Title:Clark Foundation supports operations and Innovation Hub for Georgetown’s new Thrive Center

The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation has made a commitment to the future of children and families in the DC area and beyond with a $5M investment in Georgetown’s new Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities, a multidisciplinary academic center focusing on child and family mental health, disabilities, health equity, and digital health. The investment includes $3M for operational costs and an additional $2M earmarked for an Innovation Hub that will launch in 2025. 

“Thanks to the generosity of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, we will be able to continue our work to close the critical gap that exists between innovation and practice,” says Matthew Biel, M.D., MSc, the Marriott Chair of Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health, a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and chief of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. “The Clark Foundation has been an extraordinary partner in our work for years, and they understand our sense of urgency about translating knowledge that comes from the research and clinical domains into real-life, high-impact solutions for families.” 

‘A trusted resource’

“Support for mental health plays a critical role in all the work of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation—from housing to food banks to job placement—is all focused on mental health. There’s such an urgent need in our area,” says Joe Del Guercio, President and CEO of the Clark Foundation. “We want Georgetown’s Thrive Center to be a trusted resource—not just here in DC but across the nation.”

The foundation is supporting not only operations but also a new Innovation Hub modeled after accelerators for early-stage technology companies. The hub allows for a three-month fellowship for small cohorts of early stage organizations that have innovative ideas related to mental health, disability, and early childhood. 

“We have always been impressed by Matt Biel’s thoughtful leadership,” adds Del Guercio. “We believe he can bring people, companies, and nonprofits together to tackle these tough issues from a long-term, national perspective. We love that his plans involve establishing the Center, then scaling and growing it. He’s thinking about sustainability, thinking about the future.” 

Read more about the Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities >