Born and raised in Arlington, VA, Kafia always had an affinity for Africa. Her parents moved from Somalia in the early eighties to Virginia to raise her family. With acceptance letters from notable universities such as George Washington University and University of Maryland, Kafia decided to attend Old Dominion University in Southeastern Virginia.

After graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. in International Studies and a minor in Public Law, Kafia decided to dedicate a year service and served with City Year in New York City tutoring and mentoring children in East Harlem. During her time as a corps member, Kafia found time to volunteer and first began work at the Diamond Empowerment Fund in 2009.

After completing more than 1700 hours of service with Americorps & City Year, Kafia then joined the staff of the Diamond Empowerment Fund in 2010, and currently serves in the role of Projects and Events Associate. This fall, Kafia began her graduate studies at New York University.

Nancy Orem Lyman is a strategic planner and marketing professional with over 20 years experience in both for-profit and non-for-profit organizations. Most recently, Nancy has worked as a strategy consultant developing communications and engagement approaches that connect businesses with relevant social issues and cause organizations. She has been instrumental in working with organizations to drive progress on the UN Millennium Development Goals and has been a driving force around the issues of environmental justice, climate change, and women’s empowerment. Nancy is a strong believer that effectively communicating businesses “triple bottom line” commitment will strengthen their reputation, connection with consumers, brand equity, overall position in the marketplace and long-term profitability.

Nancy has had prior experience in the diamond industry as Director of Consumer Confidence for De Beers Group Marketing while working at JWT Advertising. In fact, it was during this “mine to finger” experience with the diamond industry that Nancy developed her strong interest in and commitment to sustainability and sustainable development. Travel for her position included the developing countries of Sierra Leone, South Africa and Botswana where first hand observations were made on the impact responsible business practices could mean for communities…and businesses.

Nancy is an active participant on both the local and global front giving her time to organizations close to her heart. She is a member of her town’s Sustainability Advisory Board, co-founded the Chappaqua Farmers Market, is a League of Women Voter’s designated observer at the United Nations, sits on the NGO/Committee on the Status of Women’s Sub-Committee on Women and Climate Change and is a strong supporter of Womensphere and the Women’s Network for a Sustainable Future.

South African-born beauty Nicola Breytenbach-Steiner has graced the pages of Cosmopolitan, Elle, Vogue and American Marie Claire, to name a few. She’s walked the runways of Milan, Paris, London and New York for designers Chanel, Galliano and Dior. She’s done campaigns for Revlon, L’Oreal and worked alongside international supermodels Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer.

And it all started when Nicola’s mother’s hairdresser spotted her and managed to convince her to see a modeling agent in Amsterdam when she was 14. Born in Durban, South Africa, raised in Europe, and now residing in the United States, Nicola got her big break when she was appointed as Dior’s in-house model and it wasn’t long before she turned into one of the hottest ramp models in Europe. But the excitement didn’t stop there. A few years later she was approached by Trump Models in New York and moved her life to The Big Apple.

Within months she joined Trump Models, owned by Donald Trump, and landed a contract with cosmetics giant, Revlon, as the face for their Absolutely Fabulous campaign. Mr. Trump also handpicked Nicola to appear in the second and third season of the popular reality TV series, The Apprentice.

She says the most challenging part about modeling at that time was maintaining a balance between her career and personal life. Downtime for Nicola means being able to relax with her husband, Ben Steiner, toddler daughter Evangeline, and family and friends. She loves painting and cooking and is increasingly spending more time and energy working for her favorite charity, the Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.), in her role as the organization’s first Angel Ambassador.

CEO and Co-ordinator of the Rosy Blue Group

Personal / Family Background and Ethos

I have the privilege of being the CEO and Co-ordinator of the Rosy Blue Group, a family corporation. The success of our family business, founded by my eldest brother Arun and our uncle Bhanuchandra Bhansali, is due in no small part to strong family values. I am grateful to my elder brothers Arun and Harshad for entrusting me with the international expansion when they sent me to Antwerp to open our first office abroad in 1973. However, my journey started long before joining the family business in 1970.

I learned my first lesson in family responsibilities when I was 6 years old, looking after our home while our mother went on no quick trips to procure provisions for all of us. I got the first taste of what it means to “hold down the fort” albeit a very humble fort.

When our mother found out about Harshad stealing some change to buy torch batteries, she taught us the importance of honesty and integrity by making us vow never to lie or to steal. These principles have been and continue to be one of the pillars of our company. I believe that Rosy Blue’s clients and suppliers have maintained their relationships with us partly because of our uncompromising adherence to these values. I am proud of our commitment to these principles.

