Pursuing big opportunities to improve the future.

About

The MoJo Philanthropic Fund, based in San Francisco, advances the joint philanthropic interests of Mo and John Pritzker. The foundation is optimistic, pragmatic, and solutions-oriented, and we seek to learn from the past in order to better the future. We are drawn to big opportunities and invest at the vanguard of human ingenuity and of creative expression. We center human need and connectedness in everything we do. The foundation gives out a small number of significant grants each year to teams with a track record of impact and often gets deeply involved in the causes we care about. We approach our work with humility, curiosity, and urgency, and look for collaboration and scale wherever possible.

Grantmaking

The foundation has two core program areas:

INNOVATION

The MoJo Philanthropic Fund invests in new ideas and solutions that offer significant promise at improving people’s lives and/or addressing complex challenges facing humanity.

IMAGINATION

The MoJo Philanthropic Fund invests in artistic expression, narrative development, and other creative projects that provoke the imagination and build human connection and empathy.

Selected Projects

INPLORATION

MoJo is a seed funder of Inploration. Inploration uses the power of space and the cosmos to inspire care for the Earth and empathy for one another. At the intersection of art, science, education, futures literacy, and design, Inploration creates, curates, showcases, and engages communities in creative works by visionary thinkers and artists. Programming will include an art book compendium with the work of 100+ participants; a lunar mission control exhibit in collaboration with MIT Media Lab’s Space Exploration Institute; an LP album featuring music by Wilco, Esperanza Spalding, Suzanne Ciani, and others; and a multimedia and immersive exhibition that highlights hopeful futurist perspectives through meaningful space exploration.

THE DUNN SCHOOL

MoJo has supported an innovative pilot project to create the Dunn School’s Center for Community, Belonging, and Purpose. The Center offers a holistic approach to education and social-emotional learning to foster a more inclusive, equitable, and connected campus environment. The experiential program and curriculum incorporate empathy, connection, and personal development into students’ daily lives, including through seminars, speaker series, podcasts, trusting and supportive social groups, and redesigned physical gathering spaces to facilitate togetherness, connection, and well-being. The goal of the Center is to inspire schools to adopt a similar approach to building thoughtful community by sharing data and through podcasts and webinars for professional development.

CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE

MoJo supports Clean Air Task Force’s (CATF) global fusion program, which advances the commercialization and deployment of fusion as a key source of abundant clean energy. CATF’s fusion program brings together diverse experts and stakeholders from the public and private sectors to address critical gaps in the fusion ecosystem, including regulatory frameworks, supply chain development, workforce training, and public acceptance, while fostering global collaboration to accelerate deployment. As one of the first private funders to make a climate-focused philanthropic investment in fusion, MoJo is at the leading edge of building the field for fusion technology development.

Featured on the Whole Student Podcast 

Building Foundations: Governor JB Pritzker on Community, Belonging, and Purpose. In this episode of the Whole Student Podcast, hosts Mo Pritzker and Kal Balaven delve into the themes of community, belonging, and purpose with special guest, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

Team

  • Mo KC Pritzker is a trustee of the MoJo Philanthropic Fund. Mo is a serial entrepreneur and artist who has focused on building forward-thinking companies and endeavors that serve a higher purpose.

    Mo's passion for wellness led her to join the Special Council of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, where she works to gain attention and support for this game-changing technology. Mo also helped catalyze clinical research in the neurosciences using focused ultrasound at USCF.

    Mo is a founding member of the Board of Inploration, an artistic endeavor led by Grammy winner Lawrence Azerrad that uses music, art, and media to connect humanity to the universe and its wonders. She was also a founding Board member of YouthSpeaks, a Bay Area organization started in 1996 to help youth find spaces to amplify their voices as creators of societal change.

    Mo is spearheading, along with Kalyan Balaven, an innovative pilot program at Dunn School that helps youth find connection, belonging, and purpose. Mo and Kal also co-host a Spotify podcast, The Whole Student, whose guests have included JB Pritzker, Isaiah Thomas, Glenn Close, and Pink speaking about how to elevate our children and society.

    In her business life, Mo has launched numerous mission-driven companies to help create healthier people and a healthier planet. Her startups include Ammo (the first influencer marketing company in the U.S.), Seed + Salt (the first vegan QSR in the U.S.), Five Suns Foods (a regenerative food company), and re-origin (an online neuroplasticity company treating chronic health conditions).

    Mo is also a lyricist, creative producer, and writer. She has worked on projects including a song with artists Karin Park and Lustmord, and a non-fiction short story published by Harper in the anthology, "The Moment".

  • John Pritzker is Chairman of the John Pritzker Family Fund and a trustee of the MoJo Philanthropic Fund.

    John is Founding Partner and Director of Geolo Capital, where he oversees all sectors of the San Francisco-based private equity and investment firm. John began his career at Hyatt Hotels Corporation in 1972, and in 1984 became Managing Director and Divisional Vice President of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. He was a founding board member of Ticketmaster, Inc. and Chemdex/Ventro Corporation.

    Most recently, John orchestrated the merger of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Thompson Hotels, and Alila Hotels to form Commune Hotels Resorts. In 2016, Commune Hotels and Destination Hotels merged, creating Two Roads Hospitality. The newly formed company spanned seven countries, with five hospitality brands and over 97 hotels. In 2018, Hyatt Hotels Corp. agreed to acquire Two Roads Hospitality. Additionally, John has served as Chairman and CEO of a number of businesses in the hospitality industry, including Red Sail Sports, Mandara Spa, and The Odyssey Club (now Exclusive Resorts).

