Feature Profiles

Photo by Florian Koenigsberger

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FLORIAN KOENIGSBERGER

(XXVI/COLLEGIATE ’10, YALE ’14) PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, GOOGLE FOUNDING TEAM, SEE IN BLACK

RACE AND IDENTITY THROUGH A PHOTOGRAPHER’S LENS: ONE ALUM’S JOURNEY TO FINDING PERSONAL MEANING IN CREATIVE PURSUITS

Understanding one’s identity, race, and sense of belonging is a lifelong process. For Prep alum Florian Koenigsberger (XXVI), that process has led him through renowned schools on the East Coast, career opportunities in California, and across international borders in Europe and South Africa. While his journey is far from over, his passions have led him full circle to practice his craft and his profession in New York City.

The son of German and Jamaican immigrants, Florian didn’t think much about the lack of diversity in his school or social surroundings growing up, until he was admitted to Prep for Prep. Here, he discovered a community of students of color —all bright, curious, and talented, each equally capable of achieving anything. From challenging himself among his new friends to soaking in the examples of leadership from older students, Florian began to explore where he belonged as someone with a biracial background different from most of his peers. “Prep planted the seed,” he reflected, “for a lifelong search rooted in belonging, equality, and representation.”

Throughout his time at Collegiate and Yale, Florian explored his creative passions. He ran an eco-friendly t-shirt company, performed in musical theater, and even modeled in a fellow Prep student’s senior project fashion show. His interest in photography began in high school, when he learned to develop film and was encouraged by his teacher to show his work to others. Florian later began to take photos, both commissioned and for himself, of major cultural events such as Afropunk.

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Photo by Florian Koenigsberger

Yet while his photography began to gain validation from others, he began to question his own work. “I don’t think I understood why I was doing it for me,” he shared, “and my work did not document my own story or history.”

A pivotal moment in his journey was a photography trip to South Africa at the end of 2019. In a place where “Coloured” was a government-defined category under apartheid, Florian wanted to understand the stories of those who self-identify as mixed race and have reclaimed that label as a proud representation of their racial identity. In the process, he hoped to discover more about his own sense of place and belonging. It was both a nerve-wracking and transformative experience. “I had to overcome a lot of self-doubt,” he said. “Do I believe in my own ideas, and am I willing to invest dollars in this and be okay with whatever outcome?” He met with several young South Africans and spent hours discussing each person’s stories, and shared his own experiences as a biracial man in the U.S. He then staged photo shoots in their homes and in nature, capturing intimate and powerful moments. While photographing one subject in Hanover Park, which is estimated to be 97% Coloured by population, local children who were intrigued by the camera joined in the shoot. Florian chose to use a classic Hasselblad medium format film camera, meaning he couldn’t see any digital previews of his images. The slow, deliberate process allowed him to immerse himself fully into the moment and trust his craft. Whatever was developed from that film, he would accept as part of his photography series, Coloureds.

His exploration of race, identity, and art exploded in the public eye this past spring, when Florian helped launch See in Black, a collective of 80 Black photographers seeking to dismantle white supremacy and systematic oppression after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black people at the hands of law enforcement. “I was originally approached for this idea for my project management skills,” Florian recalled, “by a great Ghanaian American photographer, Joshua Kissi, because I had worked with him through Google.” He and other collaborators wanted to help alleviate their community’s collective grief. “At a time of such racial turmoil, I remember feeling deeply exhausted and felt I could not go out to photograph the protests,” Florian said, “so I asked myself, where could my skills, passion, and impact overlap?”

While he was originally tapped for his management skills, See in Black became a platform where Florian also shared his work as a photographer. Through print sales of highly-curated original images for its “Black in America” theme, the collective raised over $500,000 between Juneteenth and Independence Day for organizations that support key pillars of Black advancement: civil rights, education and the arts, intersectionality, community building, and criminal justice reform. “The medium was effective,” Florian said. “The results were extraordinary.” See in Black was picked up by national news and arts platforms and became a space not only to raise funds for nonprofits, but also to celebrate the beauty and joy in Black communities.

