# Goldhirsh Foundation

Goldhirsh Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Los Angeles, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Los Angeles, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Los Angeles, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 2000
- **Assets under management:** $58M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** goldhirshfoundation.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/goldhirsh-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Goldhirsh Foundation was established in 2000 by the late Bernard Goldhirsh, who built his wealth founding Inc. and Sail magazines. His son, Ben Goldhirsh, chairs the foundation, and his daughter, Claire Hoffman, serves as a director. The endowment operates from Los Angeles with a mandate to connect emerging innovations with financial, social, and human capital. The foundation deploys capital across venture, growth, and buyout stages, blending direct investments and fund commitments. It focuses on social impact ventures in sectors including enterprise software, digital health, and climate technology. A central vehicle is LA2050, a community-driven initiative the foundation launched to shape the future of Los Angeles. The foundation's posture heavily favors Los Angeles-based organizations, and it operates a co-working hub, Second Home Hollywood, for impact-focused startups. With $58 million in estimated assets, the foundation is led by President Tara Roth. Its Investment Committee includes Shana Barghouti of ReMY Investors, Natasha Case of Coolhaus, and Celestine Schnugg of Boom Capital. The team also maintains a Boston office. Natasha Case is a member of YPO's Beverly Hills chapter, reflecting the foundation's ties to local entrepreneurial networks. The foundation's structural differentiator is its deeply local, hands-on model. Through LA2050, it acts as a grantmaker, convener, and direct investor within a single metropolitan ecosystem. Rather than a traditional diversified endowment, it operates as a catalytic engine for place-based social innovation, blurring the line between operating non-profit and mission-aligned investor.

## Sectors

- Media & Entertainment
- Enterprise Software
- Digital Health
- ClimateTech
- Education

## Offices

- Pacific Palisades, CA
- Boston, MA

## People

- Tara Roth — President
- Ben Goldhirsh — Chairman
- Claire Hoffman — Director
- Shana Barghouti — Investment Committee Member
- Natasha Case — Investment Committee Member
- Celestine Schnugg — Investment Committee Member
- Ruth Wernig — Investment Committee Member

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the Goldhirsh Foundation?

President Tara Roth oversees the foundation's strategy, with an Investment Committee that includes Shana Barghouti (Co-CIO at ReMY Investors), Natasha Case (co-founder of Coolhaus), Celestine Schnugg (Managing Partner at Boom Capital), and Ruth Wernig (former CIO of The California Endowment). The committee provides oversight but operational decisions sit with the President's office.

### How does the Goldhirsh Foundation source its direct investments?

Sourcing is heavily concentrated within the Los Angeles ecosystem through the LA2050 initiative. LA2050 operates as a public grant challenge, market research tool, and community engagement platform, surfacing high-impact organizations. The foundation also leverages its Second Home Hollywood co-working space as a physical hub for connecting with social entrepreneurs.

### What is LA2050 and how does it function?

LA2050 is a community-guided initiative and reported to be the foundation's primary deployment engine. It sets goals for Los Angeles across metrics like health, education, and housing, then directs grants and investments to organizations advancing those goals. It blends philanthropic grantmaking with impact-first investment, operating more like a focused catalyst than a passive funding vehicle.

### Does the Goldhirsh Foundation commit to external funds or only make direct investments?

The foundation operates a hybrid strategy, making both direct investments and fund commitments. Its strategy spans early-stage start-ups, growth equity, and buyouts, but specific external fund commitments or co-investment partners beyond the LA2050 network have not been publicly detailed.

### How is the foundation related to Second Home Hollywood?

Second Home Hollywood serves as the foundation's physical hub and co-working space, housing social impact startups. The foundation uses it to curate a community of practice for mission-aligned entrepreneurs, strengthening deal flow and collaboration within the Los Angeles impact ecosystem.

## Related profiles

- [Galveston Firefighter's Relief and Retirement Fund](https://altss.com/profile/galveston-firefighter-s-relief-and-retirement-fund)
- [LaGrange College Endowment](https://altss.com/profile/lagrange-college-endowment)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/goldhirsh-foundation

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