STRONGER TOGETHER: A MOVEMENT BUILT ON PARTNERSHIP
One City isn’t just built on basketball—it’s built on collaboration—the team that backs the teams. Behind every game, every workshop, and every life change is a network of powerful partners working together to create real opportunities. Community partners in these cities support the young people, bring them together, and host the games. Funders and civic leaders provide resources that help build these cultures of safety. Trainers and professionals provide education materials, workshops, and access to jobs. These organizations bring expertise, resources, and influence to expand One City’s reach and impact.
Here are the three organizations at the center of One City, making the movement bigger than basketball.
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Noah’s Arc Foundation is the heart of One City’s vision. Founded by Joakim Noah and Cecilia Rodhe, the foundation’s mission is to help young people express themselves through sports and art, offering them an outlet to heal, grow, and connect.
As a foundational partner, Noah’s Arc provides One City critical funding, program development, and strategic leadership. The foundation also helps expand One City’s reach into new cities, ensuring that the program isn’t just a Chicago solution—it’s a national blueprint for violence prevention and youth empowerment.
“Basketball is a bridge. It brings people together. One City is about more than the game—it’s about giving young people a future.” –Joakim Noah
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Cure Violence Global, a pioneering force in violence prevention, treats gun violence as a public health epidemic rather than just a criminal issue. Led by Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Monique Williams, their evidence-based approach focuses on interrupting violence before it escalates, identifying high-risk individuals, and changing community norms around conflict.
For One City, Cure Violence provides essential violence prevention infrastructure. They support training for mentors, coaches, and staff, equipping them with the skills to mediate disputes and prevent conflicts from turning deadly. Their methodology ensures that One City isn’t just a basketball league—it’s a frontline effort to stop violence before it starts.
“One City is a safe space where the participants can begin to see themselves differently. It's a redemptive space that recognizes diamonds in the rough. Some may show up rough around the edges, weighed down by what life has thrown at them, but we see beyond that. We see the gems, the diamonds - brilliant, resilient, and ready to rise. That's what we cultivate.” –Dr. Monique Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Cure Violence Global
“Violence is a public health issue. It spreads like a disease that can be interrupted. One City is a perfect example of how changing social interactions, social norms around violence, can change entire communities.” –Cobe Williams, Co-Founder of One City and Director of US Programs for Cure Violence Global -
Cities United is a coalition dedicated to reducing gun violence and improving life outcomes for young Black men and boys. Their mission aligns with One City’s goal of building safer, stronger communities by investing in youth rather than criminalizing them.
Cities United takes a policy-driven approach, helping One City secure critical funding, expand its programs, and influence citywide strategies for violence prevention. They work with local governments to create sustainable solutions, ensuring that One City’s impact isn’t temporary—it’s built into the fabric of city leadership.
“We come in and help cities build out a comprehensive public safety plan. The work is really around how do you create this ecosystem and how do you create an interconnected system that not only interrupts the cycle of violence, but also create better outcomes,” –Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Cities United
One City is bigger than any single organization
Each partner brings a unique skill set, perspective, and influence that strengthens the movement. With their combined efforts, One City isn’t just changing lives—it’s changing the way cities approach violence prevention.
From mentorship and conflict resolution to policy reform and national expansion, these partners are helping One City prove that basketball isn’t just a game—it’s a gateway to a better future.
Meet the LEADERSHIP
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Cobe Williams
CO-FOUNDER
ONE CITY -
Joakim Noah
CO-FOUNDER
ONE CITY -
Tony Allen
COMMISSIONER
ONE CITY -
Josh Gryniewicz
INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NOAH’S ARC FOUNDATION -
Dr. Monique Williams
CEO
CURE VIOLENCE GLOBAL -
Anthony Smith
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CITIES UNITED
violence prevention organizations
In Chicago, twenty-eight violence prevention organizations united under the One City banner have dedicated resources, working around the clock and across long weekends with boundless compassion to make these tournament seasons possible.
Chicago Cred
Together Chicago
Cry In The Dark
Circle Foundation
United Coalition For Violence Prevention
Our Hope Is Unity
Let Our Kids Grow
Frederick Mentorship/Tutoring (Westside Humper)
Frederick Mentorship/Tutoring (Westside Ballers)
Empowerment Through Encouragement
La Villita
Perfect Vision
Us Not Them
Westside Committee For Change
Shoot For The Stars
Cal Park Hoyas
Englewood Heroes
Englewood First Responders
Inclusive Logistics
Public Equity
Contextos
UCAN
Think Outside Da Block
Precious Blood
Southwest Organizing Project
Revive Impact For Change
Chicago Community Enhancement Coalition
Saint Sabina
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR FUNDERS
State of Illinois for the $2 million investment that makes our Chicago work possible
Rivers Casino
BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE COMMUNITY
Step into a One City gym, and you’ll feel it immediately—this isn’t just a league, it’s a community effort.
Everything, from the food being served to the coaches on the sidelines, comes straight from the community it’s built to serve. Security is provided by local violence interrupters, community elders, big homies, and respected figures, ensuring that everyone inside is safe.
The refs grew up playing ball in some of these same gyms. The coaches have walked these same streets and faced the same struggles, and now they’re here to guide the next generation.
And the food? Well, you are not likely to find wrappers from chain restaurants. Meals are cooked with love in the kitchens of local businesses and neighborhood spots that have been feeding families for years.
Our players are future community leaders. They are recruited as the highest-risk individuals to be involved in a violent event, but with mentorship, coaching, training, and leadership, One City helps them reach their full potential as leaders, influencers, and organizers.
This is what makes One City different. It’s not an outside organization dropping in to run a tournament and flying off when it is over. This is homegrown. The people in the stands, the ones serving food, the ones keeping the peace—all have a stake in this.
That’s why One City works. It’s a basketball league, yes. But it’s also a movement driven by the people who know this city best.
Because when a community builds something together, it lasts. And One City isn’t going anywhere.
