Selena Gomez and Kenneth Cole will be honored at the 2026 Social Impact Summit, taking place at the Fashion Institute of Technology on March 30.
The Social Impact Fund and Fashion Institute of Technology Foundation said Tuesday that Gomez will receive the Excellence in Beauty Philanthropy Award, while Cole will be presented with the Excellence in Fashion Philanthropy Award at the summit. Now in its third year, the event will present its first fashion- and beauty-focused philanthropy summit. It aims to serve as a “platform for dialogue and collaboration at the intersection of fashion, beauty and purposeful advocacy” featuring “high-level” panels and conversations. (The Hollywood Reporter is the official media partner of the event.)
Gomez will be recognized for her work through Rare Beauty and the Rare Impact Fund. Rare Beauty, which was founded with a commitment to mental well-being and self-acceptance, has pledged 1 percent of all sales to support the Rare Impact Fund, which aims to mobilize $100 million to expand access to mental health services and education for young people worldwide. The Rare Impact Fund supports 30 nonprofit organizations — including The JED Foundation, The Trevor Project, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services — to help youth in school, in communities and in moments of crisis. In five years, Gomez’s leadership has helped raise more than $30 million.
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized by the Social Impact Fund and the FIT Foundation,” Gomez said. “Using my platform in a meaningful way has always been important to me. I knew from the start that I wanted Rare Beauty to help create real change. For too long, young people have faced mental health challenges without the support they deserve. Through the brand and the Rare Impact Fund, we’re working together with partners to expand resources, reduce stigma, and meet young people where they are.”
Cole will be honored for four decades of work toward social justice. He is credited with being a pioneer in using the fashion platform to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and more recently founded the Mental Health Coalition in 2020, when the mental health crisis was exacerbated amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I have always believed that business and philanthropy are not independent; they are in fact interdependent,” Cole said. “To have this work acknowledged, particularly in the mental health space, is incredibly meaningful. I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made at the Mental Health Coalition in advancing mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and encouraging open, honest dialogue — and I remain committed to continuing this important work. And I’m honored to be recognized by the Social Impact Fund for the work I care so passionately about.”
Craig Cichy, executive director of the Social Impact Fund said, “The Social Impact Summit was created by the Social Impact Fund to bring together culture and conscience into the same room. Bringing our third Summit to NYC, and partnering with the FIT Foundation, feels especially meaningful, as fashion and beauty continue to shape not only how we express ourselves, but how we show up for our communities. This gathering is about spotlighting leaders, like Kenneth and Selena, who understand that creativity carries responsibility — and that impact is strongest when it’s woven directly into business, storytelling, and design.”
Added FIT President Jason S. Schupbach: “We are thrilled to be hosting this year’s Social Impact Summit at FIT and to celebrate the incredible philanthropic contributions of fashion icons Selena Gomez and Kenneth Cole. Their commitment to entrepreneurship in service of community reflects FIT’s own core values and is a shining example for our students and beyond. We thank the FIT Foundation for supporting FIT and for helping bring this important event to our campus.”
Panels will include:
- Trailblazers in Fashion and Beauty Philanthropy with Nicola Formichetti, senior vp/global creative director, M·A·C Cosmetics, and Taryn Bird, executive director, social impact, Kate Spade New York
- Diversity and the Importance of Creative Inclusion with Corey Smith, vp diversity and inclusion and academic relations at LVMH, and Randy Cousins, global senior vp collaborations and VIP styling at Tommy Hilfiger, and model and activist Jillian Mercado, with more to follow
- The Sustainability and Impact Mandate with Nancy Mahon, chief sustainability officer at the Estée Lauder Companies, and Tracy Reese, designer, founder and CEO of Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese and Artisan Studio
For SIF’s first fashion- and beauty-focused philanthropy summit, a group of industry leaders was assembled to guide the framework of the event, including Mahon; Reese; Steven Kolb, CEO and president, Council of Fashion Designers of America; Fern Mallis, president of Fern Mallis LLC and creator of NY Fashion Week; Amber Valletta, model, actress and activist; Robert Rizzolo, global president, Alexander Wang; and Elaine Welteroth, journalist, TV host and founder of birthFUND.
The invitation-only summit will take place from 3-6 p.m. March 30, followed by a reception. Sponsors include Kate Spade New York (Gold Sponsor); Perlman & Perlman, LLP and Ulta Beauty (Bronze Sponsors); and Delta Air Lines, the official airline of the Social Impact Fund.