Selena Gomez and Kenneth Cole will be honored at the 2026 Social Impact Summit, set for March 30 at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Hosted by the Social Impact Fund and the FIT Foundation, the third annual event will spotlight leaders working at the intersection of fashion, beauty and philanthropy. Gomez will receive the Excellence in Beauty Philanthropy Award, while Cole will be presented with the Excellence in Fashion Philanthropy Award.
Gomez is being recognized for her work through Rare Beauty and the Rare Impact Fund, which pledges one percent of all Rare Beauty sales to expand access to youth mental health services. In five years, the initiative has raised more than $30 million and supports 30 nonprofit organizations worldwide. “Using my platform in a meaningful way has always been important to me,” Gomez said, noting the fund’s mission to reduce stigma and increase access to care for young people.
Cole will be honored for four decades of advocacy, including early efforts to address the HIV/AIDS crisis and the founding of the Mental Health Coalition in 2020. “I have always believed that business and philanthropy are not independent; they are in fact interdependent,” Cole said. He emphasized his continued commitment to advancing mental health awareness and encouraging open dialogue.
The invitation-only summit will feature panels with leaders from brands including M·A·C Cosmetics, Kate Spade New York, LVMH and The Estée Lauder Companies. The event runs from 3 to 6 p.m., followed by a reception, and marks the first edition focused specifically on fashion and beauty philanthropy.