The CAFE Group Announces the 2025 Class of Luminaries

The CAFE Group Announces the 2025 Class of Luminaries: $5M in Catalytic Capital to Advance Education Outcomes in Black Communities 

CHICAGO, IL — September 18, 2025 — The CAFE Group today announced the 2025 class of Luminaries through The 1954 Project, its signature initiative reimagining how philanthropy invests in education. Selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide, these five leaders represent some of the most promises approaches to transforming education. Each will receive $1 million in unrestricted funding to accelerate their work and strengthen the institutions they lead. 

Since its launch in 2021, The CAFE Group has awarded $20 million in catalytic capital to 20 1954 Project Luminaries whose work intends to fulfill the promise of Brown v. Board of Education. Unlike traditional grantmaking, the initiative pairs substantial financial resources with deep social capital to support both leaders and their teams. 

“This announcement is about more than five leaders. It’s about the ecosystems they’re building,” said Liz Thompson, CEO and co-founder of The CAFE Group. “We believe that genius is everywhere, and our role is to resource it beyond any one individual. Ensuring healthy, durable institutions is about making lasting change possible for the generations coming behind us.” 

Meet the 2025 Luminaries 

This year’s Luminary cohort, while spanning a reach across the country, collectively transform education by providing strategic supports to stakeholders throughout the education ecosystem, focusing on the policies, programs, and curriculum that lead to a brighter future. While for some awardees, this represents their most significant investment to date, each organization is already driving measurable impact on education outcomes and changing how resources flow into Black communities: 

• Ethan Ashley | School Board Partners

  School Board Partners equips elected school board members — primarily leaders of color — with the tools, training, and support needed to drive equity-centered decision-making and systemic change. 

  
  

• Markus Flynn | Black Men Teach  

  Black Men Teach leads a regional coalition focused on recruiting, preparing, placing, and retaining Black male educators through mentorship, financial support, and peer community. 

  
  

• Samantha Williams | Birmingham Promise

  Birmingham Promise expands economic mobility by reducing the cost of college and connecting students from all academic backgrounds to high-quality internships and apprenticeships.  

  
  

• Elizabeth Clay Roy | Generation Citizen 

  Generation Citizen guides an experiential civics education model that has helped over 250,000 students nationwide build civic knowledge, skills, and agency through real-world learning.

  
  

• Lakisha Young | The Oakland REACH  

  The Oakland REACH designs community-driven literacy and math solutions that center families as change agents, leading to measurable gains in both student outcomes and household income.  

“When Don [Thompson] and I first conceived of The 1954 Project in 2019, we set out to disrupt the reality of scarcity for nonprofits seeking funding. We’ve built our model on the idea of abundance,” Thompson added. “We invest in what’s already working and, along with our funding partners, invite others to help it grow.” 

A Different Approach to Philanthropy 

The 1954 Project is setting a new standard for how philanthropy shows up in education: 

• Catalytic Capital: $1M unrestricted grants  

• Social Capital: Access to a growing network of innovators, funders, and partners 

• Collective Infrastructure: Coaching and other supports beyond the individual Luminary, extending to their teams and institutions 

By resourcing leadership with love and trust, The CAFE Group is strengthening the broader education ecosystem, ensuring that transformative ideas thrive and expand. 

For more information about the 2025 Luminaries and The 1954 Project, visit thecafe.org/meet-the-2025-luminaries.