Kenneth Cole

Kenneth Cole is a fashion designer and social activist who believes business and philanthropy are interdependent. His company, Kenneth Cole Productions, creates contemporary footwear, clothing, and accessories that are distributed worldwide. For 40 years, Cole has leveraged his passion and unique brand platform to make a meaningful impact on people’s wardrobes as well as their communities.

In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cole refocused his energy, passion, and resources on an even larger and more debilitating global pandemic: mental illness, and its related stigma. Shortly thereafter, The Mental Health Coalition, a coalition of the nation's largest, most influential, and diverse mental health organizations, was born. The Coalition’s mission is to build a like-minded community that works together to normalize all mental health conditions and enable equitable access to vital resources and support for all.

Cole’s commitment to public health initiatives goes back decades. He has been one of the leading and loudest voices in the global response to HIV for more than 30 years. He joined amfAR’s board of directors in 1987 and assumed its chairmanship in 2004. Under his leadership of 14 years, amfAR was instrumental in significant breakthroughs in AIDS research, treatment, and helping to de-stigmatize the disease. Since 2016, Cole has been a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador with the goal of ending AIDS as a public health crisis by 2030.