’s Way Impact Reports

(3) Kindness And Leadership: A New Trend

Fanuel Muindi

Fanuel Muindi is a former neuroscientist turned civic science ethnographer. He is a professor of the practice in the Department of Communication Studies within the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University, where he leads the Civic Science Media Lab. Dr. Muindi received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and PhD in Organismal Biology from Morehouse College and Stanford University, respectively. He completed his postdoctoral training at MIT.