Florian’s artistic journey has at times overlapped with his professional role at Google as a product marketing manager, but it’s important for him to evolve his artistry outside of work. His career was jump-started in part by Prep’s programs, with a Google BOLD internship in San Francisco that helped him explore roles at the tech giant. He reconnected with Prep when he was seeking to give back. He is a regular alum speaker at Google career panels, describing his work on improving cameras to become more inclusive of all users and skin tones. This summer, he also spoke to Art Academy students about his photography. He advised the students, “You don’t have to go all the way into a field to be a part of it. You can be the artist, but you can also be the manager, producer, appraiser, or teacher.” He was deeply impressed by how Prep has applied the rigor of its academic programs to the arts for current students.

Florian’s ongoing journey to shape his identity and find belonging has come full circle to overlap with Prep for Prep. He recently became aware of the Prep in Arts alumni affinity group and is leaning into their shared interest in art and storytelling. He is finding inspiration in this community of creatives of color who share the same foundational experiences of Prep, but have gone on to very different lives in a variety of fields. “I realize we all have moments when we may drift from a place,” Florian reflected, “but Prep is a core pillar of my path. I encourage all alumni to reach back and share their passions with students and with each other. There is power in this Prep Community.”

PREP FOR PREP/SOTHEBY’S ART ACADEMY

The Prep for Prep/Sotheby’s Art Academy was created with the Prep in Arts alumni affinity group to welcome students into a sector that has historically lacked opportunities for people of color. A recent study of major U.S. museums found that 85% of artists represented in their collections were white. At Prep, students explore different paths into the arts through art creation, art history, and guest speakers in a variety of arts professions. This year’s online format allowed them to connect with a diverse group of painters, sculptors, photographers, graphic designers, curators, and art critics from across the country and Puerto Rico. Students curated online art exhibits for their capstone projects, tackling subjects such as sustainability, the objectification of women in art, and the portrayal of Black men in the Western world.

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JENNIFER GOMEZ

(P9 XIII/MIDDLESEX ’04, BROWN ’08) CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, ONEKIN

STORYTELLER TURNED ENTREPRENEUR:

ONE ALUMNA’S WINDING PATH TO LAUNCHING HER OWN BUSINESS

Jennifer Gomez (P9 XIII) is no stranger to overcoming challenges. A Brooklyn native raised in a single parent household, she was eager to exceed goals she and her mother had set together. Jennifer first learned the tenets of Prep’s motto—Excellence, Integrity, Commitment, and Courage— from witnessing her mother’s efforts to take care of their family. Jennifer saw PREP 9, the boarding school preparation program of Prep for Prep, as a way to honor her mother’s sacrifices and pay forward those efforts to her community.

She still remembers the thrill of entering her first Prep for Prep classroom. Jennifer recalled, “It was amazing and intimidating to see so many children who look like me, with dreams and goals and ambitions of their own.” With Spanish as her native language, she had to tackle extra tutoring in English to keep up. Looking back, she credits Prep’s rigorous structure and dedicated teachers with helping her build the confidence she needed to overcome and find new challenges.

Jennifer arrived at Middlesex School afterwards, and experienced every imaginable shock living away from home and entering a place with vast resources and people from a variety of backgrounds. She continued to adapt and eventually earned leadership positions in school while exploring professional interests during her summers back home. “I’ve had internships since the tenth grade because of Prep,” she shared, “and they showed me a roadmap to success.” Opportunities from boarding school and Prep allowed her to see the connections between pipelines of talent, networks, and resources in achieving her goals.

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An internship that set her on the road to entrepreneurship was one she secured herself —with a little help from Prep. Jennifer was a master of ceremonies at her Prep Lilac Ball graduation. Afterward, an impressed L’Oreal EVP approached her and said, “Call me!” This was the era before LinkedIn, and Jennifer only had her name. She later called all the numbers she could find for L’Oreal offices until she was finally connected to this woman. At the time, L’Oreal only offered internships to graduate students, but Jennifer’s determination led her to become their first undergraduate intern—opening the door to other college students in future summers.

Throughout her career she learned the importance of marketing and storytelling, and all the values she learned at Prep played a role. Jennifer brought her strong work ethic, creativity, and approachable personality to successful roles at major national sports, media, and beauty companies. Yet she felt she wasn’t making an impact in a way that was meaningful to her. “Success for me is when my values align with my work.” She started consulting as a way to find a new direction, and shortly after crossed paths with a group of like-minded folks with an idea to create a business that supports communities of color. They had the technical and financial skills, but she had the marketing know-how. In 2018, they launched oneKIN’s curated marketplace.

“I’ve had internships since the tenth grade because of Prep and they showed me a roadmap to success.”

