FY23 Foundation Employee Giving Stories

NVIDIANs in Action

NVIDIANs share a passion for supporting the communities in which we live and do business. Take a look at some of the ways we turned this passion for giving into action in fiscal year 2023.

Providing Aid to Ukraine

Delivering Essential Supplies

Shortly after the war in Ukraine began, Igor Stanek teamed up with a friend to ensure essential supplies got to those who needed them most. Calling on colleagues, friends, and family, Igor collected food, water, sleeping bags and mats, and medical supplies, and then made two 625-mile trips from the Czech Republic to deliver the supplies to a Red Cross organization working at the Ukrainian border in Hungary. 

Assisting Refugees

Kamil Dziekanowski provided an apartment in his hometown of Warsaw for a family of women and children, spanning four generations, who wanted to stay together during the war. Working with one of the biggest charity groups in Poland, Kamil connected with the displaced family and moved them to the apartment from a single room at a hostel. He also helped enroll the older children in a nearby school and assisted with government paperwork.

Lending Skills, Raising Funds

Julia Levites and Natalia Yamkovaya teamed to support Nova Ukraine, a San Francisco Bay Area-based nonprofit dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to those affected by the war. Using her skills in communications, resource management, and problem solving, Julia helped the small organization recruit new volunteers and improve its operations. Natalia channeled her love of animals as a volunteer for the group’s Animal Welfare team, providing food, evacuation, vaccination, and urgent medical procedures. Together, the duo also raised nearly $175,000 for the cause.

Making a Global Impact

Cycling for Food Security

Riccardo Mariani and Barnaby Simkin planned a biking challenge to raise funds for the World Food Program. The endurance race through Italy’s Dolomites included 20 mountain passes with extreme elevations and spanned more than 30 hours over two days, with very little sleep. The duo raised $20,000 to support the organization’s efforts to save lives in emergencies and use food assistance to build stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change.

Supporting Children in Africa

During a high school trip more than a decade ago, Benjamin Kubwimana was introduced to Friends of Handicap in Rwanda, a nonprofit that aims to empower young people with disabilities. Inspired by the organization’s mission to destigmatize “disability” and turn it into “disAbility” (this ability), Benjamin has been supporting the cause ever since. In addition to visiting Rwanda each year to organize activities for the students with hearing and visual impairments, he also volunteers for fundraising and sponsorship programs, donor relations, communications, and IT management.

Sleeping Out for Unhoused Youth

Six years ago, Erik Pounds was introduced to nonprofit Covenant House of California by a close friend who served as a board member for the organization. Inspired by the organization’s mission to provide sanctuary and support for youth experiencing homelessness, Erik agreed to help run a new fundraising event called Sleep Out. This unique experience calls on supporters, including Erik himself, to give up their beds for a night to raise funds and awareness for, and act in solidarity with, youth experiencing homelessness. Over the years, Erik has raised thousands of dollars to help give young people the support they need for a successful future—something he believes everyone deserves.

Searching for a Cure

After his daughter, Violet, was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening genetic disorder called Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiency, Jon Pimentel learned that an effective treatment was not yet available. On a mission to help Violet, along with the 1 in 40,000 children affected by this metabolic disease caused by genetic mutation, Jon and his wife established the Hope for PDCD Foundation. The volunteer-run, parent-powered nonprofit aims to fund gene-therapy research to give PDCD patients every chance at a happy childhood and a full life.

Giving Back to Honor Late Father

After losing his father to brain cancer in the fall, Sahil Singh decided to honor his memory by giving back each year to his beloved native village in rural India. To mark his father’s birthday, Sahil organized an eye checkup camp, providing exams to more than 50 villagers, and sponsoring cataract surgeries, eye glasses, and medications for those in need. His long-term goal is to build the village’s first school—a promise he made to his father before his passing. 

Walking the Walk for Cancer

Carrying more than three pounds of Swiss chocolate for her team, Catherine Luke traveled to northwest Spain to hike part of the Camino de Santiago. She trekked 75 miles in three days to raise funds for Walk the Walk, a group that funds cancer research and support. This was Catherine’s second turn on the Camino, having hiked 100 miles in five days several years ago. She’s also powerwalked nearly a dozen marathons—all in honor of her brother who died of a brain tumor 20 years ago at age 36.

Packing Food for Those in Need

Ahead of the Israeli holidays, Kobi Sagi and his family prepared hundreds of food baskets in support of a nonprofit organization serving those in need in Ashelkon, a coastal city in the country’s southern district. For Kobi, volunteering is a way to support his community while honoring his late father and instilling in his children an appreciation for what they have and the importance of giving back to help others.