Team

Born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Virgil and Shannon Abloh were partners in life and work for over two decades. Fueled by a deep belief in the power of creativity and collaboration to inspire future generations and drive positive change, the couple’s philanthropic and advocacy efforts have focused on investing in underrepresented youth and cultural leaders interested in pursuing creative careers and building more accessible and equitable creative industries. As an artist, architect, engineer, creative director, artistic director, industrial designer, fashion designer, musician, DJ, and philanthropist, Virgil was a prolific collaborator, multi-hyphenate and creative visionary. He founded the iconic brand Off-White in 2013 and was the Creative Director of Louis Vuitton menswear from 2018-2021; the first Black person to serve in the role at Louis Vuitton. His creative collaborations and studios often served as a launchpad for emerging underrepresented creatives, in line with Virgil’s lifelong mission to open doors and break down barriers for young aspiring creatives to make their own way in the industry as he had.

Similarly, the Abloh family’s philanthropic work has focused primarily on expanding access and opportunities for Black creatives through programs like the Virgil Abloh Post Modern Scholarship Fund, an initiative housed within the Fashion Scholarship Fund that launched in 2020 with partners like LVMH, Nike and many others. Since its launch, the Post Modern program has supported 100 students and is set to support 60 students annually, providing a lifetime of professional support through the FSF, with industry mentors, a wide range of professional development events, connections to internships and employment, and access to a network and community of support.

After a hard-fought battle with cancer, Virgil passed away in 2021. His lifelong mission and commitment to increasing access, equity, and opportunity for underrepresented young creatives and cultural leaders live on through the Virgil Abloh Foundation, founded by Shannon Abloh. Shannon also serves as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Virgil Abloh Securities, a creative company dedicated to upholding the far-reaching creative practices and projects of Virgil across art, architecture, engineering, creative direction, art direction, industrial design, fashion design, music, film, writing, and philanthropy. She was named one of the 2022 WWD Women in Power, an annual list celebrating the women in power who are impacting their businesses and communities.

Dana Loatman serves as the Executive Director of the Virgil Abloh Foundation. Throughout her career, she has worked at the intersection of culture, business, and philanthropy to drive systemic change across underrepresented communities, and is an expert in building organizations and initiatives that inspire action and advance equity. Prior to joining the Virgil Abloh Foundation, Dana was the Chief of Staff for External Affairs at the Obama Foundation from 2016 to 2024. There, she held several key positions with the Obamas as they prioritized their legacy social impact efforts after leaving the White House. In this role, she led the strategy and operations for engaging external audiences, community stakeholders and partners. Prior to this role, Dana served as an Advisor to Foundation CEO, Valerie Jarrett and built the Corporate & Foundations Partnerships team from the ground up. During her tenure, she developed innovative partnerships and secured over $100M from major brands and funders all focused on advancing racial and gender equity, increasing economic opportunity and funding the Obama Presidential Center. Dana has also held several positions in the global social impact space including roles at World Vision International, the Philanthropic Initiative at the Boston Foundation, Yunus & Youth, and Impact Church.

Dana holds a Masters of Macro Social Work concentrated in Social Innovation & Leadership and Global Practice from Boston College and is a proud graduate of an HBCU, Bowie State University, where she received a B.S. in Sociology. She is a New York native, was raised in the Maryland/DC area, and is currently based in Chicago.