In India we are taught to save rather than spend. In our modest household, this concept was both wise as well as practical. I learned first hand the meaning of “value.” I experienced as much appreciation as joy when I got my first bicycle. We at Rosy Blue deliver value for our customer’s money because we understand value.

We also understand the value of money to those who are in need. Over the past 45 years our family has evolved from a very humble beginning to a multinational corporation with over 10,000 employees. We strongly believe, as our business grew and prospered, we have a social role to fulfil in society. We share our business successes by giving back to our community, our town, our country and the world. Our family supports projects globally and locally. Each contribution is considered thoroughly: it must serve the underprivileged and socially deprived groups in society. We also consider carefully the appropriate channel through which we contribute. We utilise our family trusts as well as our corporate entities when our contribution will enhance the visibility and awareness of the cause we are supporting, with a view to encouraging others to do the same. We also make significant anonymous donations through private channels, especially when such contributions, while being needed urgently, might cause embarrassment to the beneficiary.

Originally, we focussed on supporting social projects in India, due to the fact that the priorities there were indeed the basics such as food and shelter. Over the years we started to support international and local initiatives with one goal in mind: we are committed to empowering people to become self reliant through education and training. A brief overview of the social projects we support are mentioned below, but one project that is close to my heart is where we provide clothing, especially school uniforms, to underprivileged children in India. At the end of each year, we provide school uniforms to over 125,000 children, some of whom may have walked barefoot for 10 km to one of the distribution points. It is an important project because these children feel encouraged to attend and stay in school so that they can receive the education that is in many ways a prerequisite to become self reliant. It sends a strong message, in a positive manner, that education is critically important, not just for them but for our collective future.

As one prospers, one’s social responsibilities increase. Our family has prospered from a very humble beginning. Hence, value for what we have must be at the core of our thinking. Building of various societies and empowering people to support themselves and be self reliant is and will be the prime objective. Reflecting over our past, we always focussed on our family. Thereafter, we prospered and looked at communities, our town, state and country. Today, we look far beyond, at the whole world, as our work place. It is in this vein that I have been working very hard towards promoting unity among various communities and more specifically the global diamond industry.

Family unity underpins our continued commitment to society, as well as our commercial success in the last 45+ years. The younger generation is buying into the philosophy of united approach to prosperity and responsible citizenship. I am therefore confident that our family will continue to contribute to society as we have done so to this date.

Executive Highlights

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & CO-ORDINATOR

High-integrity, energetic Entrepreneur and Senior Operating and Management Executive with 35 years of strong domestic and international P&L management experience driving market share, revenue and profit growth. Successfully led an international Greenfield expansion with outstanding financial results and reputation enhancements by founding the family corporation’s first overseas office in Belgium and turning it into a growth engine. Superior strategic aptitude and visionary with a clear sense of purpose and urgency. Talent for making rapid assessments of diverse situational challenges and then developing and leading the resulting action plans. Key qualifications include:

• Business Process & Strategy Development
• Joint Ventures & Strategic Partnerships
• Brand & Marketing Strategy Development
• Forecasting, Budgeting & Cost Controls
• Quality & Productivity Improvement
• Pricing Strategies & Product Introduction
• Strategic & Operational Planning
• Acquisition Negotiation & Assimilation
• Building Shareholder Value
• Reengineering Manufacturing Operations
• Market Analysis, Penetration & Expansion
• International Sales Strategies & Campaigns

President and CEO, GIA

Appointed to the position of president in 2006, Donna M. Baker has a background of service and a record of leadership that will serve GIA and its constituents well in the coming years as the Institute continues its strong commitment to the public.

Baker began her career at GIA in 2001. As vice president and general counsel, she was responsible for the Institute’s legal affairs and various other departments, including human resources, operations, real estate planning, information technology, community development and the museum and library.

Baker began her career as an associate at Morrison & Foerster, LLP, and later became a partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, specializing in business law.

An MBA and law school graduate of UCLA, Baker was named to the university’s Law Review from 1986 to 1988, and was chief comment editor from 1987 to 1988. She is a member of the American Corporate Counsel Association, the American Bar Association and the California State Bar Association.

Baker received her bachelor of arts degree from Loyola Marymount University, where she majored in sociology, psychology and theology and graduated magna cum laude. She received her Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA in 2005, and the Certified Gemologist title from the American Gem Society in 2006.

