The KAF Foundation | Gainesville, FL
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The KAF Foundation — Youth Arts & Entrepreneurship · Gainesville, FL

From gift to proof.

Using the creative arts as a vehicle for service. Help us serve Eastside families with free backpacks before the school year begins.

Using the creative arts as a vehicle for service. Support our next Annual Backpack Drive and help us reach more Eastside families.

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Our Mission

To use the creative arts to teach business methods, entrepreneurial thinking, and life skills through hands on programs, arts based events, and community service.

How We Work

What we actually do.

01 / Hands-On Programs

Build something real.

Creator Bound walks young creatives through a complete project cycle, from concept to showcase, in a real production environment. Not a simulation. Not a classroom.

02 / Arts Based Events

Culture you can feel.

Community arts events organized by KAF Foundation (cultural nights, arts gatherings, public programming) that unite people and build belonging. These events run independent of the program cycle.

03 / Community Service

Show up first, always.

The Community School Readiness Event (CSRE). 200+ families served in year one, mostly out of pocket. We give before we ask. Every time.

The Framework

The cycle we work through.

Most programs stop at the first step. The KAF Foundation runs all three.

Expose

Young creatives see the specific path available to them. Not a broad overview of life paths. What it actually looks like to build something real with their gift.

Activate

The gift goes to work. Knowing you're a photographer is different from getting paid as one. Activation means applied monetization, mentorship through real conditions.

Showcase

Growth becomes public proof. A real audience. A real event. A real outcome. The culmination for the Cohort Member, and a platform for the community.

Creator Bound

You're already doing something with your gift.
Or you feel the pull.

Creator Bound is built for both. If you have a gift and you're already working with it, you'll have the structure to build something real and the support to earn from it. If you haven't found your specific lane yet, the first phase of Creator Bound is where that happens.

Either way, you leave with proof. A completed project, a real audience, and the foundation for what you build next.

"He kept my head up during the moments I felt like giving up, and went out of his way to get me the tools and opportunities I needed. He doesn't just help you think bigger, he helps you think differently. Working with him opened my mind creatively and professionally."

Ashton Booker, Creator Bound Scholar #001, Krescent Klothing

Coming Up

Upcoming Events

Take a look into what we have going on this summer in Gainesville.

August 8, 2026

CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH

Heartwood Community, Gainesville

Community School Readiness Event, Year 2. Free backpacks. Live music. Community. Targeting 100+ Eastside families before the school year begins.

KAF Foundation

Be part of what's being built.

Sponsor a program. Partner on an event. Donate. Refer a young creative who's ready to build something real.

Stay Connected

Get event updates.

Sign up for occasional updates on Creator Bound, CSRE, Wine Down Wednesday, and what's happening at the KAF Foundation, straight to your inbox.

Our Mission

Built to run
the full arc.

Our mission is to use the creative arts to teach business methods, entrepreneurial thinking, and life skills through hands on programs, arts based events, and community service.

The Gap We Close

The talent is here.
The bridge wasn't.

Every community in Florida has young people with real creative gifts. What is missing is the bridge between potential and proof, between discovering a gift and knowing how to activate it, earn from it, and stand behind it in public.

Most programs expose young people to different paths. The KAF Foundation takes them down one, from discovering their gift, to activating it and learning to earn from it, to standing in front of a real audience with something real to show.

By the time someone completes a KAF program cycle, they do not just know what they are capable of. They have done it.

The Three Pillars

01 / Hands-On Programs

Workshops, presentations, and mentorship programs where young creatives discover their gift and learn to build with it. Creator Bound is the flagship program within this pillar, guiding each Cohort Member through a complete project cycle from concept to showcase.

02 / Arts Based Events

Community events that use the arts to unite people, build culture, and create a public stage for young creatives. The arts do not just teach. They build belonging.

03 / Community Service

Community service events that show up for people before anything is asked in return. CSRE is the anchor, a back-to-school event that served 200+ families in year one. KAF is always the first one there.

