MAKING FUTURES BLOSSOM

Name: The Orchid Foundation
Address: US

The Orchid Foundation is a mentorship and scholarship program for underserved girls. We choose girls who are excelling in their academic and extracurricular pursuits to help fill the resource gap presented by their socioeconomic backgrounds. Our mission is to mentor these girls to and through college. We are small by design, going deep rather than broad. We touch the lives of our “Orchids” with personal care, educational support and a broad-minded view of the world with designs to foster leaders for tomorrow. These “Orchids” are 14-22 year old powerhouses who deserve the opportunities and success they are working so hard to attain.

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The Orchid Foundation Programs

Over the past years, we have held mock college interviews, SAT prep, taken our Orchids on guided art tours and gone on career day field trips; all while building our stock portfolios. This and more is only possible because of the generous 100% tax deductible donations we receive.

CODE SWITCH

We are learning code language and technology through interactive lessons with our partners at Codecademy. We sound fancy right?! Python, Swift, HTML, CSS yep our brilliant Orchids with the help of our Orchid Angels at Codecademy speak that language tooooo. Next we take over the world.

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COLLEGE BOOTCAMP

The college application process can be brutal and scary. No fear, The Orchid Foundation is here! We help each of our Orchids individually with everything from college selection to application completion. But wait there’s more… our super donors turn their offices into college admissions headquarters. Each Orchid arrives dressed in her interview bests and leaves with thorough notes on her college essay, but not before being interviewed by alum from Duke, U Penn, Harvard and more. Our super donor Coller Capital hosted our inaugural College Bootcamp. If you are jealous and want to join in on the fun send your girls an email at theorchidfoundation@gmail.com

VEX MONEY

A great philosopher once said, “Tis better to have a $10 purse with $1000 in it than a $1000 purse with $10 in it.” Oh wait, our founder, Nichole Galicia, said that. Our Orchids spend senior year becoming financially literate, buying and selling stocks, investing in Roth IRA’s and saving for our blindingly bright futures. Can you say “compound interest”?

GLASS CEILING BREAKERS

Every teenager at some point will be asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?" To help our Orchids make the most informed decision we hold career day field trips several times a year. Professionals host us in their work environments where we get an up close account of the ins and outs of a variety of careers, have the opportunity to ask questions and learn at the feet of experts. Email us at theorchidfoundation@gmail.com if you'd like to volunteer for career day.

#TOFCARES

We have a love fest going on at The Orchid Foundation. We are overflowing with support and goodwill, so every year we plan to pay it forward by supporting teens less fortunate than ourselves. This year The Orchid Foundation is raising money for homeless kids at Covenant House and a family in the Ukraine. We set up a crowdfunding page, solicited our community for help, put on bake sales and did some old fashioned begging of parents, friends and really anyone in arms length all for a good cause. Check out our twitter and instagram pages @theorchidfdn and/or subscribe to our newsletter for more information.

ONGOING TUTORING

We offer tutoring year round in every subject. We also host SAT and ACT bootcamp the summer of sophomore and junior years where we identify weak points to strengthen and take practice tests. Oh so many practice tests. But wait there’s more...the Orchids then take two to three real SATs. Scores, tutor, scores, tutor. The early bird gets...everything!

CLASSICALLY TRAINED ORCHIDS

The arts and The Orchid Foundation are like almond butter and Honeycrisp apples #PerfectTogether. So, every year we find fun ways to incorporate the classics into our educational repertoire. Whether resident art historian Kent Alessandro is putting us through our Renaissance, Baroque and Pop art paces or Emmy winner Chris Silber creates a film school just for us, or Grammy Award winner Printz Board is creating the soundtrack to our lives, or we study art history with Heart of the Art NYC founder Emily Sachar, our Orchids are getting their well-rounded on. Check out our fancy on twitter and instagram: @theorchidfdn

NAME DROPPERS

We curate once in a lifetime experiences for our Orchids. Whether Academy Award nominee, writer/director of Yellowstone Taylor Sheridan invites us to his ranch courtesy of Paramount or fashion designer to the stars Carmen Marc Valvo is donating gowns for prom or the time we rang the closing bell at Nasdaq, or posed for celebrity photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth & America’s Next Top Model’s lead stylist Ty-Ron Mayes during a self esteem boosting photoshoot... after we study our bums off, we are up to fancy things at The Orchid Foundation! We have a team of Orchid Angels that support and guide us. Blessings on blessings on blessings on blessings.

