Samantha M. Lafontaine
The Memory Hub team is delighted to welcome Maude’s Ventures to the team of on-site collaborators. As a philanthropic initiative of the Richard and Maude Ferry Foundation, Maude's Ventures has been investing in innovative strategies to address the needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers for over five years.
"With the national vantage point of Maude's Ventures, we’re excited to see opportunities for synergy open up between the dementia innovations here in our state and those that Maude’s Ventures will support across the nation," says Director of the Memory Hub Marigrace Becker, MSW, Program Manager of Community Education and Impact at UW Medicine's MBWC.
Samantha Lafontaine, MBS, Program Director of Maude's Ventures, will represent the organization on-site at the Memory Hub. The team of Memory Hub collaborators already knows her well, from her role here managing the ECHO Dementia virtual telehealth education program for primary care providers throughout Washington State, on behalf of the UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center.
Samantha thinks that being embedded within the Memory Hub community will help enhance their award program and selection process.
"The goal of Maude's Ventures is to provide funding to innovative organizations and programs that offer solutions for people living with dementia and their families. By working at the Memory Hub, we're witnessing innovations in action and working closely with people with memory loss, their caregivers, and their loved ones," says Samantha. "I have no doubt this will be hugely impactful in ensuring our selection process is truly meeting our goals and delivering meaningful change."
Samantha graduated from Colgate University and also earned a Master's of Biomedical Sciences from Tufts University School of Medicine. In her previous professional roles, she has worked on public health projects at multiple Federally Qualified Health Centers, including health education for youth and the implementation of case management in medical settings.
"I think what I'm most excited about in this role is getting to share space and spend time with so many incredible people," she says. "The energy within the Memory Hub is palpable. Seeing so many bright, passionate, caring people in one space, accomplishing such wonderful things for people living with dementia and their communities, is so inspiring. I feel so lucky to get to work alongside everyone here."
Maude’s Ventures 2026 Applications are Open!
Maude’s Ventures is thrilled to announce that the application cycle has officially begun! From today, June 1, through August 31st, 2026, we will accept applications for both Maude’s Ventures and the Young Founders Program.
Maude’s Ventures offers funding of up to $50,000 for innovations in Dementia care and caregiving. For our purposes, innovation means expanding the reach of quality, effective care to individuals living with dementia nationwide. It means scaling impact to touch as many lives as possible and addressing unmet or overlooked needs within the dementia community. If you feel this describes your program or organization, we welcome your application!
Additionally, 2026 marks the second year of the Young Founder’s Program! This program offers grants of $2,500 to high school and college students, and recent graduates, for intergenerational efforts to support people living with Dementia and their caregivers.
