20 | Inaugural Early Impact Award recipient Rishard Allen

The O’Neill School has a well-earned reputation of producing graduates who make a difference by leading for the greater good.

That’s not just a tagline. Our grads are the reason we’re the top-ranked public school for public affairs in the nation. Our reputation is built on the work of those who go out into the real world and make an impact by making that world a better place.

One such recent graduate is today’s guest, Rishard Allen. Rishard graduated from the O’Neill School in 2017 with his Bachelor’s in Arts Management, and he has quickly made his presence felt. Rishard is an emerging philanthropic professional and creative consultant and curator whose leadership practice is deeply concerned with promoting, protecting, and preserving culture, particularly culture at risk of erasure, censure, and appropriation. In pursuit of this mission, he has dedicated his professional career to fostering a thriving and inclusive arts, culture, and entertainment sector and championing initiatives that advance racial equity. 

Rishard currently serves as the Grants & Community Manager at the Pop Culture Collaborative, where he spearheads an innovative grantmaking strategy that harnesses the influential power of popular culture to reshape narratives about marginalized communities, working towards a more just and pluralist future. Previously, Rishard directed a $1.8 million grantmaking portfolio benefiting individual artists and arts nonprofits at the Arts Council of Indianapolis and following joined The Indianapolis Foundation to drive the implementation of a nationwide community foundation framework aimed at improving social and economic mobility for people of color.

He's also the inaugural recipient of the O’Neill Early Impact Award, which was conceived to recognize young O’Neill alumni who embody the mission, vision, and values of the O’Neill School and are making a distinctive impact early in their career.