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SEVEN STREAMS

Blossom Coumba read an article that stated the average millionaire has seven streams of income. We have boss lady dreams at The Orchid Foundation so Seven Streams is where we nurture our entrepreneurial spirit. Everything from Youtube empires to real estate ventures, in Seven Streams we put on our secure the bag hats, brainstorm ideas and make them happen. Support us as we seek our own seven streams of income. We are currently seeking a real estate mentor. Holler at your Orchids!

SWEAT EQUITY

Sometimes yucky stuff happens. At The Orchid Foundation we don't cry it out, we fight it out. OK sometimes we cry too, but then we hit the gym for some fat busting, soul lifting physical therapy. Our super donor Michael Olajide Jr, creator of Aerospace donates boxing lessons and Uriah Hurst keeps us motivated and feeling like "demigoddesses" through his unique circuit training routines. In addition to moving our bodies, nutritionist Dr. Susan Vanucci is teaching us how to make healthy food choices with personalized wellness counseling. Our Orchids are learning to become lean mean fancy lady like brilliant fighting machines.

SISTERHOOD

We are hands on with our Orchids, curating group events that build sisterhood amongst the girls, as well as one on one activities that cater to each girl’s individual needs. The focus is on building self esteem, character and the can do spirit needed to be successful in today’s world. Sisterhood is the heartbeat of what we do.

RESIDENCY

We are actively looking for a seat at the table, your table to be exact. Organizations like Epoch Investment Partners, VINTUS, Givsly and Eleven+ offer Orchids #paid internships. Jelly? Let us sit with you. We seek to expand our partnership with as many companies as will have us. How else are we going to pay for college while we soak up all your knowledge? Drop us an email at theorchidfoundation@gmail.com We promise to fit you with an Orchid that aligns with your needs. As the title "Residency" implies, we hope to stick around for more than just one summer. Looking for a self-starting perfectionist with a great work ethic who will take constructive criticism while multitasking and is a people person? Duh that's Orchid Alexa, hire us.

MENTORS 'R US

I'm sure there is some fancy statistic about the value of having a mentor. I don't need to google it because I already know that Kent changed my life. Every Orchid has a mentor that she has met at one of our many career days. We are better because of those relationships. I encourage our girls to find her own Kent, because I'm not sharing mine. Thank you Emily and Kathleen and Zoe and Lauren and James and Anthony and Savoy and Amyn and Ty-Ron and Josh. Watch how we change the world and give you your much deserved credit.

THE PINK PARTY

We are all about girl power at The Orchid Foundation. Before we go all Wonder Woman 1984 on you, we need a safe space to have discussions on what it means to be a woman in today's world. What happens at The Pink Party, stays at the Pink Party. Designed and co-created by Orchid Alison and our Intern Mal. You must be an 02 or above to attend. Sorry Buds.

EACH ONE TEACH ONE

What happens in The Orchid Foundation stays in The Orchid Foundation. Especially when it comes to knowledge. Our 01s hold zoom-inars (yeah I just coined a new phrase) to teach all the good good they have learned to the 02s. The attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler taught us how to write cover letters and resumes, Orchid Coumba taught the 02s. Orchid Alison learned Word, Powerpoint and Excel during a summer internship and taught the 02s. Orchid Markayla's zoom-inar is all about the college application process from FAFSA to transferring. Soon the 02's will be teaching the 03's. We have each other's back, front and both sides. Go Orchids!

THE KENT ALESSANDRO ART ACHIEVEMENT

The Kent is an award that recognizes Orchids who have demonstrated exceptional knowledge and appreciation of art history. Our goal is to support and encourage the next generation of art enthusiasts.

The scholarship is open to anyone who completes the following:

-11 hours with an art historian

-11 museum/gallery visits or art tours

-11 hours of art documentaries selected by Kent and Nichole

-11 photos of a P.O.P.S. work selected by Kent and Nichole

-Interview with, you guessed it, Kent and Nichole

The recipient of the Kent Alessandro Art Achievement will receive $3000.

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Adulting 101

Blossom Alison once said, “the scariest hood I have ever visited is Adulthood”. Adulting 101 is where our graduates learn how to do all the things vital to surviving in the real world: taxes, Excel, how to properly use HR and a bunch of other things no school teaches you but should.

Culture Club

Fully immerse with the Culture Club, where we turn cultural discovery into our global playground. Our Orchids curate dynamic workshops, lively discussions, and even cook their culture’s traditional cuisine. We educate each other, because who says world domination can't start at The Orchid Foundation? “Who runs the world? Girls!”

