Coach Foundation Celebrates "Dream Day 2024" in Partnership With Circular Sub-brand Coachtopia
On June 6, Coach celebrated “Dream Day,” the signature conference of the Coach Foundation’s Dream It Real initiative, brought to life in partnership with Coachtopia, the house’s sub-brand focused on circular craft and collaborative creativity. The collaboration amplifies the brand’s holistic approach to providing pivotal resources for young people, with the Coach Foundation conducting this support through high-impact scholarships for historically underrepresented young people, and Coachtopia providing support to the climate leaders of tomorrow through direct funding, creative collaborations and learning resources, powered by the Coachtopia Catalyst Fund (through which the brand is donating 1% of its revenue). Inspired by Coach’s vision of authentic self-expression and its commitment to reducing its impact on the planet, Dream Day 2024 celebrated the next generation’s determination to drive enduring change by crafting a more sustainable future for the fashion industry and beyond.
Dream Day’s 2024 theme was “Dreaming Tomorrow,” translating to a day of talks, workshops and connection, led by Gen Z activists, changemakers and creatives, drawing inspiration from the Coachtopia Beta Community model, which reimagines the paradigm between brand and consumer by harnessing the creativity of a global community of Gen Z individuals addressing the climate crisis. Attendees explored how they can continue to dream big while breaking down barriers in their communities, build the courage to create a better future for themselves and the planet, and find confidence in the workplace while maintaining their values. The majority of the 200 attendees were Coach Foundation Dream It Real Scholars who are receiving four-year scholarships and are matched with a Coach employee mentor throughout their college journey. These students come from the Foundation’s long-term nonprofit partners including The Opportunity Network, Bottom Line, Point Foundation and The Hetrick-Martin Institute, as well as the newest scholarship program partner, the Millennium Campus Network (MCN). In addition, the Coachtopia Beta Community including its climate activists, design collaborators and content creators as well as Coachtopia Catalyst Fund grant recipients were also in attendance and led discussions as panelists throughout the program.
“A founding principle of Coachtopia was our determination to co-create a better future with our Gen Z community,” says Joon Silverstein, SVP, Global Marketing and Sustainability at Coach, and Head of Coachtopia. “Our work to support, nurture and collaborate with the climate leaders of tomorrow has a natural synergy with Dream It Real’s mission to create opportunities for young people to thrive, while staying true to the values that matter most to them.”
The day kicked off with the announcement of the Coach Foundation’s newest scholarship program: The Dream It Real x Coachtopia Scholars Program, created in collaboration with MCN. Created to support undergraduate leaders from underrepresented communities who are dedicated to sustainability—including advancing circularity in the fashion industry—the pilot will provide 10 to 15 Coachtopia Scholars selected from thousands of applicants worldwide with holistic support to help them reach their full potential.
Following the announcement was an exclusive teaser screening of “Asali: Power of The Pollinators,” an animated short film about protecting our environment, directed by environmental activist and Coachtopia Catalyst Fund recipient Maya Penn, co-produced by Viola Davis and Julius Tenon through their company JuVee Productions starring Whoopi Goldberg and Monique Coleman, among others. After the teaser screening, Penn led a panel discussion with the cast of the film. The day continued with three interactive mentorship panels amplifying a new generation of leaders including Coachtopia Catalyst Fund recipients, Coachtopia Beta Community design and content collaborators and Dream It Real Scholars. The panelists explored topics integral to Gen Z such as driving change, identifying your values, launching your own venture and confidently building a digital voice and community. Supporting the brand’s belief that dreaming should be accessible to all, the Dream Day 2024 content and educational resources will be available for all to access on Coachtopia’s “World of Coachtopia” blog pages.
https://www.coachtopia.com/circularity
"Through the Coach Foundation, we've been able to expand our impact to support thousands of students globally," said Coach CEO and Brand President, Todd Kahn. “This year's Dream Day is special because we get to host our Dream It Real Scholars and the Coachtopia Beta Community, both who embody our purpose, The Courage to Be Real, in all they do. I am consistently in awe of students and young professionals who have the courage to make their dreams a reality and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make on our industry.”
“Dream Day to us is about connecting like-minded, ambitious young people to be inspired and build community, regardless of where they come from,” says Julia Furnari, Executive Director of The Coach Foundation. “The students in our scholarship programs are extraordinary and they overcome barriers daily. Today is about giving them the tools to foster even greater impact for their future and their communities.”
Looking forward, the Coach Foundation aims to continue to evolve its mission of helping young people reach their highest potential—driven by the belief that all young people should have equitable access to pursue their dreams. Since reaching its original goal of funding 5,000 scholarships by 2025, the Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to double the impact by funding 10,000 scholarships by 2030.
For more information about Dream Day and The Coach Foundation, please visit here.
