The slideshow below contains graphics from events Adam has created, produced, and been instrumental on leading up to Value Culture, ALL philanthropic WITH A cultural impact working AND WORKING with over 50 non profits.
Founder’s Story
Value Culture founder and Executive Director Adam Swig is a community builder, cultural connector, and the visionary founder of Value Culture — a nonprofit dedicated to making giving back fun, accessible, and immediate.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Adam carries forward a legacy of civic leadership and immigrant grit. His great-great-grandfather, Simon Swig, came over from Lithuania with nothing but the clothes on his back and the American dream. He became a trusted banker and politician in Boston, helping expose Charles Ponzi’s fraud and setting an example for community trust. Adam’s great-grandfather, Benjamin Swig, moved the family to San Francisco in the 1940s, became a landmark real estate developer and philanthropist, and co-owned the Fairmont Hotel — a civic hub for cultural life. Adam’s grandmother, Roselyne Swig, remains a powerful force for arts, culture, and community good in the Bay Area and beyond, still leading many boards and groups including the Bayview Alliance which Adam also sits on.
Adam inherited that legacy of giving back — but he built his own path for a new generation. Value Culture is funded primarily by individual donors and family foundations who see the hard work put in; the Swig family is supportive but does not practice nepotism. Since 2012, Adam has produced hundreds of cultural events across San Francisco and beyond, collaborating with over 100 nonprofits to strengthen communities through music, art, and shared experience. But again and again, he ran into the same reality: no single organization existed that could do what he knew communities and cities needed most.
Other nonprofits came and went, staff members changed, and the work he invested in often disappeared when leadership turned over. There was too much red tape, too many barriers, fear of trying something new, and not enough bold, accessible, joyful community experiences that brought everyone together.
So in 2019, Adam founded Value Culture to fill that void — a “community defibrillator” designed to recharge non profits, lift up artists, good will, neighborhoods, small businesses, a new generation of philanthrophy participation, and break down fear and division in diverse communities through culture. He wanted to show people the many ways to give back, financial or not, and how the gift of giving is the greatest gift you can give yourself. His mission furthermore was simple but radical: put the money directly into programs that create connection right now, not pile up reserves and bureaucracy.
Value Culture shows up where people are — with live music and art in unexpected places, cross cultural Shabbat dinners, citywide pop-ups that make people smile and remember what they share. Because Adam believes when people share a meal, dance to a song, experience the arts, or just stand shoulder-to-shoulder, fear dissolves — and hate has less room to grow. Civic revitalization and community blooms.
Since its founding, Value Culture has made real waves:
In 2022, the City and County of San Francisco declared “Adam Swig Day” in recognition of his unique civic impact.
The New York Times spotlighted Value Culture’s experiential innovation during the pandemic.
The San Francisco Chronicle and all Bay Area press and TV stations celebrated Value Culture breaking the doom loop with Willie Brown in the Tenderloin — where thousands gather to dance, listen, and feel part of something bigger at Love Fest SF and Goat My Valentine Fashion Show that brought people back to Union Square after the pandemic proclaiming the area safe.
Adam and Value Culture has been recognized globally for their leadership innovating Jewish Community Events in San Francisco for the past decade.
Adam and Value Culture has partnered with over 100 organizations and businesses including the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco Public Libraries, Africks, San Francisco Giants, The Salvation Army, the APA Heritage Foundation, The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, SF Jazz, ODC, Manny’s, Yank Sing, the Tenderloin Merchants Association, Refuse Refuse SF, ICA SF and many, many other great orgs and businesses.
Value Culture’s impact has earned awards and commendations from the California State Senate, local leaders, and cultural institutions.
Adam calls Value Culture a vehicle for philanthropy, a place where culture becomes a bridge — and where generosity is sparked by joy. When he’s not producing community events, events for other orgs, or sitting on boards and committees, Adam is building Shootz, a 100% organic energy drink designed to carry the same mission forward: help people feel good, hydrate better, and be able to show up for each other. Partial proceeds of the beverage will go back into doing more of this good work.
“There’s no I in me, no me in we, but there is a U and I in community. That’s what Value Culture is all about — and that’s why your support keeps it alive.”
The picture above is from the first annual Hanukkah in Paris toy drive holiday party (in San Francisco) attended by over 600 people. Thrown annually since 2014 in association with the the US Marines Corps Toys for Tots program, Adam has collected over 600 toys each holiday season for underprivileged children. Adam aims to spread these holiday toy drives to other cities, like he has in Los Angeles since 2016. Hanukkah in Paris has become a San Francisco institution and one of the most anticipated holiday events each year.
Adam was born and raised in San Francisco culturally Jewish with a focus on values, while also being heavily influenced by the many different cultures and neighborhoods in the diverse city. His friends came from all over, and he grew up celebrating all of their backgrounds and their rich cultural histories. Passed down from generation to generation in his family is a Jewish saying that was very important to Adam growing up, and still to this day, Tikkun Olam. It means “to heal/repair the world.” It does not mean to repair the Jewish world, but rather to repair the world in its entirety, one of the many values Adam hopes to spread through Value Culture.
4 years after its inception, Hanukkah in Paris 2018 was voted the most popular event of the day on Do the Bay, a popular website to find local Bay Area events.
Portrait of Adam and his grandmothers by Oakland Artist Akeem Raheem
The first event.
Adam’s 2nd Big Mitzvah event (due to popular demand) brought together over 600 young adults from the Jewish community and beyond at Mezzanine in San Francisco. It was a night of philanthropy including a musical showcase Adam designed like no other, featuring then unknowns Doja Cat, the Free Nationals, and Eric Rachmany of Rebelution, now stars of today.
Great-Grandfather Benjamin Swig with President John F. Kennedy
It’s in E.D. Adam’s genes
“In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Swig name is synonymous with generosity. Locally, you would be hard-pressed to find a museum, school, nonprofit organization, arts venue or noble cause that has not been touched by the descendants of Benjamin Swig (1893–1980). Now into the fifth generation, the family is still putting a mark on causes large and small. How do they sustain that legacy of largesse? As third-generation scion Rick Swig says, “It’s simple. It’s in our DNA.” As we learned from speaking with a few of Ben’s heirs, it’s the example handed down from one generation to the next.” - Jennifer Raiser, The Swig Effect, Nob Hill Gazette, January 8, 2019
Adam is very inspired by his elders, and is blessed to have both of his grandmothers still in his life. His grandmother on his mothers side, Geraldine Gussman is also an inspiration to Value Culture as she is a community contributor down in Palm Springs, California. She and her husband Lou Silberman (Adam’s grandfather Irwin Gussman passed away in 2001) help to organize a Shabbat at Wendy’s every friday for their friends and community and were featured in this award winning mini-documentary, proving that even the littlest things you can do for your community matter. More info and the full film at www.wendysshabbat.com
She inspired Adam that you can Shabbat anywhere, which he’s taken to heart in his event planning.
Also if you don’t know what Shabbat is, this is a great intro video.