The Virgil Abloh Foundation, established by Shannon Abloh and her family to continue the legacy of her late husband, designer and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh, has named Dana Loatman as its first executive director.
Loatman is expected to continue Virgil Abloh’s mission of breaking down barriers and creating equitable opportunities for underrepresented youth in creative fields. She oversees the foundation’s operations, strategic planning and program development, as well as the preservation of activation of the designer’s archives, ensuring the legacy continues to inspire and empower future generations.
Virgil Abloh, the visionary founder of luxury streetwear brand Off-White and artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, died Nov. 28, 2021, of cancer.
You May Also Like
Loatman’s leadership marks a critical chapter in VAF’s growth, with the foundation poised to expand its commitment to creating a world where a limitless creative future is possible.
Most recently, Loatman was the senior director and chief of staff for external affairs at the Obama Foundation from 2016 to 2024. There, she held several key posts 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 in former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama‘s legacy efforts. These include the future Obama Presidential Museum that opens in Chicago in 2026, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Girls Opportunity Alliance, and the Obama Leaders Programs.
Earlier, she was an adviser to Obama Foundation chief executive officer Valerie Jarrett and built the Corporate & Foundations Partnerships team from the ground up. She developed innovative partnerships and secured more than $100 million from major brands and funders such as Apple, Nike, AT&T, NBA, Google, ESPN/Disney, BET, Sony Music, Pepsi, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and the Andrew Mellon Foundation, all targeted at advancing racial and gender equity, investing in the next generation of leaders, increasing economic opportunity and funding the Obama Presidential Center.
“Virgil and I first began investing in communities and youth more than two decades ago, so finding the person to take on the immense responsibility of leading the foundation was something I took very seriously,” said Shannon Abloh, the Virgil Abloh Foundation founder and board president. “We embarked on a thoughtful search to find a leader who embodies Virgil’s approach of reimagining what’s possible. I know he would be energized to see someone with Dana’s character, creativity and drive at the helm. Dana’s ability to rethink traditional ideas of philanthropy while crafting forward-thinking approaches ensures we continue to honor Virgil’s legacy in a way that stays true to his spirit.”
Michael Strautmanis, executive vice president of external affairs at the Obama Foundation, said,
“Dana has always been committed to empowering the next generation. No matter the situation, she leads with grace, integrity, creativity, optimism and an unshakable work ethic that inspires everyone around her.”
“I’ve seen firsthand her unique ability to unite people from all walks of life — whether staff, community members, influencers, donors, government or corporate leaders — leveraging their strengths to achieve a common mission. Dana is not just trusted to get the job done; she elevates every effort with her vision and determination. I can’t imagine a better leader to helm the Virgil Abloh Foundation. While we will miss her greatly, I couldn’t be prouder to see her take on this role, and I’m confident her leadership will set the foundation up for success and look forward to partnering together to invest in the next generation of creative leaders,” Strautmanis said.
Shannon Abloh and Loatman first got together when she was representing the Obama Foundation and attended Summit 000 — a strategy-setting, daylong meeting organized by Shannon Abloh held at the Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art in the summer of 2023.
The summit’s focus was to generate the foundation’s mission, vision and values and to conceptualize new pilot programming ideas. Loatman had the opportunity to join conversations with members of Virgil Abloh’s inner circle and creative community such as Don “Don C” Crawley, Theaster Gates, Fraser Cooke, Arthur Jafa, Marc Ecko, Tom Sachs, Samir Bantal and others, alongside brand executives from corporate partners like LVMH and Nike, philanthropists and foundation leaders, educators and young creatives.
“In many ways, I feel that my background has led up to this moment personally and professionally. Shannon and I refer to it almost as ‘kismet,’” said Loatman, in a telephone interview Monday.
Loatman was born in New York and raised in the Maryland-D.C. area “by an incredible single mother; she really valued education and worked incredibly hard,” she said. Growing up, Loatman had dreams of becoming a dancer and choreographer, but watching her mother’s struggles, she had a hard time envisioning how she would make a career out of dance. “At 17 years old, instead of deciding to follow dance, I ended up getting my degree at Bowie State [her mother’s alma mater]. It was at the HBCU, something really great happened. It’s where I got my passion for investing in communities of color and specifically recognizing the differences in culture, access and resources for communities of color.”
Loatman said that experience ignited her passion for “how do we bring forth this incredible talent that is within our communities, but also assure that we’re able to access the same resources?…That personal passion of mine united with a personal story led to the career in social impact,” Loatman said.
Virgil Abloh was considered a visionary designer and a boundary-breaking figure in the worlds of fashion, art and music. He had multiple collaborations with major cultural and corporate icons, including Nike, Ikea, and Mercedes-Benz, redefining what was possible at the intersection of design, culture and social impact. Virgil was committed to uplifting Black voices and diverse perspectives in every space he moved within, ensuring that he was making systemic movements to keep doors open for young creatives. Together with Shannon, they prioritized advocating for equitable opportunities for emerging talent, partnering in 2020 with the Fashion Scholarship Fund to establish the Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholarship.
Asked what made her decide to leave the Obama Foundation, Loatman said, “I always said I wouldn’t leave the Obama Foundation because I loved the job, but only if it made sense. This is the one thing that probably would be the right opportunity to do that.” She recalled that when she attended the Summit 000 she was inspired by the ability and passion she heard. “People across so many different sectors coming together — fashion, music, young people who had received Post-Modern Scholarships, were all there united around this vision of ‘What can we do to further Virgil’s legacy?’ I was wowed by Shannon’s commitment to it.”
Following Shannon Abloh’s extensive search, Loatman said, “I was just grateful when the decision was made, and she close me as the leader.”
Discussing her top priorities to VAF, she said, “There are so many priorities. We are actively building. We’re testing and piloting a series of programs all targeted around our vision and our mission. The mission of the foundation is to open doors, break barriers and build a more equitable, inclusive industry for creatives of color, all in pursuit of this limitless future that Virgil believed so deeply in. How we’re doing that is through building access, opportunity and resources, for young creatives.”
She said she is piloting a series of programs that will be revealed later this spring, one of which is targeted to one’s 17-year-old self. “Virgil said everything he did was for his 17-year-old self,” she said. He had the feeling that for the 17-year-old, right before entering college, “exposure is critical for them.” Whether they’re interested in music, fashion, entertainment, film or design, she said, “our goal is to uncover the hood of the industry, and teach them the possibilities, and how do you succeed within these industries?”
Although the VAF is based in Chicago, she said, “our impact is intended to be global, especially given Virgil’s footprint and impact which was so global.”
Asked what she considers the current challenges facing young people of color who want to enter creative fields, she said, “I think resources, especially during this time, as well as the exposure.” She said VAF’s three pillars are resources, access and exposure. This first pilot program is to create access and exposure. “We also know that resources are critical so grant-making will be a huge piece of our work. How do we plan to move millions of dollars directly in the hands of creatives?” she said.
Another priority is Virgil Abloh’s archives, which Shannon Abloh owns. “What does that engagement look like to ensure that young creatives can learn and access and experience those archives?” Loatman said.
With the current administration’s attempt to remove DEI programs, Loatman was asked how they will impact what her foundation is doing. “We can’t ignore the news cycle. Shannon and I see this as a huge moment for the foundation to double-down on this impact and mission. It is an opportunity to further our impact, and we recognize that the work becomes more important now than ever because we can’t look to government to rely on or creating that access or breaking down those barriers. We have philanthropy and we have a foundation here, and we want to ensure that young creatives of color have that access and have those resources during this time,” Loatman said.
Loatman said the Post-Modern Scholarships are “directly focused on creating scholarships for Black students who are interested in fashion,” noting that it creates exposure to the fashion industry. For example, a young woman of color, Torisheju, was given a grant last year to show during London Fashion Week and is now nominated for the LVMH Prize.
Loatman is its first hire. “Virgil believed heavily in collaborations. We’ve been working behind-the-scenes with a lot of different creatives and friends. I am the first hire. One of my priorities is building a small team. We recently established an inaugural board of directors,” she said.
The inaugural board of directors includes leaders from across fashion, nonprofit, philanthropic and creative ecosystems. Members include Shannon Abloh; Corey Smith, vice president and head of diversity, equity and inclusion at LMVH North America; Ecko, founding director, Complex Ntwrk; Howard Feller, president of H Feller Enterprises; Naecia Dixon, color designer, men’s footwear at Nike, and a Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholar, and Monica Haslip, executive director, Little Black Pearl, a Chicago-based organization that focuses on arts exposure.
Loatman said the foundation is funded by a generous and significant gift from Shannon Abloh, and active fundraising from corporate partners, foundations and individuals.
The foundation is currently operating its own pilot programs as well as ongoing initiatives with a range of partners, including LVMH and Harlem’s Fashion Row, the Royal College of Arts and the Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholarship Fund, administered by the Fashion Scholarship Fund.
As reported, Virgil Abloh’s Post-Modern Scholarship Fund program launched in 2020 with $1 million in seed capital. Last April, it introduced a three-year strategic plan that will grow its cohort from 30 scholars in 2024 to 60 in 2025, offer Bridge Fund grants to remove immediate financial barriers (like the cost of an international flight to an internship) and reach talent from a broader range of backgrounds such as community colleges.
The foundation is formally launching its grant-making program this year and over time it plans to provide millions of dollars to creatives and organizations working to break barriers, open doors and build a more equitable and inclusive industry for creatives of color. To date, the foundation has awarded nearly $200,000 in scholarship and grant funding to 12 individuals and organizations globally.