    John serves on the Executive Council of UCSF Health and the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he chairs the Visiting Committee on Modern and Contemporary Art. He is a board member of the Bernard Osher Foundation and a past president of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation. Through his philanthropy John has supported and championed numerous major capital projects, including the UCSF Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building, the India Basin Waterfront Park, and the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing at the Met. John is the 2024 recipient of the Robert Sinton Award for Distinguished Leadership from the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation.

  • Amy Rabbino, Ph.D. is Executive Director of the John Pritzker Family Fund (JPFF), whose mission is to help people lead fulfilling and healthy lives in vibrant communities. The foundation invests in Mental Health and Healthcare, Democracy and Civic Health, Jewish Life, and the Arts. She is also Executive Director of the MoJo Philanthropic Fund, whose mission is to pursue big opportunities to improve the future, with a focus on human ingenuity and creative expression. Through these roles, Amy has helped direct over $200 million in grantmaking. 

    Amy manages all aspects of the foundations, in collaboration with John and Mo, the JPFF board, and a professional team from Third Plateau. Amy has worked throughout her career to bring management and operational best practices to the field of philanthropy, and to help families translate their philanthropic aspirations into meaningful giving. 

    Amy previously ran a philanthropy advisory practice and served on the boards of four family foundations. Prior to that, Amy worked for 14 years at the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, including as the Director of Philanthropic Services and Interim Chief Philanthropic Officer, where she oversaw the entire donor advised giving program, supporting foundations, restricted funds, and the endowment. 

    Amy holds a B.A. magna cum laude from Amherst College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She enjoys running half-marathons, doing jigsaw and word puzzles, and building community.

  • Mike Berkowitz is a Senior Advisor to the MoJo Philanthropic Fund as well as to the John Pritzker Family Fund.

    Mike is co-founder and Principal of Third Plateau, a full service social impact consulting firm, where he leads the firm’s Democracy practice and works across its Philanthropic Management and Jewish Community Impact portfolios. Mike is an experienced facilitator, strategist, philanthropic advisor, and grantmaker. He specializes in weaving networks, curating philanthropic learning, and developing strategies for addressing complex challenges.

    Mike is a 21/64-certified philanthropy consultant and has counseled numerous individual donors, family foundations, and institutional foundations on their philanthropic strategies. He has also advised dozens of nonprofit institutions on program design, strategic planning, impact evaluation, and development strategy.

    A native of New York City, Mike lives in Berkeley with his wife, Debbie Tuttle Berkowitz, and their two sons. He has a B.A. in History, magna cum laude, from Brown University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

  • Rebecca Altman is a Senior Advisor at the John Pritzker Family Fund and the MoJo Philanthropic Fund, where she provides leadership development and executive coaching support for the two foundations and their grantees. Rebecca is a Vice President at Third Plateau, a full-service social impact consulting firm, where she leverages her experience in social entrepreneurship and professional coaching to support and spark transformation in nonprofit and philanthropic leaders. Prior to Third Plateau, Rebecca worked for Ashoka in Washington, D.C., and played a key role in the launch of Ashoka Scandinavia.

    Rebecca received her BA from Emory University, her MSc in Global Health from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and her coaching credentials from the Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, California (CTI). Rebecca is certified in The Leadership Circle Profile (LCP) and the Vertical Mindset Indicator (VMI). Rebecca lives in the East Bay with her husband and son. Born in San Francisco, Rebecca grew up in North Carolina and is a Tar Heel at heart.

  • Maya Kageyama is a Program Officer at the John Pritzker Family Fund and the MoJo Philanthropic Fund.

    Maya is a Senior Director at Third Plateau, a full service social impact consulting firm, where she supports leaders, teams, and organizations to align their values, purpose, and strategies, to deepen their impact and bring their visions to life. Prior to Third Plateau, Maya worked for the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, where she provided trainings, technical assistance, and coaching to nonprofits and health department programs focused on health equity and racial equity.

    Maya received her B.A. from Hampshire College and her M.P.H. from University of San Francisco. She currently lives in Sacramento.

  • Katherine Gimla Carraher is the Grants Manager at the John Pritzker Family Fund and the MoJo Philanthropic Fund.

    Katherine is also Senior Grants Manager at Third Plateau, a full service social impact consulting firm, where she helps coordinate client work by providing targeted support in the areas of communications, research and analysis, data tracking, relationship building, and general operations. Before coming to Third Plateau Katherine worked with Leventhal Kline Management, where she was responsible for providing administrative and bookkeeping support for private foundation clients, grant agreement preparation and tracking, and supporting clients’ governance and recordkeeping processes.

    Katherine earned a B.A. in political science, summa cum laude, from Syracuse University and a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from San Francisco State University. She has lived on both coasts as well as Chicago and Puerto Rico but now calls the East Bay home.

  • Toby Cavalier is a Senior Associate at the John Pritzker Family Fund and MoJo Philanthropic Fund.

    Toby is also a Senior Associate at Third Plateau, a full-service social impact consulting firm, where he supports non-profit and philanthropic clients in the democracy and climate spaces through research, project management, and strategic planning. Before coming to Third Plateau, Toby worked for a policy analysis firm where he assessed the impact of federal COVID-19 relief funding to healthcare providers in the US.

    Toby earned a B.A. in Biology from Swarthmore College. He lives in San Francisco and spends his free time reading and playing music.

Contact Us

Please do not send unsolicited proposals.

info@mojofund.org