Cecilia Rodhe

Co-Founder & President

Cecilia Rodhe is an artist and certified expressive art therapist who has spent more than two decades sculpting. She has had exhibitions at many prestigious galleries in New York, Paris, Stockholm and Geneva. All of her sculptures express the dichotomy of strength and fragility that is at the very center of what it is to be human.

Cecilia’s professional career began as model at the age of fourteen. After winning the title of Miss Sweden in 1978, she moved to New York for the first time and signed a contract with the Elite Agency. At age of 45, she went back to school to further her education as an expressive art therapist, receiving her certificate in the creative art therapy program at the New School for Social Research.

In 2010, Cecilia co-founded NAF alongside her son, Joakim. She personally created the “Expression from the Inside for Kids®” art program, which allows children to express how they feel by creating sculptures from clay. Cecilia believes that when young people are presented with a range of emotions, and then shown how to apply those concepts to their clay, they learn how to sculpt not only what they see – but also what they feel.

Under Cecilia’s direction and guidance, NAF launched the Drop of Consciousness™ movement to promote peace, unity and positive change in Chicago. The symbol of the movement is the Drop of Consciousness™ pendant, based on a sculpture of the same name created by Cecilia nearly two decades ago. The Drop of Consciousness™ represents the tears and strength of the mothers who have lost children to gun violence, and those who wear it pledge to take a stand against violence.

Joakim Noah

Co-Founder

Joakim Noah played 13 years in the NBA (9 with the Chicago Bulls). He was a 2 time NBA all star (2013/2014), 2014 1st team all NBA Center, 2014 Defensive Player of the Year and 2015 winner of the J. Walter Kennedy award for citizenship.

Prior to playing in the NBA, Joakim starred at the University of Florida where he won back to back National Championships in 2006 and 2007, winning Most Outstanding Player in 2006.

In 2010, along with his mother, the sculptor and expressive art therapist Cecilia Rodhe, Joakim started the Noah’s Arc Foundation, which aims to give youth a stronger sense of self using art and sports as tools for development. Noah’s Arc has worked extensively with youth in Chicago, as well as Joakim’s father Yannick’s hometown of Yaounde, Cameroon. The foundation continues to operate in Chicago and in West Africa to this day.

Joakim officially retired from the NBA in 2021 and was named a community ambassador for the Chicago Bulls, partnering with the organization he starred for to effect positive change in the city of Chicago.

In 2021, Joakim was one of a select group of NBA Legends who invested in NBA Africa, a group that will conduct the leagues business throughout the continent and aims to grow the sport of basketball in Africa on all levels.

In 2022, Joakim was named an ambassador for the Basketball Africa League, highlighting his vision and commitment to the African diaspora on a global level.

In 2023, Joakim in conjunction with his Noah’s Arc Foundation restarted the ONE CITY Basketball League in Chicago with 28 different violence interruption groups. ONE CITY aims to create unity and community in the west and south sides of Chicago. ONE CITY is unique in using basketball as a hook to provide other programs such as conflict mediation, job training, financial literacy, creative workshops and family services. All participants, coaches and coordinators of ONE CITY are financially compensated.