Baker is committed to community service. She is actively involved with the Boy Scouts of America as a local board member and leader of a Cub Scout den. She has worked with various social service agencies and taught at the elementary and high school levels. She was also the executive director of the Orange Coast Interfaith Homeless Shelter, where she lobbied at local and federal levels to stimulate new funding.

Baker has served on numerous boards, including: the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce, Riverside Community Hospital, Riverside Community College Foundation, Resource Center for Nonprofit Management, Youth Service Center, Riverside Regional Medical Center Foundation, Riverside Arts Foundation, and Mayor’s Youth Action Plan.

A distinguished and honored member of the gem and jewelry industry, Anna Martin is the managing director, at Standard Chartered Bank and is responsible for client coverage and marketing to the global diamonds and jewelry industry.

Anna has been an active and dedicated member of the jewelry community for many years, and was inducted into the Diamond Hall of Fame by the U.S. Diamond Industry Steering Committee. She was elected to the Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA) Board of Governors and is currently serving as its Vice chair.

In addition, she has received many awards throughout her career for her community and industry work. Such awards including: the award for “Excellence in Special Services” from the Women’s Jewelry Association; the “Premier Patron Award”; the “Guiding Light Award”; and the “Doyenne of the Year Award,” from the Indian and Colored stone Association.

She was honored with the “Community Achievement Award” by the Jewelry Chapter of American Ort and received the “Award of Excellence” from the UJA Federation of NY. Anna was presented with the “Triple Zero Award” from the American Gem Society.

Anna is a member of the Women’s Jewelry Association Board and its past president. She is a League of Honor Sovereign of the GIA, and a member of the Board of the Jewelers Board of Trade. She also serves on the JCK Advisory Board, and was appointed a member of the Board of the Jewelers for Children.

President, Royal Asscher of America

Born in Amsterdam, Holland, Lita Asscher is President of Royal Asscher® of America and heiress to the World famous Asscher diamond dynasty. Her ancestors were responsible for such eminent achievements as the creation of the original 1902 Asscher Cut diamond, and the cutting of the largest diamond ever found, the 3105 carat Cullinan diamond for Great Britain’s Crown Jewels. Royal Asscher® is jeweler to the crown of many nations; the company has a legendary European heritage and an exclusive clientele of international royalty and celebrities.

With such a prominent diamond heritage it is often assumed that Lita has always worked in the diamond industry. However, after finishing a management degree at Amsterdam’s Hogeschool of Holland University she started working for Dell® Computers. In six years she grew to be one of the company’s most successful account managers in the Netherlands, receiving multiple prizes for her accomplishments.

After an interesting, educational experience at Dell, Lita joined Royal Asscher® Diamond Company, entering the business alongside her father, uncle and brother, adding an entrepreneurial and creative management style to an age old, internationally respected business. When Lita started working for the family company she first underwent diamond education in Antwerp at the High Council of Diamonds, (HRD), the most famous and known laboratory in Europe.

Upon joining Royal Asscher® Diamond Company she analyzed the current business; at that time Royal Asscher® was focused on the worldwide sale of loose diamonds. As a young woman who had grown up in one of Europe’s most famous diamond houses Lita felt that women wanted to see diamonds set in amazing jewelry, that they want to fall in love with ‘must have’ pieces. She believed that diamonds needed a beautiful piece of jewelry to really perform for the crowd. Thus in a move that was complementary to the existing business she set to work, creating a line of jewelry for Royal Asscher®.

Her first Royal Asscher® Collection, which debuted in 2005 in the Netherlands, had elements of both art deco inspired design and fashion forward modernity and was an instant success in some of Europe’s prestigious jewelry houses. Since 2005 Lita has designed an annual jewelry collection for Royal Asscher® in Europe, in 2008 she expanded her design portfolio by debuting six major international jewelry collections in the United States.

In 2006, it was decided that Royal Asscher® would establish their North American business, following a significant spike in interest from the retail market. Thus Lita made an international move to head up the company’s North American business, by February 2008 she had grown a network of authorized retailers.

