2026 Highlights
Building momentum across Arts, Youth Empowerment, Culture & Conservation
2026 has brought strong momentum across our work. Together with our clients and partners, we’ve advanced initiatives through strategic representation, partnerships, fundraising, board development, and community engagement.
Social Impact
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Business Growth
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Communications
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Philanthropy
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Corporate Social Responsibility
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Social Impact · Business Growth · Communications · Philanthropy · Corporate Social Responsibility ·
Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project
Annual Block Party 2026
On September 19, Charlize Theron’s Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) hosted its sixth annual Block Party at Universal Studios Backlot, raising over $1 million to support community-based organizations and youth health and safety in Southern Africa. RDF Consulting’s Rodney Franks co-emceed alongside Thando Dlomo, with festivities featuring a live auction and a performance by Kid Cudi.
At the heart of the celebration was CTAOP’s commitment to supporting locally led organizations that help young people thrive. Siphosihle Benge, a graduate of CTAOP’s Youth Leaders Scholarship program, shared their experience, bringing that impact to life. Since 2007, CTAOP-supported programs have reached more than 4.8 million young people across Southern Africa—a reminder of the lasting work this community makes possible.
Zeitz MOCAA
Gala 2026 & Venice Biennale
During Cape Town Art Week, Zeitz MOCAA welcomed nearly 200 artists, patrons, and supporters for its fifth annual Gala. Guided by Emmy Award–winning storyteller Thando Dlomo, the evening celebrated African and diasporic voices while supporting the museum’s exhibitions, collection, and educational programming.
The museum also hosted a private reception during the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, connecting patrons and supporters around the growing global dialogue on contemporary African and diasporic art.
Looking ahead, Elvira Dyangani Ose will become Artistic Director on October 1, 2026, building on the late Koyo Kouoh’s legacy as the museum approaches its 10th anniversary in 2027. Preparations are also underway for the next Gala, bringing supporters together to help sustain the museum’s future.
NXTHVN & Frieze Impact Prize
Frieze Los Angeles marked a strong moment for 2025 NXTHVN Fellow and 2026 Frieze Impact Prize winner Napoles Marty, who received a solo booth at the fair and sold out his presentation. We were also glad to welcome Jorge Pérez among the supporters who joined us during the week.
Alongside this recognition, we supported a series of conversations and gatherings that highlighted the role of artists, institutions, and cultural leaders in shaping the future of the arts.
We began the week with a Frieze Impact Prize Celebration with NXTHVN, featuring a conversation on the role of artists, residencies, and cultural institutions in creating long-term impact, with artists Kenturah Davis, Daniel T. Gaitor-Lomack, Adrian Armstrong, and Capt. James Stovall V.
Throughout the week, we hosted intimate gatherings across Los Angeles, including a conversation with Greg Ito presented with Superposition Gallery, and SYNERGY: Inside the Creative Exchange Between Art, Architecture, and Design, exploring how artists, architects, and clients collaborate to create meaningful spaces.
We also celebrated the Los Angeles debut of BUTTER Fine Art Fair, featuring a conversation with co-founders Malina “Mali” Simone Bacon and Alan K. Bacon Jr.
ZEITZ Foundation
Storytelling, Conservation & Community
Earlier this year, the ZEITZ Foundation hosted its annual Storytelling Retreat at Segera, its award-winning, 50,000-acre wildlife conservancy in Kenya. Over four days, changemakers, artists, and thought leaders explored the connections between creativity, conservation, and community, building relationships to support lasting collaboration.
On March 26, we hosted a Los Angeles reception, where Jochen Zeitz and Kate Garwood Zeitz shared their vision for restoring Segera and advancing rhino recovery with conservationists, philanthropists, and arts advocates.
The conversation continued during New York Climate Week on September 26, when Füsun and Faruk Eczacıbaşı generously welcomed friends and supporters into their home. Jochen shared updates on the Foundation’s initiatives, including its Rhino Translocation Project, which will bring 35 southern white rhinos to Kenya—25 to Segera Conservancy and 10 to the KWS.
Paul Nicklen & Cristina Mittermeier
Aspen Art Week
During Aspen Art Week, we gathered for a cocktail reception with conservation photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier, hosted by Erika and Mark Hojel on July 30. Paul, this year’s Artist of the Year honoree, joined Cristina, last year’s honoree, for an intimate evening celebrating photography, storytelling, and conservation. The SeaLegacy co-founders shared stories from their work documenting extraordinary landscapes and wildlife, highlighting the urgent need to protect both.
We’re also delighted to welcome Paul and Cristina as new clients. Our team will support their growing international presence through strategic representation, contract negotiation, and institutional and commercial partnerships, helping strengthen their brand across exhibitions, speaking engagements, and collaborations.
RDF Consulting
Annual Juneteenth Celebration
For our annual Juneteenth celebration, we hosted Black Radical Joy: by All Means Necessary, a celebratory brunch bringing our community together for conversation, connection, and reflection. Panelists Mara Brock Akil, Angela Manuel-Davis, and Carmen Serano-Gingles explored joy as an act of resistance, restoration, and belonging, sharing reflections on how we nurture, protect, and share it. With support from Bridgespan Group, California Community Foundation, IBest Wines, BLD PWR, and Soho House, the gathering created space to celebrate Black joy and strengthen the relationships that sustain our communities.
Boca Raton Museum of Art & Heal the Bay
Board Leadership
Earlier this year, we facilitated a Board Empowerment Session with the Boca Raton Museum of Art focused on strengthening board engagement and aligning leadership around fundraising and long-term institutional growth. The session addressed board roles and responsibilities and introduced practical approaches to advancing donor relationships in support of the museum’s mission.
We also led a board session with Heal the Bay centered on Effective Leadership and Fundraising Strategy. The discussion focused on strengthening board participation in development efforts and equipping members with tools to confidently support the organization’s continued impact and growth.
BLD PWR
Community Advocacy & LA Living Room Experience
SisterSong and BLD PWR have partnered on a campaign to engage Black men in Reproductive Justice (RJ) through initiatives like the “Black Men Trust Black Women Roundtable.” Launched in 2026, this collaboration focuses on fostering accountability, dismantling patriarchy, and promoting bodily autonomy within Black communities.
On August 25, we gathered for the BLD PWR LA Living Room Experience, hosted by Kendrick Sampson and BLD PWR. The evening brought together supporters to connect and hear Kendrick share the organization’s vision for building power, community, and lasting change. The reception marked the beginning of a broader campaign inviting supporters to host gatherings, contribute, and get involved in BLD PWR’s work advancing justice and collective action.