The Team

 
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Ariadne Getty

Ariadne Getty is the President and Executive Director of the Ariadne Getty Foundation. A lifelong philanthropist, Ariadne has a keen focus on serving disenfranchised populations. Her sense of integrity and compassion help to guide the AGF’s investments.

Ariadne was born in Italy and currently resides in Los Angeles. She has two adult children who are also philanthropically minded.

Nats Getty

Nats Getty is an advisor to the Ariadne Getty Foundation. He is a designer, artist, activist and philanthropist with an enduring passion for self-expression and radical social progress. Nats’ fine art practice and commitment to advancing LGBTQ rights lay the foundation for his work as the Creative Director for Strike Oil. His brand uses mixed media to convey his bold message of civil rights and serves as a charitable partner to underserved causes such as LGBTQ and womens’ rights.

Nats is the son of Ariadne Getty and currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Gigi Gorgeous.

 
August Getty

August Getty is an advisor to the Ariadne Getty Foundation. A world-renowned fashion designer and founder of the fashion house, August Getty Atelier, August creates stunning couture with the goal of empowering women and for them to feel safe and confident in his designs. Philanthropy is extremely important to August, who is a champion of LGBTQ+ rights and advancing the global fight against discrimination and prejudice.

August is the son of Ariadne Getty and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Gigi Lazzarato Getty (Gigi Gorgeous)  is an advisor to the Ariadne Getty Foundation. She is a YouTube star, transgender activist, author, television personality, actress, model, and LGBTQ icon. In 2017, her award-winning feature-length documentary This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous premiered at the Sundance Film Festival chronicling her life and transition. Gigi has been named to Time Magazine’s “25 Most Influential People on the Internet” and “Forbes 30 Under 30” list and most recently, Gigi launched her acclaimed podcast, Queerified. In 2019, Gigi released her hilariously candid memoir HE SAID, SHE SAID: Lessons, Stories and Mistakes from My Transgender Journey. Gigi works closely with several LGBTQ organizations including GLAAD, Los Angeles LGBT Center, The Trevor Project, and Children’s Hospital of LA Transyouth Program, and is committed to advancing protections and support for the LGBTQ community.

 
Leigh Vales

Leigh Vales is the Vice President of the Ariadne Getty Foundation. She comes to the AGF from the Los Angeles Fund for Public Education and has an extensive background in nonprofit management. Before transitioning to philanthropy, Leigh spent five years in New York City working at Rubenstein Communications, a global public relations firm.

Leigh was born and raised in St. Louis and currently resides in Los Angeles. She holds a B.S. in Media Studies from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Tiffany Namtu is the Director of Content and Social Media for the Ariadne Getty Foundation (AGF). Tiffany has focused her professional career on serving and educating the communities she is a part of. Prior to joining the AGF, she was a kindergarten teacher abroad and helped build an all-girls secondary school in Maasai Mara, Kenya. Now, through her role with the AGF, Tiffany works to spread awareness and educate the global community about AGF’s work to improve the lives of people and communities worldwide. This work is especially important to Tiffany as the LGBTQ community has been a huge part of her life and she cares deeply about creating a safer space for all.

Tiffany received her Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University and her Bachelor of Arts from Wilfrid Laurier University. She resides in Ontario, Canada.

 

Bella Herron is the Director of Partnerships for the Ariadne Getty Foundation (AGF). Through her role, Bella works with organizations who are committed to working with the AGF to ensure social and political change. While receiving her B.A. in Advertising at Indiana University, Bella spent a semester at sea and developed cross-cultural connections that reaffirmed her commitment to advancing equality for global communities.

Bella is a Los Angeles native and currently resides in Santa Monica.

William Anzevino

William Anzevino is an advisor to the Ariadne Getty Foundation where he is able to marry his passion of philanthropy and art. Prior to his current post, he had his own line where he collaborated with such notable organizations as the Andy Warhol Museum, Coca-Cola and the Susan Sontag estate. Hugely passionate about LGBT rights and human rights, William has donated thousands of articles of clothing from his line to homeless shelters across the country.

William hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and currently resides in Santa Monica where he pursues his passions of photography, fine art, painting and music.

 
Matthew Seth Benoist

Matthew “Seth” Benoist is an advisor to the Ariadne Getty Foundation. He has always been passionate about advocating for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves, and for lending his voice to those who are disenfranchised.  Having worked in both the hospitality and medical fields, Seth has always sought to provide comfort and support to those in need.

Originally from the Midwest, Seth moved to Los Angeles and attended the Art Institute of California. His passion and connections to various LGBTQ organizations will play a key role in the AGF’s work.

 
 

Photos by Ricky Middlesworth