ASPIRE NEXT GEN 501(c)(3) Public Charity
Mission Initiatives New York 2026 Contact

Aspire Next Gen · Houston & New York

Talent is everywhere.
Platforms are not.

We build the platforms — screen, broadcast, runway, and stage — where a young person stops being an audience and starts being an author.

Founded on
The conviction that every person carries the potential to be a force for good.
Practiced in
Film · Television · Fashion · Mentorship

Why we exist

Nobody becomes a force for good by accident.

It happens the day someone hands you the camera instead of pointing it at you. The day your name is on the call sheet. The day a designer twice your age asks what you think.

Those days do not distribute themselves evenly. Aspire Next Gen exists to manufacture more of them — deliberately, at professional standard, for young people who would otherwise wait a decade for an invitation that never arrives.

We are a federally recognized 501(c)(3) public charity. We work through the industries we know: film, television, fashion, and the mentorship that runs underneath all three.

Presenting partner · 2026

The New York Fashion Awards

The 2026 edition is presented in partnership with Aspire Next Gen — bringing designers, business leaders, media, artists, and community partners into one evening built around creativity, leadership, and excellence.

It is not a party with a charity attached. The awards are the platform: emerging designers meet the professionals who can commission them, and the recognition goes to people whose work measurably lifts their industry and their community.

New York City Founded by Marie Llanos Emerging designer access

Read the partnership

52
Countries reached
85
Shows produced
18
U.S. territories
501(c)(3)
Federal charitable status

Work with us

Bring someone through the door.

Sponsors, venue partners, designers, filmmakers, mentors, and volunteers — tell us what you want to build and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right partner for it.

Start a conversation