Friday, Dec 18, 2026 · 6 to 10 PMHeartwood Soundstage, Gainesville · Free admission
Vendor market, food trucks, interactive stations, and artist performances, all in one night. Every underdog is the superhero of their own story.
Creatives, vendors, food trucks, performers, and sponsors: apply by Friday, Dec 4. We help young creatives in Gainesville learn, earn, and lead through the arts. Find your path →
See all the details →
Every community in Florida has young people with 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. The KAF Foundation builds that bridge in three steps.
"To use the creative arts to teach business methods, entrepreneurial thinking, and life skills through hands-on programs, arts based events, and community service."
Three ways to work with KAF, one for each part of our Expose, Activate, Showcase model, and all three are part of Creator Bound. Start wherever you are. You can do more than one.
Our Scholar program is KAF's hands-on classes, workshops, and events. Take part in one and you're a Creator Bound Scholar. No application and no experience needed.
Creator Bound ScholarAges 15 to 25, any creative discipline
How to Join →
Pop-Up Photography Class
Get screened as a Creator Bound Apprentice, then get sent on real, paid client jobs: photo, video, DJ, editing, and web design.
Creator Bound ApprenticeCreatives with a portfolio or work history
Apply to Creator Bound →
Apprentice assisting a photo class
Put KAF in front of the community. Connect people, organize events, and grow into paid opportunities through the initiatives you bring together.
Ambassadors & EventsConnectors and organizers. You don't have to be a creative.
Become an Ambassador →Showcase is also where Scholar, Apprentice, and Intern work gets seen. See the Spotlight →
CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH, 2026
Came to a class? That's your first step toward either of the other two. Already an apprentice? You can be an ambassador too.
CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH, August 8, 2026, in partnership with the Gainesville Fire Department, Impact GNV, and PACE Center for Girls.
Founder & Executive Director
A paid community arts apprenticeship gave Kione the tools and the permission to build a business with his creative gifts. He built The KAF Foundation so more young people in his community get that same structure.
Board of DirectorsKione A. Forrest, Executive Director · Temica Smith, Treasurer · Teyoni Smith, Secretary
Legal StatusFlorida nonprofit corporation and IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity.
More About Us →See what's coming up next from The KAF Foundation. Next up: the UNDER DOG Cultural Arts Festival on Friday, December 18.
Friday, December 18, 2026
A free cultural arts festival bringing under-represented creatives and community builders across North Central Florida into the same space. Vendor market, food trucks, interactive stations, artist performances, and more. Creatives, vendors, food trucks, performers, and sponsors can apply through Friday, December 4, 2026.
Spotlight
What our Scholars, Apprentices, Interns, and community have been making lately.
Whether you're 15 picking up a camera for the first time, a creative ready for paid work, or the person who knows everybody, there's a place for you on this path.
One class · No application
Join a hands-on class, workshop, or event. No experience needed.
How to Join →Portfolio or work history · Paid jobs
Get screened as an Apprentice, then get sent on real client jobs.
Apply →3 to 5 hours a week · One semester
Represent KAF in the community. No creative skills required.
Sign Up →Photo · Video · DJ · Web
Book Creator Bound apprentices for your event. Every booking puts a young creative to work.
See Services →Want to fund the work? Donate or become a sponsor.
Teaching business, entrepreneurship, and life skills through the creative arts.
The KAF Foundation works in step with the arts-in-health field: the research and organizations already proving what the creative arts as intervention and inspiration can do in a community. That work brings proof of concept and validity to what we do for the people we serve.
We serve underserved and underrepresented communities, communities shaped by the conditions around them: hopelessness and a lack of direction. When our programs, events, and community service reach these communities, they address that root cause directly: exposing people to a new path, walking them through it, and showcasing the change they've made in themselves. That change is what prepares them to create change in their community and beyond.
It starts with bravery: the courage to show up. From there, it's agency: real tools and pathways to use what you've learned, not just know it.
Pop-up classes, workshops, and presentations where young creatives gain real skills and find real direction, discovering their gift and learning to build a future with it. From there, Creator Bound puts that skill to work as a paid apprenticeship.
Community events that use the arts to unite people, build culture, and create a public stage for young creatives, built alongside our Ambassadors. The arts do not just teach. They build belonging.
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 100+ families and distributed 200+ bags of supplies in year one. KAF is always the first one there.
Every community in Florida has young people with 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.
The KAF Foundation builds that bridge in three steps. Our programs expose young people to a craft. Creator Bound activates it into paid work. Our Ambassadors and events showcase it, putting young people in front of the community as leaders.
By the time someone walks that path, they do not just know what they are capable of. They have done it.
Young creatives and connectors ages 15–25: learning in our programs, earning as apprentices, leading as ambassadors.
A growing network of local leaders showing up for the mission. Started local, growing citywide.
Schools, organizations, and businesses that book KAF programs and apprentice-led services.
Expose. Activate. Showcase. Learn, earn, lead. The KAF Foundation runs the full arc, every time.
A Florida-based nonprofit at the intersection of the creative arts and community.
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 gave that kid, a new sense of what he was capable of, not just a new skill, is what The 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.
Connect with Kio Instagram @kione.forrest ↗ Facebook ↗
Three people accountable to the mission and the community it serves.
Executive Director
Kione A. Forrest
Treasurer
Temica Smith
Secretary
Teyoni Smith
The work is here. The community we serve is here. Take a look at what we're building.
Three ways in: learn as a Creator Bound Scholar, earn as a Creator Bound Apprentice, lead as a KAF Ambassador. In Gainesville, FL and North Central Florida.
Our Scholar program is made up of KAF's hands-on classes, workshops, and events. Anyone ages 15 to 25 who takes part is a Creator Bound Scholar. No application and no experience needed. This is where most people meet KAF.
Our events are open to the community. Check the calendar and pull up.
See upcoming events →We bring pop-up classes and workshops to schools, camps, and youth programs. Ask yours to book one.
See the classes →Tell us you're interested and we'll let you know when the next class or event is coming.
Get updates →Took a class or came to an event? You're a Scholar. When you're ready for more, apply to be an Apprentice or join as an Ambassador.
Schools, camps, and youth programs: book any of these for your group.
Students learn studio equipment, lighting, composition, and posing, then pair up to shoot in front of a professional backdrop and edit their final photo before leaving. Every session is themed, and every student walks out with a finished, edited photo.
Covers instruction, equipment, and materials for up to 20 students. Works well for after-school programs, summer camps, community centers, mentorship programs, and school enrichment days. KAF brings the camera, lighting, backdrop, and editing software; you provide the space and students.
Students learn storytelling, framing, camera work, and editing, then work in crews of 4 to plan, shoot, and edit their own short film: a well-known story, told their way. Three 2-hour sessions run on consecutive days, plus a 4th day for a reveal screening for family and community.
Covers all 3 workshop sessions, mentorship, camera and audio equipment, editing laptops and software, and the reveal screening; you provide the space and students.
Students personalize a design in Cricut Design Space, cut it from heat transfer vinyl, weed away the excess, and heat press it onto their own shirt. Every student walks out wearing a shirt they designed, cut, and pressed themselves.
Covers instruction, a blank shirt for every student, designs, vinyl, and materials for up to 12 students. KAF brings the Cricut machines, heat press, weeding tools, and handouts; you provide the space, power outlets, and students. Works well for after-school programs, summer camps, community centers, mentorship programs, school enrichment days, and group events.
KAF's paid apprenticeship for young creatives ages 15 to 25. Get screened once, then get sent on real client jobs.
Paid work
Getting in
For the connectors, organizers, and people-people. You don't have to be a creative.
Ambassador Internship
Mix and match
Spotlight
Work that came out of our classes, workshops, and events.
Send them to a class, point them to the Creator Bound Portal, or tell them about the Ambassador Internship. The right people come from all directions.
Photography, videography, DJ, and web design, booked in Gainesville, FL.
Whether it's a private event, community gathering, or brand activation, our team can capture it, DJ it, or help produce it, with the same craft and care we bring to every program we run.
Professional event photography coverage, moment by moment.
Includes about 30 professional, edited photos from your event; final count depends on event type and length.
An edited short video, tailored to your event or project.
Coverage and editing style is catered to the specific event or project.
Keep your event's energy going, start to finish.
DJ services for private events, community gatherings, and celebrations.
Web design catered to the project we're asked to build.
Scope and pricing are catered to the specific project. Reach out to discuss what you need.
Spotlight
Creator Bound Apprentices do the work you book. Here's some of what they've made.
Sign up for occasional updates on Creator Bound, CSRE, Wine Down Wednesday, and what's happening at The KAF Foundation, straight to your inbox.
You're confirmed! Thanks for signing up for The KAF Foundation newsletter.
Built with our Ambassadors and community, in Gainesville, FL and expanding across North Central Florida.
A poetry and open mic evening. Wednesday, November 4 at Nest + Nibble.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Poets and storytellers welcome, hosted by @ianyaaa_. There are 9 performer slots. Family friendly. The charcuterie bar will serve plates and wine.
Free and open to the public. Friday, December 18 at Heartwood Soundstage.
Friday, December 18, 2026
A free cultural arts festival bringing under-represented creatives and community builders across North Central Florida into the same space. Vendor market, food trucks, interactive stations, artist performances, and more. Creatives, vendors, food trucks, performers, and sponsors can apply through Friday, December 4, 2026.
People, places, outcomes.
August 8, 2026 · Heartwood Community, Gainesville, FL
A back-to-school event for Eastside Gainesville families. Free backpacks, live music, and community resources before the school year started. Year 2 at Heartwood Community, serving 100+ families and 300+ bags of supplies distributed, in partnership with the Gainesville Fire Department, Impact GNV, and PACE Center for Girls.
$2,117 raised for CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH, thanks to our sponsors and community.
June 17, 2026 · Gainesville, FL
A networking fundraiser at P.F. Chang's in Butler Plaza that drew 30 business owners for a night of good food, good company, and good cause. P.F. Chang's donated 10% of food proceeds that night to The KAF Foundation, plus their Wine Wednesday promo: half off bottles of wine and champagne. Every seat was invited to meet the table next to them, and a QR code on each table pointed guests to donate or partner. Te'Sha Jackson donated $250 that night to the 2nd Annual Community School Readiness Event (CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH).
“I want to encourage you all to go to the table next to you. Talk to them and network with them.”Kione Forrest, founder, to the room
May 2026 · Gainesville, FL
Ashton Booker's first fashion show, which we worked with him to put on as our first Creator Bound Scholar, in collaboration with Kairos Events & Catering. Three brands, multiple photographers, and models from Tallahassee's Images Modeling Troupe drew about 50 people, with attendees traveling from Atlanta, Orlando, and Tallahassee.
Read Ashton's story →
August 2025 · Gainesville, FL
Organized by founder Kione Forrest through The Well Creative Production, before The KAF Foundation existed.
Year 1 of CSRE. 100+ families served and 200+ bags of supplies distributed 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.
May 2024 · Westside Park, Gainesville
Organized independently by founder Kione Forrest, before The KAF Foundation existed.
The successor to Westside Takeover, back at Westside Park. Faith-based, arts-driven, free food, live performers, and multiple churches in attendance. Not a KAF Foundation event, but part of the groundwork that grew into the vision behind it.
April 2024 · Westside Park, Gainesville
Organized independently by founder Kione Forrest, before The KAF Foundation existed.
The first community event founder Kione Forrest put together. A faith-based, arts-driven gathering at Westside Park with live performers, free food, and multiple churches showing up together. The community response helped shape the vision that became KAF Foundation.
Every KAF event is a showcase: young creatives and ambassadors putting real work in front of real people.
The KAF Ambassador Internship is for connectors, organizers, and people-people ages 15 to 25. You don't have to be a creative. You just have to show up.
Do one or all three. The more reliable you are, the more you get to own.
Show up at events and info tables, tell people what KAF does, and pass along anyone who wants to get involved. Everyone starts here.
Build relationships with schools, community organizations, venues, and local businesses, and bring new partners to the table.
Help plan and run KAF events, from info tables to CSRE, and pitch events of your own.
Ambassador work is volunteer. There are two ways to earn on top of it:
Spotlight
Events, partnerships, and projects our Interns and Ambassadors put together.
Creator Bound is KAF's paid apprenticeship for young creatives ages 15 to 25. Get screened once on your portfolio and work history, then get sent on real client jobs.
Apply to the jobs that fit your skills. Grow into more as you go.
Shoot and film events for local businesses, organizations, and partners.
Bring the music to client events, from small gatherings to community nights.
Edit video for clients and build websites for local businesses.
When a client books KAF, an apprentice does the job, and the booking helps fund KAF's youth programs. There's more than one way in:
Spotlight
Real client work from Creator Bound Apprentices.
What it feels like from the inside. Real entries from the people who build The KAF Foundation, the young creatives in it, and the families and partners who show up, told in their own words.
The Podcast
The Diary
In their words
The Recaps
Scholar, parent, partner, or volunteer: tell us what it was like. Send a voice memo, write it out, or record a quick clip, and it could become the next entry.
Referring a youth or reaching out? Use the form below.
Fast answers about our programs, Creator Bound, the Ambassador Internship, and CSRE.
Expose. Activate. Showcase. is The KAF Foundation's core model, and it's how every way of getting involved fits together. Expose, learn: everyone who comes to our classes, workshops, and events is a Creator Bound Scholar, introduced to a creative craft. Activate, earn: Creator Bound Apprentices turn that skill into paid work. Showcase, lead: our Ambassadors and events put KAF, and the young people in it, in front of the community.
You're a Creator Bound Scholar the moment you come to one of our pop-up classes, workshops, or events. No application needed. Creator Bound Apprentices are screened creatives with a portfolio who take paid client jobs. Ambassadors are connectors and organizers who represent KAF, build partnerships, and help run events. You can be more than one: plenty of apprentices are ambassadors too.
Creator Bound is The KAF Foundation's youth path for ages 15 to 25 in Gainesville, FL. It starts with Creator Bound Scholar: anyone who comes to our classes, workshops, or events. Scholars with a portfolio can apply to become Creator Bound Apprentices, screened on their work and sent on paid client jobs in photography, videography, DJ, editing, and web design. Alongside that path, Ambassadors lead in the community.
Sign up at the Creator Bound Portal and fill out your profile with your skills and portfolio links. KAF staff review every applicant, then reach out to set up a quick call. Minors apply with a parent or guardian.
Not for our programs. Classes and workshops are built for beginners. Creator Bound is different: you need a portfolio or work history so we can match you to jobs at your skill level. Ambassadors don't need creative experience at all.
Just take part. Our Scholar program is KAF's classes, workshops, and events, so the first time you come to one, you're a Creator Bound Scholar. Check the events calendar, ask your school, camp, or youth program to book one of our classes, or reach out through the contact form and we'll tell you when the next one is. No application or sign-up needed.
Sign up on the Ambassadors page. We'll set up a 15-minute call, walk you through the role, and get you to your first event within two weeks. Ambassadors are ages 15 to 25 and commit about 3 to 5 hours a week for a semester.
Ambassador work is volunteer. Ambassadors can earn two ways: by taking paid jobs as a Creator Bound apprentice, or by pitching and hosting an approved KAF event for a flat host fee.
Young people ages 15 to 25 in Gainesville and North Central Florida: designers, musicians, photographers, event producers, brand builders, and the connectors who bring people together. If you carry a creative gift, or you're the one who knows everybody, there's a place for you here.
The KAF Foundation (Kione A. Forrest Foundation) is a Gainesville, Florida 501(c)(3) 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, to standing in front of a real audience with something real to show.
CSRE stands for Community School Readiness Event. It's 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 100+ families and distributed 200+ bags of supplies. CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH, Year 2, took place August 8, 2026 at Heartwood Community in Gainesville, FL.
There are five ways to support The KAF Foundation: sponsor a program, make a direct donation, volunteer for CSRE events, become an ambassador, or refer a young person ages 15 to 25 to a class, Creator Bound, or the Ambassador Internship. The KAF Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, so donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Reach out directly at info@kaffoundation.org.
The KAF Foundation Presents
A poetry and open mic evening, hosted by @ianyaaa_. Poets and storytellers welcome.
Wednesday, November 4, 6 to 9 PM
Nest + Nibble, 14 SW 1st Ave, Gainesville
$5 at the door · 9 performer slots
Family friendly. The charcuterie bar will serve plates and wine.