Denver, CO, March 13, 2025– The AYA Foundation, Colorado’s community foundation dedicated to supporting aspiring Black entrepreneurs, startup founders, and business owners, has announced that CEO Benny Samuels will retire in December 2025 after five years of transformative leadership.
Benny Samuels’ Legacy of Leadership
Samuels joined the AYA Foundation as its founding CEO and Executive Director. Through her visionary leadership, Benny helped build a solid infrastructure from the ground up, establishing key programs, systems, and processes that have had a lasting impact on the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission. Under her guidance, the AYA Foundation has grown from a concept into a powerful force for change in the philanthropic and entrepreneurial landscape.
“Serving as the founding CEO of the AYA Foundation has been an extraordinary journey and honor, and a wonderful way to end my professional career,” said Samuels. “AYA evolved from an idea into a thriving institution that is lifting, empowering, and preparing Black entrepreneurs to provide services and products to the market while building their own generational wealth. I feel so much pride and joy to have been a contributor, and I have loved meeting, cheering, and working alongside every single business owner.”
A Thriving, Community-Centered Foundation
What began as a vision to create a strong, community-centered foundation has grown into a thriving institution. In a short period of time, the organization built the infrastructure needed to sustain and expand its mission—from establishing key funding streams and strategic partners, to developing six robust programs that empower entrepreneurs to build the organizational processes, systems, and capacity necessary to run a sustainable institution.
“Benny was exactly the right person to bring the vision, leadership, commitment, and understanding needed to turn the AYA Foundation from a concept into the powerful reality it is today,” said Board Chair Jice Johnson. “Words can’t fully capture my personal gratitude for the care and consideration she poured into building what has now become a proud pillar in our community. On behalf of myself and the entire board, we express our deepest respect and thanks for her tireless efforts, which truly laid the foundation for the work ahead. We’re confident her legacy will prove to be one of lasting impact, and we’re excited for her as she transitions into a well-deserved period of radical rest.”
Transition and National CEO Search
To ensure the continued success and growth of the organization, the AYA Foundation Board of Directors has contracted with Diverse Talent, a national search firm specializing in high-performing nonprofit leadership, to conduct a national search for a new CEO. The goal is to have the new CEO in place by July 1, 2025, to ensure a smooth transition that includes six months until the end of 2025 with Benny to ensure continued momentum for the foundation’s work. The AYA board is committed to finding a leader who will uphold AYA’s mission and build on Benny’s remarkable legacy of support for Black entrepreneurs.
“The infrastructure has been built,” Samuels said. “Now it is time to scale it. So, as I step away, I do so with immense pride in what we’ve built together and with tremendous confidence in the future of this remarkable organization.”
The search for the next CEO will focus on identifying a visionary leader who is not only experienced in nonprofit management but also passionate about supporting and empowering entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities and scaling a young organization with fantastic growth potential.
Benny Samuels’ Future Plans
“I am not going far,” Samuels said. “I will always stay close to my communities. In retirement, I’m excited to focus more on personal and creative endeavors (learning to sew, writing a book), and I will spend more time playing outdoors. Retirement will also let me dedicate more time to mentoring the next generation of leaders who need our love, support, and coaching more than ever.”
ABOUT THE AYA FOUNDATION:
The AYA Foundation is all about empowering Black entrepreneurs and business owners. It provides ongoing support to aspiring founders, helping them navigate the challenges of starting and growing their businesses. Whether offering mentorship, creating valuable programs, or providing the tools and systems necessary for success, AYA is committed to making a real difference. Its mission is to create lasting impact in communities by giving entrepreneurs the resources they need to thrive. It is a place where big ideas receive the foundation they need to flourish and succeed, all while fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for growth.
Contact Information:
To learn more about AYA, go to www.ayafoundation.org
For media inquiries, contact Kindred Communications: Angelle Fouther at angelle@kindredcommunications.net, 303-868-1796.
Interested candidates should contact Diverse Talent: Austin Campbell at austin@diverse-talent.com, 720-779-0242.