MEET OUR ORCHIDS

MARKAYLA

Is our Broadway Baby, a senior at City College of New York. Markayla loves musical theater, her favorites being Hairspray and Hamilton. She taught us all a lesson in bravery as she took a few gap years before and durning her tenure at SUNY Albany to fight stage 4B Hodgkins Lymphoma. Markayla got up swinging and got right back to her hobbies: politics, beauty and fashion, civil rights and all things Korean. She's interned at Central Policing Equity and Coller Capital, her knowledge of literature, black history and classical music is impressive. Some of her extracurricular activities include Model UN, Feminism Club and the University of Michigan Summer Program. 2017 National Honors Society inductee. Markayla is our unsung genius, but don't worry we are learning how to sing.

ALEXA

Is our Go-getter. Currently a senior at Notre Dame, don't let those cute dimples fool you Alexa is a beast when it comes to work and play. Salutatorian of her senior class, she was a constant fixture on the high honor roll because the honor roll is for babies. Captain of the varsity volleyball, varsity basketball, AAU team (Force), does community service raising money for Covenant House, Student Senate Treasurer, graduated from the Bud Program, soon to be tri-lingual, interested in international business & is obsessed with sneakers, dogs and France. You will soon be obsessed with Alexa too.

WINTA

Is our future scientist with her sights set on Spelman College. Good thing she's a straight A student. purrrrrrr. In her spare time, Winta loves to bake, crochet, read, do her nails and channel her inner Wonder Woman through Stunts Club at high school where she is currently a sophomore.

DOMINIQUE

Dominique is our self-proclaimed wild child; wild about art, wild about her books and wild about her Orchid sisters. A sophomore in high school, Dominique is our busy bee. She loves gardening, animation, baking and step dancing!

DYANA

Is our beauty mogul, our social media expert, our marketing genius and That Girl! The founder of Eunoia Glow and lead talent manager/founder of Euonia Talent Management is currently a junior at Vanderbilt University, a fixture on the Dean's List 3 semesters in a row and counting with too many accolades to list oh and she bakes too!

NAYELI

Is our history maker as the first in her family to attend college! Nayeli loves dystopian books, playing violin, watching soccer and traveling. Nayeli is an excellent student, who made history in her state playing flag football. Coding, orchestra, Ecuadorian dance and community service are just a few of the areas in which she excels. Nayeli is currently a sophomore at Syracuse University which means our baby survived freshman year! Watch her thrive this year.

LIAM

Is our strong Oak. He is a freshman at Temple University studying Bioengineering. Despite battling homelessness throughout high school, Liam maintained stellar grades and hopes to use his college degree to help others. He’s an avid music and math lover, he appreciates how they can explain life in different ways.

BLOSSOM ALISON

BLOSSOM COUMBA

After 8 years as an Orchid, Coumba graduated Emory’s Goizueta Business School with a Bachelor's in Business Administration. During her reign at college she was President of Emory’s Black Pre-Law Society, Sophomore Representative and Director of Fundraising for the Student Educational Experience Development, as well as Scholarship and Fundraising Committee Chair of Paving Our Futures. Ensuring Coumba could keep her focus on her studies super donors Chris Pine, Emily Bergl and our Artists for The Orchid Foundation rallied around our her to see her to the finish line with FREE college education. Orchid Angel Emily Bergl went the extra mile and not only provided Coumba with a scholarship but has been her mentor and friend for 7 years and counting. What's an Orchid to do when she graduates college with vex money (that's a Roth IRA and stocks), a $Free.99 college education and has an incredible network of mentors? Go be great. Coumba accepted a position with The Intersect Group in Atlanta as a Technical Recruiter.

OUR GRADUATES

Is our first Orchid to graduate from college. (Insert tears and cheers here!) Alison was an Orchid for 7 years and graduated from the College Of the Holy Cross in Wooster, Massachusetts with honors, an incredible network of lifetime mentors she built at The Orchid Foundation and a healthy stock portfolio that she, like all the Orchids, has been discussing, researching and later funding since high school. Through the generosity of many donors at The Orchid Foundation; especially Gustav Christensen, Chris Pine, and our "Artists for The Orchid Foundation" our Blossom Alison received a trajectory changing scholarship as is currently conquering the world in Boston in her first grown lady role with tech giant Oracle. Hear the silent, but loud purrrrrrr.

Our graduates have attended Emory, Holy Cross, NYU and George Washington to name a few. Gone, but never forgotten. Our incredible girl gang is going to change the world someday soon.

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OUR FOUNDER

Nichole Galicia

Nichole Galicia is an actress (Mayor of Kingstown, Django Unchained) and model who wrote an art book titled Equipo Cronica: the Nichole Kent Collection. She was formerly on the junior committee of the New York Center for Children where she helped raise donations towards the fight against child abuse. In her spare time Nichole is an avid Formula One fan.