Apollo Opportunity Foundation

In the spirit of #GivingTuesday and its core value to Lead Responsibly, Apollo Global Management, Inc. is providing all employees with a gift to donate to a charity of their choice. We are proud to support Apollo employees’ charitable endeavors on Giving Tuesday, a global generosity initiative encouraging people to give back to their communities by donating their time and resources to meaningful causes.

The Apollo Opportunity Foundation recently hosted its inaugural AOF Summit, convening 480 global Apollo employees with leaders from AOF’s portfolio of 24 non-profit grantees. The Summit focused on capacity building, driving employee engagement, and fostering community amongst grantees. AOF seeks to expand opportunity in the global communities where we live and work by encouraging people to invest in career education, workforce development and economic empowerment. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e8agATJ3

Leading Responsibly is one of our core values at Apollo Global Management, Inc., with many of our employees supporting the greater community by serving on non-profit boards. During Veterans Month, we’re highlighting Catch A Lift Fund, an organization helping injured veterans regain their mental and physical health through the power of exercise and a peer support network. Eric Needleman, Partner and Head of Apollo Capital Solutions, recently joined the Catch A Lift board, inspired by the organization’s impactful work in supporting veterans and giving back to those who have selflessly defended our country. Through participating in a veteran’s workout, Eric saw firsthand the organization’s work in rebuilding a sense of community, offering a purpose and connecting people through their shared experiences. Eric encourages colleagues interested in non-profit board service to find a cause that resonates with them on a personal level as the experience is incredibly rewarding, both professionally and personally.

In October, the Apollo Asia Pacific offices convened for an offsite in Hong Kong. The team partnered with Foodlink, a local non-profit committed to fighting hunger and poverty in underprivileged communities. Over 150 team members from Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, Mumbai, and Hong Kong supported Foodlink in preparing food packs, soap bars, and energy bars – a true team effort! The group had an amazing time working to support such an impactful cause. Thank you, Apollo Asia Pacific!

The Apollo Opportunity Foundation hosted an inaugural AOF Summit in New York City convening our entire portfolio of 24 grantee organizations alongside Apollo employees from around the world. Over 500 Apollo employees and non-profit leaders participated in an action-packed two days of “Apollo Academy” workshops, Deal Team Case Studies, networking opportunities, community-building sessions, and more!   Some of the key themes from the AOF Summit include:   🌎 Celebrating the power of our global community and our collective action to Drive Collaboration, Champion Opportunity, and Lead Responsibly.   💡 Creativity abounds when so many mission-driven people meet in person; AOF collected plenty of ideas for new programs and initiatives!   🚀 While we are proud of AOF’s start, it feels like we are just launching and we are so excited about the path ahead.   ⚡ We are inspired by the work our grantees lead, and motivated to leverage the entire Apollo ecosystem to advance their missions   💯 Nothing beats being together with this incredible community working to #ExpandOpportunity America Needs You, Avanti Fellows, Braven, Clontarf Foundation, Echoing Green, ETIC (Entrepreneurial Training for Innovative Communities), Futures and Options, GAIN UK, Generation Hong Kong, Girls Who Code, Girls Who Invest, IntoUniversity, iJAG (Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates), The Marcy Lab School, National Education Equity Lab, Ownership Works, Per Scholas, Point Foundation, Project Iowa, Student Leadership Network, The TEAK Fellowship, The Acceleration Project, The Honor Foundation, The Vedica Scholars Programme for Women

Leading Responsibly is one of our core values at Apollo Global Management, Inc., with many of our employees supporting the greater community by serving on non-profit board Robert Kalsow-Ramos, Partner, Private Equity, serves as Co-Chair of the board of The TEAK Fellowship, an organization that unlocks access to an outstanding education and transformative experiences for NYC students, who use these opportunities to change their lives and the world around them. Rob was introduced to TEAK by the late Marc Becker, a friend, mentor, Apollo Partner, and TEAK Board Chair. Last year, TEAK celebrated its 25th anniversary. We are proud to have had over 100 Apollo professionals involved with TEAK volunteering initiatives over the course of the year, as well as it being a grantee of the Apollo Opportunity Foundation.

AOF is thrilled that Apollo Partner Paulomi Shah has been interviewed on the next "Avanti: Yes She Can!" podcast hosted by Avanti Fellows, an organization we are proud to support as member of the AOF Portfolio. Paulomi serves as both a member of the Board of Directors as well as on the Apollo Opportunity Foundation Avanti Fellows Deal Team. Listen in to her episode below!

The Apollo Opportunity Foundation is proud to support Generation Hong Kong's mission to bridge the gap between education and employment for job-seekers entering the workforce in Hong Kong. Thank you to Virender Bedi, Apollo's Head of Digital and Client & Product Solutions Technology, for leading a session on AI and data engineering for Generation Hong Kong learners.

In September, eleven Apollo employees took part in the 4th annual Swim for SOF (Special Operations Forces) to support Apollo Opportunity Grantee The Honor Foundation (THF) in San Diego, CA. Over the course of the day, 120 swimmers persevered through the challenge of a 3.3 mile open water swim across the Coronado Bay with Veterans of the SOF. Apollo is proud to have had eight swimmers and three volunteers in attendance. The Honor Foundation received an Apollo Opportunity Foundation grant in 2023 and is a nationwide career transition organization for members of the U.S. Special Operations Forces. THF supports the transition of U.S. Force Members from elite military service to the private sector, creating the next generation of corporate and community leaders. Since 2014, THF has served over 2,500 service members and their families. We are proud to support THF in fulfilling their mission of becoming the preeminent career transition program for all branches and ranks of the military.

Leading Responsibly is one of our core values at Apollo Global Management, Inc., with many of our employees supporting the greater community by serving on non-profit board.   Steve Martinez, Partner & Co-Head of Impact Investing, serves on the board of the Toigo Foundation and has followed the organization for over 30 years. Toigo focuses on developing leaders and fostering career advancement of highly talented women and men throughout their MBA experience. Toigo has built and refined a program for promoting diversity in finance, providing access to talent, and supporting the career ascension and retention of minority leaders in finance. Steve shared that becoming involved in board service is easier than you may think; once you have found a cause that resonates with you, most organizations are incredibly welcoming to the opportunity to have you participate.