There’s starting a business and being successful, but what about the secret sauce in between? The key is commitment and follow through. “You’re going to fall more than you‘re going to fly,” said Jennifer, “but these aren’t mistakes. These are lessons.” With oneKIN, Jennifer’s team built an ecosystem for POC-led businesses to thrive and find multicultural consumers. As a mission-driven tech company, oneKIN is centered on driving socioeconomic change in underserved communities. More than an online shopping platform, oneKIN is a network —a community —of over 200 POC-owned businesses, each with a story worth telling and a product worth sharing. Jennifer’s team provides financial, operational, and marketing support and technical resources in a supportive community of entrepreneurs affectionately known as KINfolk. Along with sharing their stories, oneKIN is finding new ways to support businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. Many relied on pop-up markets to generate revenue, and those are, for now, a thing of the past. In response, oneKIN began to carry some products wholesale to help their KINfolk fulfill their distribution needs. oneKIN will soon launch their live-stream e-commerce experience, twiine™, and are raising capital to continue to scale their services. Jennifer now feels her values and work finally align.

Jennifer also found ways to give back to the Prep Community. She hired Prep student interns, going the extra mile to accommodate remote placements this summer. “At first I was worried about creating connections through a computer screen,” she laughed, “but we had an incredible experience with our interns. They were tremendous assets to the team, especially during those insane few months.” She encouraged them to take a deep dive into whatever aspect of the business they were curious about, and put them in direct conversation with the small business owners that oneKIN represents. “The most empowering internships are the ones where you feel like you have a voice,” she shared, “so I want them to feel confident presenting ideas, asking questions, and tackling challenges.” Jennifer is excited to be a resource to young innovators and other members of the Prep Community. She was recently a guest speaker at the Institute for Entrepreneurship (IFE), a program she wishes had been around when she was a Prep kid. “Through IFE, Prep is showing alternate career paths. I’m proud of what I see to be Prep’s current trajectory.”

INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Since 2002, Prep for Prep’s Institute for Entrepreneurship (IFE) has empowered students to tackle real-world problems with creative solutions. In the U.S., entrepreneurs of color have less access to mentors, networks, and capital. At Prep, those building blocks start early. Each summer, a group of students learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and coding while meeting with business owners and creatives across a range of industries. Mentored by Google employees and spearheaded by Dale Allsopp (VII), the students then pitch their business plans to compete for seed money. This year’s top prize was awarded to the students who created AfroScholars, a language learning app for West African languages that targets the nearly five million U.S. residents who are part of the African diaspora. For the first time, all IFE projects can be viewed online.

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KIMBERLEY MARTIN

(XV/LREI ’99, WESLEYAN ’03) MA, SYRACUSE ’06 NFL REPORTER, ESPN

MORE THAN GOOD ENOUGH:

ONE ALUMNA’S EVOLVING CAREER AS A SPORTS JOURNALIST

For Kimberley Martin (XV), success is a moving target. She is a pioneer in sports media: as one of the few female reporters—sometimes, the only one— in post-game locker rooms, as the first Black female sports columnist in a national newspaper’s 100-year history, and as the first Black female NFL beat writer at a national news organization. Ever adaptable, curious, and resourceful, Kimberley started a new role this year as an NFL reporter for ESPN just as the nation began to shut down from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decisions she has made about her career may sometimes seem abrupt, but Kimberley trusts herself and has faith in her own abilities. “I seek advice from others,” she shared about her career pivots, “but sometimes people project their own fears onto you when giving advice. So I listen to myself and do what makes sense for me.”

Kimberley’s drive to become the best version of herself was reinforced by Prep’s Preparatory Component. When she began at Prep, like many students, she was used to being at the top of her class in public school, but her Prep grades were not what she expected. To this day, she still remembers the D she got in Latin, but she never gave up. “I remember asking myself, why am I struggling so much?” laughed Kimberley, “but I know that Prep did set me on the path to success.” The program became a foundation for learning to overcome struggles and continue to define herself on her own terms.

