New Yorkers For New York Honoree Spotlight: Holly Newman Kroft: Big Impact Starts Small

In a city built on big ideas, bold moves, and grit, Holly Newman Kroft is a standout. A Managing Director and Senior Wealth Advisor at Neuberger Berman, Holly has spent two decades helping clients make decisions that shape not just their financial legacies but their impact on the world. She works closely with families, foundations, and institutions to develop thoughtful, long-term strategies—always with an eye toward the future, and the people it will affect.

That same commitment to values-driven work is what makes her such a natural partner to CitizensNYC. Holly believes deeply in opportunity, not as a handout, but as a path. “What makes Citizens really stand out is its approach,” she says. “You listen to the people, and then you create long-term solutions from the bottom up.” It’s a mindset Holly recognizes from her own field: when you take time to understand what people need and trust them with the tools to lead, the results speak for themselves.

Holly knows that the next big idea might not start in a boardroom. It might begin in a classroom, a garden, a food pantry, a block association meeting. All they need is a spark. “When you think that Bill Gates started Microsoft in his garage with Paul Allen,” she says, “it teaches you—CitizensNYC is proof of this—that investing at the grassroots level through microgrants can effectuate huge change and have enormous impact.”

Holly’s support for our work has helped us reach more of those sparks—those early-stage leaders who are ready to build something for their communities but need a partner to believe in them. Her commitment to that vision has made her a force not only in finance, where she’s consistently ranked among the top advisors in the country, but in philanthropy as well. She serves on the Board of the Jewish Communal Fund, the Advisory Committee for the Hassenfeld Foundation, and the Wall Street Strategic Council of UJA-Federation of New York. She’s a regular presence on CNBC, and she also shows up in the spaces where real change takes root.

As we celebrate our 50th year, we’re reflecting on the people who’ve made this work possible—not only by giving, but by advocating, leading, and helping others understand why bottom-up change matters. Holly Newman Kroft is one of those people. She sees the potential in people. She understands what it means to bet on a good idea early. And she believes, like we do, that the future of this city depends on how well we listen to and invest in the people who call it home.

Holly’s optimism and belief in the city’s resilience feels especially meaningful. “We are a city that has vitality and energy,” she says. “We will continue to face problems head on, and identify solutions—and CitizensNYC will always be there to help.”

We are proud to honor Holly Newman Kroft as one of this year’s New Yorkers for New York.