Lita’s father is co-creator of the Royal Asscher® Cut and Dutch Senator Edward Asscher, who has received a knighthood for his social and ethical work. Her mother Caty Asscher is a business psychologist who specializes in gender diversity issues in the workplace, with a feminist/ equalist focus. Combining the legacy of her parents, Lita has made a personal commitment to campaign for an ethically operating diamond industry, and has a particular interest in the issues affecting women and girls. In November 2008, Royal Asscher launched a Sierra Leone focused charity project, called Star of Africa. The project aims to improve infrastructure in Sierra Leone by creating funding for education and self sufficiency programs. The project which is named after the largest diamond ever found the 3105 carat Star of Africa (Cullinan) diamond, cut by the Asscher family in 1908. On behalf of Royal Asscher Lita visited Sierra Leone in August 2008 to look at what needs to be done to fulfill Star of Africa’s aims. She intends to combine her passion for Star of Africa, with the passion and desire that she has to see her family’s company continue its legacy well into the 21st century.

In 2009 Royal Asscher®, announced a new collaboration for their Star of Africa initiative; the company has teamed up with the Diamond Empowerment Fund®, (D.E.F.) and has guaranteed a minimum donation of $50,000 to support the D.E.F. scholars program at the African Leadership Academy. The funding will sponsor students from Sierra Leone to attend the African Leadership Academy (ALA). The Academy was founded with the belief that ethical leadership is the key to transforming the African continent by developing, connecting and supporting its future leaders. The ALA is based in Johannesburg, South Africa and has a Pan-African student population drawn from all 54 African countries.

This will be funded through sales of the new and very innovative Stars of Africa Collection by Royal Asscher, which Lita introduced in November 2009 and already won the JCK jewellers choice award. Stars of Africa by Royal Asscher is a fine jewelry collection, that incorporates an innovative and pioneering concept- floating diamonds! The collection of 18 rings with diamonds encased in a fluid-filled sapphire dome, allows the diamonds to fall freely, like snowflakes in a snow globe. The result is cascading diamonds which emit light, fire and beauty as they move, creating a mesmerizing effect.

In June 2010 Russel Simmons, one of the co-founders of the Diamond Empowerment foundation asked Lita to join the board of the foundation, which she gladly excepted.

Lita is very proud to be working with both her father Edward and brother Mike.

Mike and Lita are confident that the company will grow and flourish long into the 21st century.

Summary

• Owner of Calhoun Jewelers – retail jewelry store
• Owner of Avanti Development LLC – commercial land development company
• Owner of Cafe on Main – restaurant
• Owner of Spring City Elderly Housing – 138 units for low income seniors

Education

• Graduate Gemologist, Gemological Institute of America
• Certified Gemologist Appraiser, American Gem Society
• Temple University

Affiliations

• President of American Gem Society – 2010
• Pennsylvania Jeweler of the Year 2009
• Past President of GIA Alumni Association Delaware Valley Guild
• Past President of AGS Alumni Association Keystone Guild
• Executive Board Director of the American Gem Society
• Board Director of Women’s Jewelry Association
• President of Women in Construction
• Boast Director of Jewelers for Children
• President Spring City Revitalization
• President Royersford Business Association
• Board Director of Phoenixville Homes
• Board Director for Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company
• Board Director for Diamond Empowerment Fund

Hobbies

• 1st Degree Black Belt Karate
• Private Pilot
• Scuba Diver
• Gem Hunter
• Road Rally Driver

President and CEO, Hip-Hop Summit Action Network

When Russell Simmons established the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) to empower the Hip-Hop community to utilize their commanding cultural influence for freedom, justice and equality, he needed someone with a strong mind and commitment to youth, national civil rights experience, political skills, vast spiritual knowledge and an adept human touch to head up the organization. That man was Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, also known as Minister Benjamin Muhammad, who had already proved his mettle by organizing the historic New York Hip-Hop Summit in 2001. That two-day event–”an unprecedented meeting,” according to the Los Angeles Times—found Chavis and Simmons guiding industry hip-hop leaders, artists, and civil rights and political organizations towards an agreement on a series of initiatives and commitments that will affect the artistic and social landscape of American society and the global community, as a whole. One month later, the HSAN was born and Dr. Chavis was named President and CEO.

Chavis comes to the HSAN with a professional history of solid principles, demonstrated courage and immense diversity. A native of Oxford, North Carolina, he holds a number of prestigious degrees: He received a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from University of North Carolina; a Master of Divinity, M.Div., magna cum laude, from Duke University; a Doctor of Ministry, D.Min., from Howard University; and completed course requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, from Union Theological Seminary.

Dr Benjamin Chavis began his career in 1965, as a statewide youth coordinator in NC for the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 1969, Chavis was appointed Southern Regional Program Director of the 1.7million member United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice (UCC-CRJ) and by 1985 was named the Executive Director and CEO of the UCC-CRJ. In 1988, Dr. Chavis was elected Vice President of the National Council of Churches of the USA. Then in 1993, Dr. Chavis achieved what no other before him had achieved. He became the youngest person ever to be the Executive Director and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

In 1995, as National Director of the Million Man March, Dr. Chavis looked straight in the face of the skeptics, and despite tremendous controversy, pulled off arguably one of the largest, most vocal, most effective gatherings of our time. To accomplish that coup, Chavis drew on many years of experience. No stranger to the civil rights struggle, Benjamin Chavis and nine others in 1978 were officially classified “American political prisoners” by Amnesty International as members of the Wilmington, NC Ten. Although Chavis and his teenage codefendants were unjustly imprisoned in NC for most of the 1970’s because of their challenge to racial segregation in the Wilmington public school system, the Wilmington Ten emerged victorious after nearly a ten year international political and legal battle when the 4th Circuit US Court of Appeals overturned their convictions and cleared their names. While in prison, Dr Chavis authored two books: An American Political Prisoner Appeals for Human Rights and Psalms from Prison.

Because of Dr. Chavis’ scientific background, in 1981, he was the first person to coin the term environmental racism: “Racial discrimination in the deliberated targeting of ethnic and minority communities for exposure to toxic and hazardous waste sites and facilities, coupled with the systematic exclusion of minorities in environmental policy making, enforcement, and remediation.: To prove the validity of his definition, Chavis in 1986 conducted, authored and published the landmark national study: Toxic Waste and Race in the United States of America, that statistically revealed the direct correlation between race and the location of toxic waste throughout the United States. Benjamin Chavis is considered by many environmental grassroots activists to be the “father of the post-modern environmental justice movement” that has steadily grown throughout the nation and world since the early 1980’s.

Along the way, Dr. Chavis evolved into a serious journalist and commentator through his nationally syndicated newspaper column and weekly radio program, “Civil Rights Journal” from 1985 to 1993.

On the career track, Chavis became Executive Director and CEO of the National African American Leadership Summit (NAALS) from 1995 to 1997, and was then appointed East Coast Regional Minister of the Nation of Islam and Minister of the historic Mosque Number Seven in Harlem, New York. Subsequently, he was also named as Special Assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, a position he still maintains today.

The journey into the Hip-Hop culture actually had its roots for Chavis dating back to 1969 when he was the proprietor and regular “DJ” and “MC” for The Soul Kitchen Disco in his hometown of Oxford, NC. In the 1970’s, Chavis envisioned that there was a direct connection between the urban underground music and the post-civil rights era. During the1980’s, Chavis witnessed the growing popularity of hip-hop with disenfranchised youth entrapped into urban poverty. While serving as a mentor to Sister Souljah, Kevin Powell, Little Rob, Ras Baraka and other hip-hop activists, Chavis met Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen in 1986 at Def Jam Records. As head of the NAACP in 1993, he worked with Run DMC to mobilize youth voters.

Thus, it made perfect sense when hip-hop’s premier video director, Hype Williams, cast Chavis in the pivotal role as the “Minister” in the 1998 hip-hop classic movie “BELLY,” which starred superstar hip-hop artists Nas, Method Man and DMX. More recently Dr. Ben performed the Intro and Out-tro to Jim Jones and the Diplomats 2004 hip-hop album, “On My Way to Church.” In 2005. Dr Ben is featured on Cassidy’s “I Am A Hustler” platinum selling album. In 2006, Dr. Ben is featured on Jim Jones record-breaking album: “A Hustler’s POME” where he performs the monologue on the track entitled, “Concrete Jungle.”

When Dr. Chavis organized both the Million Man and Million Family Marches in 1995 and 2000 respectively, Russell Simmons worked with him to mobilize hip-hop leaders to support the marches. Ultimately, the two men realized they had a similar vision for this generation of hip-hop youth, and to that end, they created the first national Hip-Hop Summit in New York City, from which led to Simmons and Chavis co-founding the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) in June 2001.

Six years later, the HSAN today is the largest worldwide coalition of hip-hop artists, recording industry executives, youth activists and civil rights leaders. Over 60 Hip-Hop Summits have been held throughout the United States and in Canada. Over the several years HSAN has help to build a coalition that has registered to vote over 7 million 18-35 year-olds across America.

Dr Chavis is married Martha Rivera Chavis and the father of eight children.

The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network has benefited greatly from the leadership of Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. And the feeling is mutual: “The hip-hop generation is the most talented and socially conscious generation of youth that has ever emerged on the world stage to demand respect and justice for all,” he said.

