WALKER ENTERTAINMENT GROUP FOUNDATION
WALKER ENTERTAINMENT GROUP FOUNDATION
BEYOND THE STAGE
Empowering Communities Through
Music, Culture & Human Connection.
OUR MISSION
Walker Entertainment Group Foundation harnesses the universal power of music, storytelling, and cultural exchange to EDUCATE, EMPOWER, and UNITE communities, creating impact that reaches far Beyond the Stage.
WHO WE ARE
Walker Entertainment Group Foundation
(WEG Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the philanthropic engine of Walker Entertainment Group and The Rakiem Walker Project.
We operate at the intersection of artistic excellence, cultural diplomacy, and transformative social change.
We believe music is more than entertainment. It is a universal language capable of healing divisions, preserving heritage, unlocking human potential, and building bridges between communities across the globe.
WEG Foundation was born from the conviction of founders Rakiem Walker and Gloria Ry'ann, two artists whose creative partnership, forged on the stage, grew into a shared life, a family, and a movement.
The belief is simple: Artistry is most powerful when it is shared across communities, across cultures, across generations.
That belief is the foundation on which every program, partnership, and initiative is built.
From New York to North Carolina, Miami, Sweden, Belgium, Aruba, Curaçao, Brazil, Australia, and beyond, WEG Foundation is building a global ecosystem of impact…one program, one artist, one community at a time.
WHERE IT BEGAN
OUR PURPOSE
Through five interconnected programming pillars,
WEG Foundation create pathways where art becomes a vehicle for opportunity, empathy, and lasting change.
WHAT WE DO
The world needs more spaces where music heals, culture connects, and art opens doors. Through WEG Foundation programming, we are building those spaces and looking for partners, champions, and believers who are ready to help us take this work further.
WEG Arts Enrichment Program
Global arts education programs that teach music and art as both a craft and a career, equipping the next generation with the technical skills, business knowledge, and character needed to build sustainable lives in music and the arts.
WEG Artist Residency Program
Live performance residencies at premier venues in New York City, Miami, and Sweden that give emerging artists real-world experience performing alongside established professionals, bridging the gap between education and career.
WEG Cultural Exchange & Diplomacy
National and international partnerships that produce meaningful cultural programming, foster cross-cultural understanding, and position music and art as a tool for global diplomacy and human connection.
WEG Wellness Initiatives
Programs that harness the healing power of music and cultural exchange to open dialogue, reduce stigma, and promote holistic well-being for artists and communities alike.
WEG Media & Storytelling
Workshops, media content, and original documentary film that transform personal narrative into collective empowerment, amplifying the voices of artists, youth, and community leaders driving cultural change.
MEET OUR TEAM
WEG Foundation’s Board composition reflects the organization’s commitment to Artistic Excellence, Community Accountability, Cultural Representation, and Operational Integrity.
RAKIEM WALKER
Rakiem Walker is a saxophonist, musical director, producer, and cultural entrepreneur whose roots run deep in New York City's music community from training under jazz legends to performing alongside Roy Ayers, Gil Scott-Heron, and members of the Wu-Tang Clan. As founder and CEO of Walker Entertainment Group, he has built a multifaceted enterprise spanning artist management, live performance, record distribution, and instrument design. His vision for the WEG Foundation is grounded in the conviction that access to music is a right, not a privilege.
CO-CHAIR
GLORIA RY’ANN
Gloria Ry'ann | GLR¥A is a transformative vocal artist with an extraordinary 4.5-octave range, classically trained in a lineage that has shaped artists from Chaka Khan to Jennifer Hudson. She has shared stages with Rihanna, Patti LaBelle, and Jennifer Hudson, lent her voice to global brands including JP Morgan Chase and Chanel, and is releasing her debut solo album on Warner Brothers/Walker Entertainment Group. As Co-Chair, she brings firsthand wisdom of how access to music, mentorship, and cultural expression can change the trajectory of a life.
CO-CHAIR
NIKOA EVANS-HENDRICKS
PRESIDENT & CEONikoa Evans-Hendricks is the founder of BNP Advisory Group and a 30-year practitioner in founding, scaling, and sustaining mission-driven organizations across business development, cultural preservation, and community impact. Recognized at the NYC and State levels for her leadership in Harlem's commercial renaissance, she brings expertise spanning nonprofit management, investment, entrepreneurship, and strategic partnerships. As President of the WEG Foundation, she bridges the Board's visionary ambitions with the operational rigor required to build institutions that become enduring community pillars.
EAL | ELIJAH AHMAD LEWIS
Elijah Ahmad Lewis is a multi-award-winning singer, actor, dancer, and arranger whose career spans Broadway productions including Motown The Musical and Ain't Too Proud, collaborations with Madonna, Ariana Grande, and SZA, and a debut album released through Sony Orchard/Walker Entertainment Group. His firsthand journey navigating training, breakthrough opportunities, and long-term career sustainability ensures the Foundation's programs remain grounded in the real experiences of working artists. His industry relationships connect WEG Foundation students and emerging talent with the mentorship and professional networks that support lasting careers.
DIRECTOR, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
DR. YOLANDA LEWIS-SMALLS
DIRECTOR, HEALTH, WELLNESS & COMMUNITY IMPACTDr. Yolanda Lewis-Smalls is a Double Board-Certified Physician in Pediatrics and Bariatrics, former Assistant Professor, and CEO of the Dr. Yolanda Cares Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to closing health disparity gaps locally and internationally. A Castle Connolly Top Doctors honoree and recipient of the Taraji P. Henson Foundation Joy Award for Mental Health Advocacy, she is a trusted public voice on health challenges facing underserved communities. Her presence on the WEG Foundation board ensures the healing power of music and cultural exchange is anchored in evidence-based, equity-centered approaches to community wellness.
NATOSHA FRASER
DIRECTOR, donor engagementNatosha Fraser brings expertise in business, finance, and donor engagement to the WEG Foundation, with a proven record of cultivating philanthropic investment and advocating for mission-driven organizations serving underserved communities. Her ability to connect institutional and individual donors to causes that matter ensures the Foundation is positioned to attract the resources needed to move from vision to lasting reality. A member of the Children's Tumor Foundation's Engage Leadership Team, Natosha's advocacy is also deeply personal — inspired by her daughter's journey with Neurofibromatosis Type 1.
JOIN OUR MOVEMENT
WEG Foundation's work does not happen in isolation. It happens in partnership, with artists, educators, community leaders, cultural institutions, philanthropists, and governments who share the belief that music and culture can change the world.
We invite you to join this movement. Whether as a funding partner, venue host, programmatic collaborator, or champion of our mission, there is a place for you in the WEG Foundation’s growing ecosystem of impact.
INVEST IN OUR MISSION
DONATE TODAY
Your philanthropic support directly funds music education, artist residencies, wellness programming, cultural exchange initiatives, and the next generation of artists and leaders. Every dollar moves the movement forward.
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DONOR ADVISED FUNDS. (DAF)
WEG Foundation is a Proud recipient of
the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency!
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Tax I.D. number 85-3648352.
GLOBAL IMPACT
Global Cultural Exchange - Timbuktu x RWP in Malmo, Sweden
Youth Arts Enrichment Program - NYC Dept of Education - Bronx HS, Latin Music Program
Partner With Us
If you represent a cultural institution, corporation, university, government agency, or community organization, let's explore how a partnership with the WEG Foundation can create meaningful impact for the communities you serve.
The stage is set. The movement is growing. Sign up and be part of what comes next.