The Global Recovery Initiatives (GRI) Foundation has announced that they are adding four new members to their board of directors: International rock icon Nikki Sixx, entertainment industry legend Allen Kovac, iHeart Media VP Alexandra Cameron and Fors Marsh Group’s Director of Social Good Activities Matt Escoubas.

Pam Cytron, CEO of Pando Systems and board chairman of the GRI Foundation said, “We are thrilled to add these new board members who will bring their wisdom, expertise and networks to expand philanthropy for people in early recovery from substance use disorder—a nation-wide problem that affects every sector of American life—from individuals and their families to the country’s employers and communities.”

Nikki Sixx is a founding member and the bassist of Mötley Crüe (over 100 million albums sold worldwide) as well as the author of three New York Times bestselling books, including his memoir The Heroin Diaries, which will debut as a musical in 2020. He is 18 years sober and has been a dedicated recovery advocate, philanthropist and public speaker. He is a frequent media contributor to CNN, Fast Company, MSNBC, The Washington Post, The Guardian and Rolling Stone.  He has also spoken to members of Congress for National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

Allen Kovac, a 40-year veteran of the entertainment industry, founded Better Noise Music (fka Eleven Seven Music Group), Tenth Street Entertainment and TDA Productions. He has promoted and developed a wide range of artists including: Tom Petty, Talking Heads, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Duran Duran, The Cranberries, Mötley Crüe and Meatloaf.

In 2006 Allen founded Better Noise Music to give artists an integrated worldwide marketing platform and direct distribution with iTunes, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and Deezer.  Better Noise has been named #1 Active Rock label by Mediabase two years in a row (2018/2019).

In 2019, Allen was honored by Sir Richard Branson with the Innovator Award at the Association for Independent Music (AIM) Awards. 

Allen has produced a number of programs that focus on substance use disorder:  He co-produced the highly successful Netflix Biopic The Dirt, based on the best-selling autobiography of the band Mötley Crüe. He also produced Sno Babies, a gripping story about a 16-year-old heroin-addicted honor student that shows how one can begin recovery; it is scheduled for release in 2020.  In addition, he is the producer of The Heroin Diaries, based on the bestselling memoir of the same name by Nikki Sixx, which will run in 20 cities across the U.S. beginning in Fall 2020.

The Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation (GRI) is the first and only national community foundation dedicated to building philanthropy for organizations that deliver recovery support services to people with SUD (Substance Use Disorder).

GRI funds the expansion of organizations that have demonstrated success in:

- Deploying public, private and pop culture resources to strengthen the field of recovery
- Engaging philanthropy leaders to invest in non-profit, recovery-focused programs and making grants in local communities throughout the U.S.
- Reducing the stigma around SUDs and recovery

For more information visit globalrecoveryinitiatives.org.