The arc is the difference.

Expose. Activate. Showcase. Most programs don't make it past the first.

About The KAF Foundation

Rooted in Gainesville.
Built to last.

The KAF Foundation is a Florida-based nonprofit rooted at the intersection of the creative arts and community. A young person's creative gift is not a hobby. It is a vehicle for resilience, economic agency, and purpose.

Kione A. Forrest, Founder and Executive Director

Kione A. Forrest

Founder & Executive Director

At a summer camp, he made a beat on the spot, brought the kids onto the track, and shot a music video with them. One kid picked up the camera. He edited the video himself. He was proud of what he made. Today, that kid has his own photography company. Kione is his mentor. What that afternoon did for that kid is what KAF Foundation was built to do. Intentionally, with structure, for more young people, every year.

His own turning point came through a paid community arts apprenticeship that gave him the tools and the permission to build a business with his creative gifts. That experience launched him across photography, music, and event production. He knew what it meant to have that structure. He also knew how many people around him didn't.

Kione Forrest is a community organizer, creative multi-hyphenate, and entrepreneur based in Gainesville, FL. A DJ, photographer, videographer, beatmaker, and musician, he built the KAF Foundation at the intersection of everything he carries. He saw the gap between the gifts in his community and the systems that should be walking people through them.

Governance

Board of Directors

Three people accountable to the mission and the community it serves.

Executive Director

Kione A. Forrest

Treasurer

Temica Smith

Secretary

Teyoni Smith

Legal Status: Florida nonprofit corporation. 501(c)(3) application in progress. EIN on file with the IRS. Registered as a Social/Civic youth development and arts education organization.

This is a Gainesville organization.

The work is here. The community we serve is here. Take a look at what we're building.

Programs — Gainesville, FL

Youth entrepreneurship,
taught through the creative arts.

You get embedded in a real production cycle and guided through every decision, every role, every setback, and every win. By the time you're done, you've done it.

New Program

Pop-Up Photography Class

A 2-hour hands-on studio photography class we bring directly to your organization. Catered to specific groups of youth in all age ranges.

See our first Pop-Up Photography Class on Instagram

What It Is

Students learn studio equipment, lighting, composition, and posing, then pair up to shoot in front of a professional backdrop and edit their final photo together before leaving. Every session is themed, and every student walks out with a finished, edited photo.

$225per session
Up to 20students
2 hourson-site

Works well for after-school programs, summer camps, community centers, youth mentorship programs, and school enrichment days. KAF Foundation brings the camera, lighting, backdrop, and editing software. You just provide the space and the students.

Book Us
Flagship Program

Creator Bound

A mentorship and project-based entrepreneurship program for young creatives ages 15 to 25. One quarter. One real project. The full cycle from concept to showcase to debrief, built around each Cohort Member's specific creative gift.

Scholar Program

Creator Bound Scholar

Mentorship and project-based entrepreneurship. Complete a real creative project cycle from concept to public showcase.

Young creatives ages 15 to 25: designers, musicians, photographers, event producers, brand builders

One project cycle per quarter, approximately 12 weeks, orientation through graduation showcase

Year 1: 1-on-1 pilot. Year 2+: cohorts of up to 7 Cohort Members per quarter

Cohort Members participate in KAF Foundation's Pillar 2 arts events and Pillar 3 community service events as a program requirement. Those events exist and run independent of the cohort.

Apprenticeship Program

Creator Bound Apprentice

Paid apprenticeship track for photographers and videographers placed in real commercial work sourced from the KAF Foundation's network.

Photographers and videographers ready to work in professional, paid environments

Real commercial work, not practice assignments

Placed through the KAF Foundation's growing network of local businesses and partners

Builds a paid work history and real client relationships from day one

The gap between knowing your craft and earning from it, closed

Creator Bound

Know a young creative
who's ready to build?

Creator Bound accepts Cohort Members through application, referral, and word of mouth. All three pathways are valid. The right people come from all directions.

