With over a decade at Kith spanning key roles across multiple departments, Francess leveraged her deep operational expertise and brand insight to play a pivotal role in the inception and development of The Kinnect Foundation. Drawing on her long-standing history with the brand and personal vision, she helped architect the foundation's mission, transforming Kith’s social responsibility goals into scalable, high-impact programs. Below is a selection of the core initiatives, strategic brand partnerships and global community activations Francess conceptualized and executed to bridge access, mentorship and opportunity for the next generation.
Kinnect Scholars Program
The Kinnect Scholars Program is a comprehensive youth development framework designed to foster skills and cultivate 21st-century learning. Drawing on her personal background as a former NYC public school student in Brooklyn, Francess intentionally rooted the program’s launch in local communities. She established strategic selection criteria to identify and partner with schools in Brooklyn and Queens, ensuring these game-changing opportunities reached talented students in overlooked areas who needed them most. Central to this effort, Francess conceptualized and built the foundation’s flagship Mentorship and Internship Program to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world success.
Key Program Pillars & Leadership:
Hyper-Local School Partnerships: Leveraged personal insight as an NYC public school alumna to select and onboard inaugural partner high schools across Brooklyn and Queens, targeting communities traditionally underrepresented in creative industries.
Internal Mentorship Framework: Architected a direct-connect mentorship model pairing scholars with Kith staff across design, marketing, and operations to demystify fashion industry career paths, offer guidance and nurture individual talents.
Hands-On Career Readiness: Designed immersive internship opportunities across Kith’s corporate headquarters and retail stores, equipping scholars with tangible skills, professional networks and hands-on operational experience.
Educational Advancement: Integrated specialized College & Career Skills Workshops paired with access to the foundation’s Bridge College Scholarships, establishing a full-funnel pipeline from academic support to professional entry.
Behind the Seams
To bridge the gap between creative ambition and industry access, Francess conceptualized and launched Behind the Seams, a half-day immersive workforce discovery program designed for student cohorts across diverse communities. Developed under The Kinnect Foundation, the initiative opens Kith’s corporate and retail ecosystems to young people, offering them a firsthand, transparent look into the inner workings of a global brand.
Through guided tours spanning Kith’s corporate headquarters and flagship retail spaces, students are invited behind the curtain to observe product life cycles, corporate strategy and store operations in real time. Recognizing the value of representation and direct mentorship, Francess mobilized Kith staff members across design, operations, marketing and retail management to participate in interactive panel discussions and Q&A sessions. By sharing their personal career journeys, daily responsibilities, and industry insights, team members introduce students to non-traditional career paths and functional roles they may not have previously known existed.
Key Program Highlights:
Dual-Facility Operational Access: Curated immersive tours across Kith’s corporate headquarters and state-of-the-art retail locations to show students how products move from concept to consumer.
Cross-Departmental Mentorship: Engaged diverse internal staff to speak directly with students, sharing authentic career paths and practical advice to demystify creative and corporate roles.
Career Path Discovery: Built an interactive curriculum designed to spark curiosity, expand career horizons, and equip attending students with actionable industry knowledge.
Global Impact with Padala Charitable Trust
Leading up to Diwali on October 29, 2023, Francess and the Kinnect team traveled to India for a international relief mission in partnership with It's From the Sole and I Support the Girls. Together, they delivered brand-new footwear, clothing, and essential items to single-parent and orphaned children supported by the Padala Charitable Trust (PCT).
Recognizing that access to proper attire directly impacts a child's dignity and educational engagement, Francess helped coordinate the distribution to address critical daily needs for youth who lack access to quality personal items. The targeted activation not only provided basic necessities, but also boosted student confidence and renewed enthusiasm for school attendance during a significant holiday season.
Key Leadership & Program Impact:
Cross-Border Humanitarian Relief: Mobilized and led international distribution efforts to deliver specialized footwear and clothing directly to vulnerable youth in India.
Multi-NGO Strategic Collaboration: Partnered with It's From the Sole and I Support the Girls to pool resources, optimize supply chains, and maximize donation reach.
Community Dignity & Educational Support: Directed the delivery of critical daily necessities engineered to improve self-esteem and remove social barriers to school attendance for non-profit beneficiaries.