The Avielle Foundation

The Mission of the Avielle Foundation is to prevent violence and build compassion through neuroscience research, community engagement, and education. The Avielle Foundation was established following the Sandy Hook Elementary School Tragedy with a goal of reducing violence and protecting vulnerable populations. The Mission of the Avielle Foundation is to prevent violence and build compassion through neuroscience research, community engagement, and education. Avielle Rose Richman was, at the time, the only child of Jennifer Hensel and Jeremy Richman, PhD, and one of 26 children and educators murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on December 14th, 2012. In the years since, the heartbreak has been repeated with nearly 300 school shootings in the United States; furthermore, more than seven people per hour die a violent death on our streets and in our homes. In 2019, the destructive legacy of violence was evidenced when Jeremy died by suicide. Violence is an epidemic. We miss Avielle and Jeremy more every day, and like so many of you, we want to bring about changes to stop this epidemic. The Avielle Foundation was created in honor of Avielle — along with all the others who fall victim to violence — to foster an understanding of what leads to harmful behavior, the risk factors, and conversely to identify and engender protective factors that lead toward compassion, kindness, connection, and community. For more information, visit or send an email to info@aviellefoundation.org.