Events

Where the program
meets the community.

Every KAF Foundation event is proof of work, for the Cohort Members who build them, and for the community they serve. Three events this summer. Gainesville.

Summer 2026: Upcoming

This Summer

Open to the public. Rooted in Gainesville.

August 8, 2026

CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH

Heartwood Community, Gainesville FL
Community School Readiness Event, Year 2
Free admission. No registration.

A back-to-school event for Eastside Gainesville families. Free backpacks, live music, and community resources before the school year starts. Year 2 at Heartwood Community, serving 100+ families.

From CSRE Year 1
CSRE: Breakthrough
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Past Events

Past Events

Every event is proof. Real people, real places, real outcomes.

June 17, 2026 — Gainesville, FL

Wine Down Wednesday

This was your mid-week wind down. P.F. Chang's in Butler Plaza for a night of good food, good company, and good cause. 10% of P.F. Chang's proceeds that night went to The KAF Foundation, plus their Wine Wednesday promo: half off bottles of wine and champagne.

May 2026 — Gainesville, FL

Lunar: Krescent Klothing Show 1

Ashton Booker's first fashion show, produced independently before entering Creator Bound. People came from Atlanta, Orlando, and Tallahassee. Gainesville's streetwear scene showed up. Show 2 is built on what Show 1 revealed.

August 2025 — Gainesville, FL

CSRE: Community School Readiness Event

Year 1 of CSRE. Over 200 families served on Gainesville's Eastside before the school year, mostly out of pocket. The City of Gainesville and Gainesville Fire Department showed up. The community showed up for itself.

Photos from the event

May 2024 — Westside Park, Gainesville

Praise at the Park

The successor to Westside Takeover, back at Westside Park. Faith-based, arts-driven, free food, live performers, and multiple churches in attendance. What started with one event became a recurring gathering rooted in community and faith.

Photos from the event

April 2024 — Westside Park, Gainesville

Westside Takeover

The first KAF community event. A faith-based, arts-driven gathering at Westside Park with live performers, free food, and multiple churches showing up together. The community came out. The foundation was being laid.

Photos from the event

Show up for
what's being built.

Sponsor an event. Volunteer. Refer a young creative. Show up.

Stay Connected

Get event updates.

Sign up for occasional updates on Creator Bound, CSRE, Wine Down Wednesday, and what's happening at the KAF Foundation, straight to your inbox.

Get Involved

Support what we're building.

The KAF Foundation gives before it asks. If you are ready to invest in what is being built in Gainesville, here is how to show up.

CSRE: Breakthrough

Donation progress.

Every dollar goes directly to the event: backpacks, logistics, and making sure 100+ families are served on August 8.

CSRE: Breakthrough
raised
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Support Us

How to show up.

Donate

Direct support for the KAF Foundation's programs, events, and operations. Every dollar goes to the work, the Cohort Members, the community events, and the cost of showing up before anyone else does.

Donate Now

Volunteer

Show up for CSRE on August 8. Help distribute backpacks, support logistics, work the event. Showing up is how you become part of what the KAF Foundation builds.

Creator Bound

You know someone who should be here.

A young creative ages 15 to 25 with a gift they have not fully deployed yet. Someone who is already designing, making music, shooting, building a brand, producing events, or just feels the pull and hasn't named it. That is who Creator Bound is for.

Contact

Get in touch — Gainesville, FL.

Referring a youth or want to get in contact with us? Reach out using the form below.

Get in touch.

Email

info@kaffoundation.org

Phone

(352) 224-9532

Instagram

@thekaf.foundation

Stay Connected

Get event updates.

Sign up for occasional updates on Creator Bound, CSRE, Wine Down Wednesday, and what's happening at the KAF Foundation, straight to your inbox.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Fast answers about Creator Bound, CSRE, and how to get involved.

What is Creator Bound?

