Since 2014, Madaraka Festival has attracted more than 12,000 patrons and reached over 15 million people digitally while empowering diversity and inclusion in the Seattle community. Madaraka Festival has uniquely deepened the relationship between African, and African American communities, and fostered partnerships with other international communities while shifting narrative and honoring cultural dynamics. In 2019, this international cultural extravaganza was a culmination of an entire week of activities in Kisumu, Kenya, where One Vibe Africa originated. In 2020, Madaraka happened virtually and raised seed capital for 106 women who run small-scale businesses in three Kenyan slums. Madaraka provided an opportunity for nearly 100 African Americans to participate in cross-cultural exchange programs. In 2021, Madaraka Festival was held at Bellevue Youth Theater’s outdoor amphitheater headlined by Grammy Award-nominated reggae legend, Pato Banton as part of his world peace tour.

Friends of Waterfront Seattle (“Friends”) is the nonprofit partner to the City of Seattle responsible for helping to fund, build, steward, and program the park — today and into the future. In deep collaboration with individuals, communities, and institutional partners, Friends’ mission is creating, caring for, and activating a renewed place on Seattle’s central shoreline to connect — to the water, to the mountains, to our city, and to one another. In addition to raising $110M by 2024 to fund park construction, Friends will provide funding and manage the programming and operations of the future Waterfront Park through a joint-delivery partnership with Seattle Parks & Recreation. Park construction has begun following the Viaduct’s removal and the first piece of the park — Pier 62 — is now open.