Founded in 2017, Snap Inc. and its two founders, Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, have generously pledged lasting financial support to the Snap Foundation. Through grant giving, field building & advocacy, education & innovation, and our collaborative commitment to the city of Los Angeles, our foundation strives to help youth attain a future of endless possibilities within the creative economy and beyond.
Our mission is to develop pathways to the creative economy for underrepresented youth in Los Angeles.
The Snap Foundation envisions a future where all young people have equitable opportunities to contribute to and benefit from the thriving creative ecology of Los Angeles. We will accomplish this by ensuring creative non-profit organizations and collaborative efforts are well-resourced. We provide access to funding, mentorship and networking opportunities, high-quality education and training in creative fields, and to organizations who advocate for and develop arts policy.
Through our core values of collaboration, creativity, innovation, transformation, and trust, we are changing the face of LA’s creative economy.
Snap Foundation will work to advance equity by funding organizations supporting and/or led by underrepresented youth working in our three primary focus areas: Creative Education and Skills, Creative Economy Career Exploration and Readiness, and Creative Economy Workforce Entry and Advancement.
Get to know us!
Colombian born Juan Devis is the founder and CEO of Ninetythree Media. Devis was a director and producer before becoming Chief Content Officer at the largest independent premium content studio for public television in Los Angeles.
Betsy Lack has served as Vice President, Global Brand Experience at Snap Inc. since October 2021 and previously served as Head of Global Brand Strategy from July 2016 to October 2021. Prior to that, Ms. Lack was Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair, overseeing the magazine’s Silicon Valley and technology coverage, and she created and ran the New Establishment Summit series.
Kelly Kagan Law, Ph.D. MFT, is the Senior Director of Council at Snap Inc. where she has scaled a listening practice throughout the company for the past seven years. Prior to joining Snap, she spent two decades developing human development and arts programming for public and private educational institutions. She has also served as an advisor and board member for multiple nonprofits and foundations.
Pedro Martí is a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor with Rockefeller Capital in Los Angeles, California. Pedro and his team develop customized wealth management solutions for high net worth individuals, households, and foundations.
Mary Ritti has 25+ years of experience working in technology and communications. She is a founding board member of the Snap Foundation and serves on the Alliance for Children's Rights Board of Directors.
Katherine Tassi has 23 years of experience practicing law, both in public service and in technology companies. Before law, she was a poet, receiving an M.F.A. and teaching creative writing at various universities, and a high school English teacher to teens who were working or studying in the arts. She currently studies yoga and breathwork, with the goal of teaching underserved communities.
Joel Arquillos is Executive Director of the Snap Foundation. Prior to this, he led multiple nonprofits including 826LA, The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, and was Founding Director of National Programs for 826 National. Joel also spent over a decade as a history teacher and Director of Arts and Media at Galileo High School in San Francisco, as well as a Director of Day Programs for neurodiverse adults in Sonoma County. Joel is the son of Cuban and Spanish immigrants and was born in Queens, NYC.
Eric Thai is the Operations Manager for the Snap Foundation where he oversees grantmaking operations, accounting, and investments. He works at the intersections of philanthropy, finances, and innovation. Prior to Snap Foundation, he built and managed the financial functions for several organizations. He has led several innovative projects to further an organization’s mission including impact investments in startup companies, strategic private equity funds, and the launch of a venture studio.
Learn how to become part of our collaborative mission in empowering young creatives in Los Angeles through funding, mentorship, education, and advocacy opportunities.
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