The new season will spotlight four individuals on the front lines of the fight for freedom, civil liberties and democracy
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With a growing trend towards conscious consumerism, many shoppers are looking for ways to make their holiday purchases more meaningful. This year, the Elevate Prize Foundation has put together our very own Holiday Gift Guide, with products from recipients of the Elevate Prize, which recognizes social impact leaders driving transformative change around the world.
From stylish, sustainable furniture upcycled from plastic bags collected from some of the world’s most polluted rivers, to dog treats supporting veterinary care for families experiencing homelessness and housing vulnerability, to unique and colorful candles made by survivors of gender-based violence, here is our selection of purposeful gifts.
Sungai Design: Muara Stool
Created using plastic bags collected from rivers in Bali, Indonesia, Sungai Design — the product and design arm of Elevate Prize winners Sungai Watch — is ushering in a new era of sustainable design, showcasing the endless possibilities of what waste can become.
Gifted by FreeFrom: Planetary Candles & Zodiac Box
FreeFrom creates a community where survivors of intimate partner violence can heal, thrive and drive change together. The products are all sourced from survivors to help grow their wealth and businesses. Fully run by survivors, 100% of proceeds is invested back into these survivor-entrepreneurs, helping fund a living wage of $38.46/hr.
Kismet x Project Street Vet: Slow Cooked Salmon Sticks
Project Street Vet delivers professional, non-judgmental medical care and support to families with pets experiencing homelessness and housing vulnerability. Dr. Kwane Stewart, Founder of Project Street Vet, has teamed up with Kismet, founded by Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, as its Chief Veterinary Officer to provide guidance on its product development and ensure the highest standards of pet health and nutrition.
BeeLove by Sweet Beginnings: Raw Honey
Beelove’s hive-to-jar products make a powerful impact – both when you use them, and when they are made. They’re super-charged with 100% natural ingredients and enriched with raw, unpasteurized honey, and they’re made in hope and power – Beelove’s hive-to-jar products are crafted by justice-impacted people enrolled in Sweet Beginnings, a social enterprise program in Chicago that provides training and employment to people returning from incarceration.
NEST: Decorative Basket & Ethically-Made Swiftie Friendship Bracelets
Nest is a nonprofit that provides creative entrepreneurs with free training, resources, and opportunities to grow and sustain their businesses. Nest developed the first-ever universally applicable standards and verification methodology for decentralized supply chains in the informal economy.
APOPO: Adopt a HERORat
Over 60 countries are contaminated with hidden landmines and other explosive remnants of war, causing tragic accidents and hampering communities fromdeveloping their productive land. APOPO is a non-profit organization that has tackled cases of landmines and tuberculosis around the world for the past 25 years. APOPO’s innovative scent detection technology has a massive potential to relieve human suffering and promote development when deployed in the fight against tuberculosis and landmines, as well as other applications under development.
Gifted by FreeFrom: Planetary Candles
FreeFrom creates a community where survivors of intimate partner violence can heal, thrive and drive change together. The products are all sourced from survivors to help grow their wealth and businesses. Fully run by survivors, 100% of proceeds is invested back into these survivor-entrepreneurs, helping fund a living wage of $38.46/hr.
Gifted by FreeFrom: Zodiac Box
Kismet x Project Street Vet: Slow Cooked Salmon Sticks (Dog Treats)
Project Street Vet delivers professional, non-judgmental medical care and support to families with pets experiencing homelessness and housing vulnerability. Dr. Kwane Stewart, Founder of Project Street Vet, has teamed up with Kismet, founded by Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, as its Chief Veterinary Officer to provide guidance on its product development and ensure the highest standards of pet health and nutrition.
BeeLove by Sweet Beginnings: Raw Honey
Beelove’s hive-to-jar products make a powerful impact – both when you use them, and when they are made. They’re super-charged with 100% natural ingredients and enriched with raw, unpasteurized honey, and they’re made in hope and power – Beelove’s hive-to-jar products are crafted by justice-impacted people enrolled in Sweet Beginnings, a social enterprise program in Chicago that provides training and employment to people returning from incarceration.