Creator Bound is the KAF Foundation's flagship program, a mentorship and project-based entrepreneurship program for young creatives ages 15 to 25 in Gainesville, FL. It has two tracks. The Scholar Program guides each Cohort Member through a complete creative project cycle, built around their specific creative gift. The Apprenticeship Program is a paid track for photographers and videographers, placing them in real commercial work sourced through the KAF Foundation's network. Neither track is a classroom. You get embedded in a real production cycle and guided through every decision, every setback, and every win.

What is the difference between Creator Bound Scholar and Creator Bound Apprentice?

The Scholar Program is for young creatives across any discipline: designers, musicians, photographers, event producers, brand builders. Cohort Members complete one full project cycle over approximately 12 weeks, from orientation through a public graduation showcase. The Apprenticeship Program is a paid track specifically for photographers and videographers ready to work in professional environments. Apprentices are placed in real commercial work sourced through the KAF Foundation's network, building a paid work history and real client relationships from day one.

How do I apply to Creator Bound?

Apply by reaching out through the contact page at kaffoundation.org/contact. Creator Bound also accepts Cohort Members through referral and word of mouth. All three pathways are valid. The right people come from all directions.

Do I need prior experience to join Creator Bound?

No prior experience is required, though having some creative background is preferred. Creator Bound is built for young people who are already working with a creative gift and those who feel the pull but have not fully started yet. If the gift is there and you are ready to build something real with it, Creator Bound is for you.

How long is the Creator Bound program?

The Creator Bound Scholar Program runs approximately 12 weeks, one full quarter, from orientation through the graduation showcase. The cycle moves through four phases: Orientation, Foundation, Execution, and Show Day with Debrief.

Who is Creator Bound for?

Creator Bound is for young creatives ages 15 to 25: designers, musicians, photographers, event producers, brand builders, and anyone who carries a creative gift and is ready to build something real with it. If you are already doing something with your gift, or you feel the pull to start, Creator Bound was built for you.

What do Cohort Members walk away with?

Cohort Members leave with a completed project, a real audience, a documented process, and the foundation for what they build next. The KAF Foundation does not stop at graduation. We continually follow up with every Cohort Member after the program ends. The relationship does not close when the showcase does.

What is the Expose, Activate, Showcase framework?

Expose. Activate. Showcase. is the KAF Foundation's core program model. Expose: young creatives see the specific path available to them with their creative gift. Activate: the gift goes to work. Activation means applied monetization: learning to earn from your gift, not just develop it. Showcase: growth becomes public proof. A real audience, a real event, a real outcome. Most programs stop at Expose. Some reach Activate. Almost none close the loop with a public Showcase. The KAF Foundation runs all three.

What makes Creator Bound different from other programs?

Most programs expose young people to different paths and stop there. Creator Bound takes each Cohort Member all the way through, from discovering their gift, to activating it and learning to earn from it, to standing in front of a real audience with something real to show. The program is built around each person's specific creative gift, not a curriculum applied to everyone. Activation means monetization, learning to get paid from what you carry, not just growing it. That is the gap Creator Bound closes.

What is the KAF Foundation?

The KAF Foundation (Kione A. Forrest Foundation) is a Gainesville, Florida nonprofit that uses the creative arts to teach business methods, entrepreneurial thinking, and life skills through hands on programs, arts based events, and community service. The KAF Foundation walks young creatives through the full arc, from discovering their gift, to activating it and learning to earn from it, to standing in front of a real audience with something real to show.

What is CSRE?

CSRE stands for Community School Readiness Event. It is a free back-to-school event organized by the KAF Foundation for families on Gainesville's Eastside: free backpacks, live music, and community resources before the school year begins. Year 1 in 2025 served more than 200 families. CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH, Year 2, takes place August 8, 2026 at Heartwood Community in Gainesville, FL.

How can I support the KAF Foundation?

There are four ways to support the KAF Foundation: sponsor a program, make a direct donation, volunteer for CSRE events, or refer a young creative ages 15 to 25 who is ready to build something real. Visit kaffoundation.org/involved to learn more or reach out directly at info@kaffoundation.org.