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When Kimberley was in the Prep for Prep program, leadership development offerings were less expansive. Initiatives like the Institute for Entrepreneurship, Sotheby’s Art Academy, and Public Policy Internships Project did not yet exist. She recalls that in middle school and high school, seeing creative roles was rare: “We never saw an alum who was an editor or TV network executive.” Instead, there was well-intentioned advice from her peers and family to study economics, computer science, or finance which are all noble pursuits, but Kimberley stood firm in what she wanted to do. After graduating from Wesleyan, she earned a master’s degree in magazine, newspaper, and online journalism from Syracuse University. “The reason I am where I am now is because I don’t listen to anyone,” she joked. The same self-awareness and determination that guided her throughout her Prep journey continues to push her forward today. Now, she’s interviewing and producing stories on some of the biggest names in the NFL, and we couldn’t be more proud.

With nearly two decades of experience in her field, Kimberley continues to challenge herself. “This path is unique,” she shared, “and it takes a lot of stones to create it.” She started covering college sports while at Syracuse, and launched her career with sports coverage for a local New Jersey paper. She quickly transitioned from writing about high school sports to full-time coverage of professional baseball, basketball, and football teams in New York and New Jersey. A longer tenure at Newsday helped her develop her storytelling talents as the beat writer for the New York Jets. Beyond game statistics, injuries, and roster changes, Kimberley is known for her deep dives into the lives of the players and staff, and telling the full stories that inform each person’s decision making on and off the field. The National Association of Black Journalists named Kimberley their Emerging Journalist of the Year in 2011, and she has continued to win several awards and accolades since then.

Looking back, terms like “best” or “successful” can be subjective when pursuing a unique career path. When The Washington Post approached Kimberley for a role as beat writer, she was ecstatic. Securing a position at the esteemed national news organization was the end goal for many in her field, and the role affirmed to her that she was more than good enough. During that time, she realized that she will continue to be excellent at evolving her craft, regardless of where she was practicing it. When Kimberley was later offered a role at Yahoo Sports, what others may view as a step back, she saw as an opportunity to pivot to other components of broadcast journalism. While she continued writing, she also began to work in front of the camera as a commentator and as a co-host of an all-female weekly NFL show and pregame Super Bowl show. She also ventured into podcasts and radio roles. Kimberley broadened her experience from covering a single football team to all the teams in a professional league. Her willingness and ability to seize opportunities led to her current role as an NFL reporter at ESPN, right when COVID-19 began to reach its height in New York City.

Journalists in her field have all encountered new challenges this year in their respective sports leagues. Kimberley is unfazed by energetic crowds of 80,000 fans, locker room celebrations, and packed press conferences. Yet today, those same stadiums may be so quiet that she can hear a pin drop. Enhanced safety protocols for flying, COVID-19 testing, and social distancing have added layers to an already tight schedule for her weekly coverage of NFL games. Yet she still finds time to dive deeply into the stories she cares about. One night you may see Kimberley reporting on ESPN pregame shows; the next day you might read her article in The Undefeated on double standards in head coach hiring practices.

Often, Kimberley is the only person who looks like herself in the room, and she knows that her background brings a unique perspective to her storytelling. It also challenges how others respond to her professionally. “I am a Black person and a Black woman, and a journalist, a sports writer, and a daughter of immigrants,” said Kimberley. “All of that package is me. It is a privilege for others to be able to say, just focus on the game.” Sports and politics, in particular, have never been separate issues. “Sports is a fertile ground. Athletes and staff talk about their upbringings, what’s happening in their communities,” she shared. “These are organic discussions.” She recalled that when athletes first began to take a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, they were ostracized by the league and some lost their jobs. Four years later, entire teams, their owners, and the franchises are publicly showing support for Black Lives Matter. While public support is a welcome and necessary change, doing the right thing institutionally is not easy. “Resistance and protest,” she said, “are not done just because it’s convenient.” Wherever her career may take her next, Kimberley will continue to use her platform not only to highlight individual athletes’ journeys, but also to shed light on the work the NFL still has to do to truly level its playing fields.

PUBLIC POLICY INTERNSHIPS PROJECT

Public Policy Internships Project is a signature summer opportunity for our students to learn about public service, the structure of local government, and the process by which public policy decisions are made. High school students balance classes with internships at advocacy organizations and with elected officials, culminating in student-led research presentations around a theme. For this year’s theme, Journalism and the Free Press, our students interviewed over a dozen writers, journalists, and editors from a range of publications to discuss activism within journalism and how their work may influence public policy. Among those guests were ten Prep alums in news, entertainment, philanthropy, and culture sharing their perspectives on what informs their choice of subject matter and their nonlinear career paths.