About Us

Our Origin Story

To say I started the Soundboard Impact Foundation in 2024 doesn’t begin to do justice to the real backstory. My diverse experiences helping emerging leaders, my years of professional expertise in coaching and seed capital investment, and my life-long heart for the next generation have been long building towards this work. I am not exaggerating when I say that all the threads of my life — professional and personal — have come together in the Foundation. 

Professionally, my work has centered on being the one who goes in early, empowering individuals and businesses to thrive even when no one else believes in them yet. In June of 2000, after 20 years in the financial world, I started my coaching and consulting practice, Soundboard Consulting Group. The main goal was to do work that would fully align with my core values (which are the same values that guide the Foundation today). Over the last 25 years I have worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs, executives, and managers at all levels to help them achieve their professional goals, live a more fulfilled life, and realize their full potential. There’s nothing greater than seeing someone overcome their own self-limiting beliefs

. 

Parallel to this work, in March of 2012, I co-founded the Soundboard Angel Fund, providing seed capital to early stage companies. My partner, Jonathan Hakakian, and I launched our second fund in May of 2021, the Soundboard Venture Fund, with a number of incredibly brilliant partners and entrepreneurs. The Soundboard Impact Foundation rounds out the Soundboard trifecta of coaching, investing, and giving.

In reality, though, I have been actively passionate about giving back throughout my whole life. It all started when I worked at a home for geriatric care during junior high school and mentored younger kids through the Big Brothers program. In college, I volunteered as a student advisor in the guidance office at New York University. In the early 2000s, I dedicated my time to serving on the Board of Operation Link-Up in Paterson, NJ. This valuable program helped inner-city high school students complete their education and gain access to college

In the past ten years, I have increased my charitable work and donations to have a greater global impact. I have been supporting young leaders through a Young Leaders Fellowship Program, which was created and is led by the amazing team at MCW Global. This collaboration has provided me with opportunities to travel to and train leaders in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia, as well as remote mentorship of young leaders from many other countries around the world. The Foundation directly builds upon these long-standing relationships and organizational connections while also expanding into new opportunities. Looking forward, it is my hope and goal that the Foundation brings together a dynamic yet like-minded community committed to impacting future leaders in the US and around the world.

Join us on this journey!

-Richard

OUR CORE VALUES

Our Team & Board Members

Associated Organizations
Learn more about our collaborations

We are excited to work with organizations that are passionate about supporting young leaders in the US and around the world. Projects and programs supported by the Foundation need to be creative in their approach to learning. They must provide a safe environment for self-reflection, exploration, and application. We are looking to support both “start-up” programs as well as established programs where the sight line to impact can be clearly evaluated. The projects and programs should be focused on younger leaders who are earlier in their journey to changing their communities and the world.

Do you feel the passion to join us on this journey?

Get Involved

See your donations come to life. Travel with purpose. Connect with a global network. Be part of something bigger.