Chairman and CEO, Rush Communications, New York

USA Today recently named Russell Simmons one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years,” calling him a “hip-hop pioneer” for his groundbreaking vision that has influenced music, fashion, finance, television and film, as well as the face of modern philanthropy.

Russell Simmons has been instrumental in bringing the powerful influence of hip-hop culture to every facet of business and media since its inception in the late 1970s. From producing and/or managing such early hip-hop artists as Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Whodini and the Beastie Boys to signing seminal luminaries like Jay Z, Foxy Brown and Ludacris, Simmons’ groundbreaking vision was crystallized with partner Rick Rubin in the creation of the seminal Def Jam Recordings in 1984, launching the cultural revolution known as hip-hop. Russell Simmons has been the master architect of that phenomenon, envisioning and creating the trends in popular culture. His fashion empire Phat Farm, which begat Baby Phat and Run Athletics, put the definitive stake in the ground for hip-hop clothing and others followed. His film and television production company with partner Stan Lathan – Simmons Lathan Media – created the wildly successful HBO’s “The Def Comedy Jam,” “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry,” “The Nutty Professor,” the Tony Award-winning stage production “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on Broadway” and the international hit on MTV, “Run’s House.” Simmons has put his imprint on the financial services industry, as well, leveling the playing field for all to have access to the American Dream with the Unirush Company’s RushCard. In 2006, Simmons broke new ground yet again, becoming the first African American to launch a major jewelry company – Simmons Jewelry Co. (SJC) – with partner and SJC president, Scott Rauch. Major retail chains followed, carrying the company’s collections, now distributed to over 2000 stores. This past Spring, Russell released a new book entitled Do You!12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success, which combines effective business practices with a spiritual foundation to be the best you can be. The book was a top 4 New York Times Best Seller, and was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. And, with Accel Partners’ Jim Breyer, Russell co-funded the Simmons’ founded unique, personalized internet portal for the hip-hop community – Global Grind – with the purpose of connecting young people around the world, a generation that Simmons has strongly encouraged, nurtured and supported, and one that has proven to be more giving, loving and compassionate than the generation before them. Simmons’ newest ventures are two hot clothing collections – Argyle Culture and Atman.

Russell Simmons’ interests extend far beyond the business world, and he spends a great deal of his time and considerable energy working for social, political, and philanthropic causes, pushing hip-hop on to new plateaus of power and relevance. Russell and his ventures are driven by a personal and corporate belief that hip-hop is an enormously influential agent for social change, which could be responsibly and proactively utilized to fight the war on poverty and ignorance. In 1995 he, along with his brothers Danny and Joseph Simmons (Rev. Run of Run DMC), founded Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. The organization is dedicated to providing disadvantaged urban youth with significant exposure and access to the arts, as well as offering exhibition opportunities to underrepresented artists and artists of color. He is also Chairman of Rush Community Affairs and the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, dedicated to bringing all religions and ethnicities together. The organization’s president is Rabbi Marc Schneier, also head of the World Jewish Congress. Following the historic Hip-Hop Summit Russell organized in June of 2001, he co-founded the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) with civil rights activist Dr. Benjamin Chavis. HSAN’s mission is to harness the cultural relevance of hip-hop music as a catalyst for education advocacy and other societal concerns fundamental to the well being of at-risk youth throughout the United States. HSAN enables artists to use their celebrity to give back to the community. Among HSAN’s major initiatives is helping to spearhead the first changes to the Rockefeller Drug Laws since 1973, orchestrating getting $300 million added back into the New York City education budget, Hip-Hop Team Vote – a 50-city grassroots force that worked throughout 2004 to register and mobilize young voters across the country, as well as three successful years of the “Get Your Money Right” Financial Empowerment International Summits. HSAN has traveled the country and the world implementing over 60 Hip-Hop Summits empowering young people around the issues of education, financial literacy and voting. In 2006, after a trip to Africa to see how some diamonds were positively affecting the lives of Africans where they are a natural resource, he created The Diamond Empowerment Fund™ (D.E.F.) to help Africans help Africa and sensitize the diamond industry to the plight of the Africans. Simmons Jewelry Co. has created a special collection of jewelry – The Green Initiative – which is giving back to Africa through D.E.F. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Petra Nemcova’s Happy Hearts Fund, which gives aid to children throughout the world who are victims of natural disasters.

Russell Simmons is a native New Yorker who attended City College of New York.
Russell and Kimora Lee have two daughters, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee.