From gift to proof.

We teach business, entrepreneurial thinking, and life skills through the creative arts: hands-on, paid, real. Learn it in our programs, earn it as an apprentice, lead it as an ambassador.

Find Your Path How It Works
2 / 20
Youth helped into creative-arts businesses this year. Help us get to 20.
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."
The Path

Learn it. Earn it. Lead it.

Three ways to work with KAF, one for each part of our Expose, Activate, Showcase model. Start wherever you are. You can do more than one.

01 · Expose

Learn it

Come to a pop-up class, a workshop, or an event. No application and no experience needed. This is where you find out what you've got.

ProgramsAnyone 15 to 25, any creative discipline

See Programs →

02 · Activate

Earn it

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 →

03 · Showcase

Lead it

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 →

Came to a class? That's your first step toward either of the other two. Already an apprentice? You can be an ambassador too.

Programs & Services

What We Offer

🎨

Programs: where you learn it

Pop-up classes and hands-on workshops, from a single Pop-Up Photography session to a four-day videography workshop. Open to young creatives of any skill level. You leave having done the work, not just learned about it.

See All Programs →
🎧

Services: things you can book

Photography, videography, DJ, and web design, booked directly and performed by Creator Bound apprentices as real, paid client work. Every booking puts a young creative to work.

See All Services →

Upcoming Events.

See what's coming up next from The KAF Foundation. CSRE has its own recap section below.

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Upcoming Events

Come build something with us.

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.

Built to run
the full arc.

Teaching business, entrepreneurship, and life skills through the creative arts.

Our Theory of Change

The creative arts as intervention and inspiration.

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.

The Three Pillars

01 / Hands-On Programs

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.

02 / Arts Based Events

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.

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 100+ families and distributed 200+ bags of supplies in year one. KAF is always the first one there.

The Gap We Close

The talent is here.
The bridge wasn't.

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.

Our Audience

Who we're for.

Creatives: the youth

Young creatives and connectors ages 15–25: learning in our programs, earning as apprentices, leading as ambassadors.

The Community: Community Builders

A growing network of local leaders showing up for the mission. Started local, growing citywide.

Clients: youth organizations and the such

Schools, organizations, and businesses that book KAF programs and apprentice-led services.

The arc is the difference.

Expose. Activate. Showcase. Learn it, earn it, lead it. The KAF Foundation runs the full arc, every time.

See Our Programs Get Involved

Rooted in Gainesville.
Built to last.

A Florida-based nonprofit at the intersection of the creative arts and community.

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 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.

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. Recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. 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.

See Our Programs Get in Touch

Youth entrepreneurship,
taught through the creative arts.

Three ways in: learn it in our classes, earn it as a Creator Bound Apprentice, lead it as a KAF Ambassador. In Gainesville, FL and North Central Florida.

01 · Expose · Learn it

Classes & Workshops.

Hands-on creative arts classes brought to your school or organization, catered to your group of youth. No application and no experience needed. This is where most people meet KAF.

📷

Pop-Up Photography Class

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.

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

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.

Book Us Contact Us
🎬

Frame by Frame Videography Workshop

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.

$800flat rate
Up to 12students, 3 crews
4 dayson-site
  • Day 1 · Pre-ProductionStorytelling, framing, camera basics, and crew planning.
  • Day 2 · ProductionCrews direct, shoot, and act out their film, mentored on set.
  • Day 3 · Post-ProductionOne student per crew edits while the rest of the crew weighs in, guided by a mentor.
  • Day 4 · Reveal DayFamilies and community are invited to a screening of all three finished films.

Covers all 3 workshop sessions, mentorship, camera and audio equipment, editing laptops and software, and the reveal screening; you provide the space and students.

Book Us Contact Us
02 · Activate · Earn it

Creator Bound Apprentice.

KAF's paid apprenticeship for young creatives ages 15 to 25. Get screened once, then get sent on real client jobs.

🚀

Paid work

What apprentices do

  • Get sent on paid client jobs: photography, videography, DJ, editing, and web design
  • Commercial work for local businesses and partners, not practice assignments
  • Jobs are posted in the Creator Bound Portal. Apply to the ones that fit you
  • Build a paid work history and real client relationships
Apply in the Portal →
📁

Getting in

How screening works

  • 1 · Sign upCreate an account in the Creator Bound Portal.
  • 2 · Show your workAdd your skills, portfolio, and work history so we can measure your level.
  • 3 · Get reviewedKAF staff review every applicant and set up a quick call.
  • 4 · Get to workOnce approved, apply to any open job. Minors apply with a parent or guardian.
03 · Showcase · Lead it

KAF Ambassadors.

For the connectors, organizers, and people-people. You don't have to be a creative.

🤝

Ambassador Internship

Put KAF in front of the community

  • Build partnerships with schools, organizations, venues, and local businesses
  • Bring in people who want to book KAF's creative services
  • Help plan and run KAF events, then grow into leading your own
  • Volunteer role, with paid opportunities through the initiatives you bring together
See the Ambassador Internship →
🧭

Mix and match

You can do more than one

  • Took a class and want more? Build your portfolio and apply to Creator Bound
  • Already an apprentice? Become an ambassador too, and keep taking paid jobs
  • Not a creative? Ambassadors are the ones who make everything else happen
Help Me Pick →

Know a young creative
who's ready to build?

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.

Refer Someone Get Involved

Hire our creatives
for your next event.

Photography, videography, DJ, and web design, booked in Gainesville, FL.

What We Offer

Book The KAF Foundation.

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.

📷

Event Photography

Professional event photography coverage, moment by moment.

$100per hour
~30 photosincluded

Includes about 30 professional, edited photos from your event; final count depends on event type and length.

Ready to work? Book Now
Specifications? Contact Us
🎬

Event Videography

An edited short video, tailored to your event or project.

$150per hour
1–2edited short videos

Coverage and editing style is catered to the specific event or project.

Ready to work? Book Now
Specifications? Contact Us
🎧

Event DJ

Keep your event's energy going, start to finish.

$100per hour

DJ services for private events, community gatherings, and celebrations.

Ready to work? Book Now
Specifications? Contact Us
💻

Web Design

Web design catered to the project we're asked to build.

Custompricing per project

Scope and pricing are catered to the specific project. Reach out to discuss what you need.

Specifications? Contact Us
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.

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Where the program
meets the community.

Built with our Ambassadors and community, in Gainesville, FL and expanding across North Central Florida.

What's coming up.

This Month

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Upcoming Events
Summer 2026: Recap

This Summer.

Open to the public. Rooted in Gainesville.

August 8, 2026

CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH

📍 Heartwood Community, Gainesville, FL 🎒 Community School Readiness Event, Year 2 ✅ Completed · Thank you, Gainesville.

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
See Our Programs Book Our Services
CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH, August 2026
Past Events

Every event is proof.

People, places, outcomes.

June 17, 2026 · Gainesville, FL

Wine Down Wednesday

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. Te'Sha Jackson donated $250 that night to the 2nd Annual Community School Readiness Event (CSRE: BREAKTHROUGH).

Lunar: Krescent Klothing Show

May 2026 · Gainesville, FL

Lunar: Krescent Klothing Show

Ashton Booker's first fashion show, produced independently before entering Creator Bound, in collaboration with Kairos Events & Catering. Three brands, multiple photographers, and models from Tallahassee's Images Modeling Troupe drew 30+ people, with attendees traveling from Atlanta, Orlando, and Tallahassee.

CSRE: Community School Readiness Event, Year 1

August 2025 · Gainesville, FL

CSRE: Community School Readiness Event

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.

Praise at the Park

May 2024 · Westside Park, Gainesville

Praise at the Park

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.

Westside Takeover

April 2024 · Westside Park, Gainesville

Westside Takeover

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.

Bring the program to your community.

Every KAF event is a showcase: young creatives and ambassadors putting real work in front of real people.

Help Run an Event Get in Touch

Show up for your city.
Lead with KAF.

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.

What Ambassadors Do

01 / Outreach & Partnerships

Build relationships with schools, community organizations, venues, and local businesses, and bring new partners to the table.

02 / Client Relations

Tell people about KAF's creative services and bring in clients who want to book our Creator Bound apprentices.

03 / Event Development

Help plan and run KAF events, from info tables to CSRE, and grow into leading events of your own.

The Commitment

Simple on purpose.

  • 3 to 5 hours a weekOne semester at a time. Renew if it's working for you.
  • A check-in every other week30 minutes with KAF to plan, ask questions, and get feedback.
  • About one event a monthAn event or info table, on average.
  • One ruleShow up where you say you will. If something changes, give 24 hours notice.
Grow Into It

Four levels. You move up by showing up.

Everyone starts at Level 1. The more reliable you are, the more you get to own.

Level 1

Trainee

Represent KAF at events and info tables, learn the pitch, and pass along people who want to get involved.

Level 2

Outreach

Reach out to community partners, book intro meetings, and research venues and vendors for events.

Level 3

Client Relations

Bring in clients for KAF's creative services, follow up with partners on your own, and own a piece of an event.

Level 4

Lead

Own partner relationships, co-lead or lead events, and train new ambassadors.

How Ambassadors Earn

Volunteer role. Real opportunities.

Ambassador work is volunteer. There are two ways to earn on top of it:

  • Take paid creative jobsGot a portfolio? Apply to Creator Bound and take paid jobs as an apprentice, alongside your ambassador work.
  • Lead a fundraising eventOnce you've moved up, pitch and lead an event that raises money for KAF, and earn a share of what it brings in.
How to Join

Four steps, and you're in.

  • 1 · Sign upFill out the short form. It takes two minutes.
  • 2 · Quick callA 15-minute call with KAF to walk you through the role.
  • 3 · Make it officialSign the ambassador agreement. If you're under 18, a parent or guardian signs too.
  • 4 · Get startedA one-hour orientation, then your first event within two weeks.

You're signed up. We'll reach out to set up your 15-minute call.

Get in touch · Gainesville, FL.

Referring a youth or reaching out? Use the form below.

Get in touch.

Email

info@kaffoundation.org

Phone

(352) 224-9532

Instagram

@thekaf.foundation

Message sent. We'll be in touch.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions.

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 it: our programs introduce young people to a creative craft. Activate, earn it: Creator Bound apprentices turn that skill into paid work. Showcase, lead it: our Ambassadors and events put KAF, and the young people in it, in front of the community.

Programs are pop-up classes, workshops, and events where anyone can come learn, no application needed. Creator Bound is paid work for screened creatives with a portfolio. The Ambassador Internship is for connectors and organizers who represent KAF, build partnerships, and help run events. You can do more than one: plenty of apprentices are ambassadors too.

Creator Bound is The KAF Foundation's paid apprenticeship for young creatives ages 15 to 25 in Gainesville, FL. Apprentices are screened on their portfolio and work history, then sent on real client jobs: photography, videography, DJ, editing, and web design.

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.

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, once they've moved up, by leading a fundraising event and earning a share of what it brings in.

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.