Philip Courtney, CEO, Named Notable Leader in Philanthropy 2025

Blue image with portrait of Philip Courtney, cEP and a quote

Philip Courtney Named a Notable Leader in Philanthropy in New York City
Urban Arts CEO Recognized for Visionary Leadership and Transformative Impact on Local Students
New York, NY — June 2025 — Urban Arts proudly announces that its Chief Executive Officer, Philip Courtney, has been named a Notable Leader in Philanthropy by Crain’s New York Business, a prestigious recognition honoring individuals who are driving meaningful change and championing social good across New York City.
Under Philip’s leadership, Urban Arts has emerged as a powerful force for equity and opportunity, particularly among underserved communities. Since stepping into the role in 2003, Philip has overseen explosive growth, producing profound mobility and personal success for students, including:
• Winning a 3rd highly competitive $4M Education Innovation & Research (EIR) grant from the U.S. DoE (totaling $12M),
• Stewarding the #CreativeCoders partnership with Minecraft Education serving middle schools nationwide,
• Gaining the @collegeboard endorsement of Urban Arts’ #STEAM curriculum that’s shared freely with all Title 1 schools,
• Crafting a college access program that has 100% of seniors matriculating to college, earning $46M in scholarships,
• Challenging the organization to a new goal—$100M in scholarships by 2030.