NEST: Decorative Basket
Nest is a nonprofit that provides creative entrepreneurs with free training, resources, and opportunities to grow and sustain their businesses. Nest developed the first-ever universally applicable standards and verification methodology for decentralized supply chains in the informal economy.
NEST: Ethically-Made Swiftie Friendship Bracelets
APOPO: Adopt a HERORat
Over 60 countries are contaminated with hidden landmines and other explosive remnants of war, causing tragic accidents and hampering communities fromdeveloping their productive land. APOPO is a non-profit organization that has tackled cases of landmines and tuberculosis around the world for the past 25 years. APOPO’s innovative scent detection technology has a massive potential to relieve human suffering and promote development when deployed in the fight against tuberculosis and landmines, as well as other applications under development.
About the Elevate Prize Foundation
Founded by Joseph Deitch, the Elevate Prize Foundation empowers changemakers and social entrepreneurs with the visibility, funding, and support they need to Make Good Famous. Learn more at elevateprize.org.
The retired Miami Heat legend, whose No. 3 jersey hangs in the rafters at the Kaseya Center, was back in town for a good cause that had nothing to do with basketball.
Wade was on stage at the Edition hotel at the Elevate Prize Foundation’s second annual Make Good Famous Summit. The NBA icon was honored for his advocacy for the transgender community and using his influence to ignite social change.
For Women’s History month in 2023, we asked our Elevate community to nominate incredible organizations working to end period poverty for our Elevate Prize GET LOUD Award. The result? We received 5,926 nominations on Instagram – at the time, our largest number of nominations!
According to the World Bank, an estimated 500 million women lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management. The need is urgent.
The winner was Drawing Dreams Initiative, a grassroots organization based in Kenya on a mission to drive menstrual equity, health, and education.
We were inspired by the organization’s approach, focusing on practical support AND systemic change in a country where as many as 65% of women and girls cannot afford menstruation products. A year after they were named as the winner, we were excited to catch up with Drawing Dreams and learn more about how their impact is growing.
According to Drawing Dreams’ founder, Grace Wanene, the award ushered in a year of scale and perspective. “When someone truly believes in you, it validates your work and its impact.”
In 2023, the organization provided over 50,000 sustainable period products to people in need, and grew from just a few school partnerships to 16 – with an impact that reaches out beyond the classroom. “When we adopt a school, we adopt the entire community,” Grace told Elevate, highlighting programs that break taboos around menstrual and reproductive health, are changing mindsets, and even impacting conversations on a national and governmental level.
“Period poverty is a silent pandemic,” Grace noted. “It is not only the lack of period products, but unmet needs, infrastructure, and support for girls.” Grace went on to explain that women and girls often have to ask questions like: ‘How safe are these toilets?’ ‘Will I have someone follow me?’ ‘Do I have access to water?’
Last May, Drawing Dreams hosted the first-ever Menstrual Equity Summit in Kenya, bringing together 125 delegates from across East Africa who shared best practices and lessons with each other. “We had policy makers, fellow community-based organizations, NGOs, and individuals who are passionate about menstrual health,” says Grace. “Some of our teachers were there, some of our beneficiaries, especially teenage mothers…and even our county Governor was there.” Based on this success, the organization hopes to host another summit in 2024.
While tireless leaders like Grace are driving change every day, there is so much work to be done. It’s going to take the kind of systemic change that comes from collective action, where we ALL have a role to play. At Elevate, we’re proud to be a small part of the solution.
What YOU can do today to help!
Support Drawing Dreams.
Learn more about period poverty around the world.
Live in the U.S.? Take action today to abolish tampon tax.
Join the conversation.
About the Elevate Prize Foundation
Founded by Joseph Deitch, the Elevate Prize Foundation empowers changemakers and social entrepreneurs with the visibility, funding, and support they need to Make Good Famous. Learn more at elevateprize.org.