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MIAMI – October 22, 2024 – The Elevate Prize Foundation announced today the finalists of the fifth annual Elevate Prize, which recognizes social impact leaders driving transformative change around the world. Of these 20 finalists, 10 winners will ultimately be chosen to each receive $300,000 in unrestricted funding – split between $250,000 to the organization and $50,000 to the leader to invest in their own resilience and mental health. Additionally, as part of the two-year fellowship, the winners will receive tailored services to amplify their work, support their organizational objectives and enhance their storytelling abilities – all designed to deepen their impact and broaden their reach to Make Good Famous.

“This year’s finalists represent a new, bolder era of social impact. Their fresh perspectives and inventive solutions are bringing communities together in a world that has felt defined by division and disorder for too long,” said Carolina García Jayaram, CEO of the Elevate Prize Foundation. “Their innovative approaches to creating lasting change in a multitude of areas, including music, children’s mental health, conservation and hate speech, are driving a transformative shift in how we tackle these global issues. By bringing these bold leaders into the center of culture, we will help drive greater impact by widening their visibility and reach to redefine what’s possible in the world.”

The Elevate Prize Foundation is a global nonprofit on a mission to “Make Good Famous” by uplifting the work of changemakers for social good, helping to create a world where people are inspired to take action. The Elevate Prize Foundation partners with these social entrepreneurs, prioritizing a Whole Leader approach centered on wellbeing to help unlock their full potential and ensure they can continue creating positive change well into the future.  Additionally, the Elevate Prize Foundation provides personalized support on key organizational challenges as they grow and evolve through the program, including training and tools on brand strategy, operations, messaging, media relations, content creation and social media. 

The 20 finalists for the fifth annual Elevate Prize are:

• Hannah Fried, Executive Director of All Voting is Local, which fights against state and local voting policies that silence voters of color and other historically marginalized communities — not just in election years, but every year.
• Jacques Sebisaho, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Amani Global Works, which works to Care, Cure and Make Whole by providing healthcare to the most impoverished and forgotten areas of Africa.
• Imran Ahmed, CEO of Center for Countering Digital Hate, which holds social media companies accountable and responsible for their business choices to protect human rights and civil liberties online.
• Andrew Parker, Co-Founder & Director of Strategy of Conserve Global, which restores and safeguards nature as a source of enduring life and prosperity for Africa’s frontline communities
• Richard Casper, Co-Founder & Executive Director of CreatiVets, which empowers wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music.
• Fre Tachea, CTO & Co-Founder of Essential Impact, which creates breakthrough innovations in fermentation to generate low-cost, high-quality, climate resilient proteins that tackle malnutrition and build climate-resilient food systems.
• Bing Chen, CEO & Co-Founder of Gold House Foundation, which unites, invests in, and champions Asian Pacific creators and companies to power tomorrow for all.
• Tony Hillery, Founder & CEO of Harlem Grown, which inspires youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition.
• Ignicious Bulongo, Co-Founder & VP of Programs of Healthy Learners, which keeps children healthy so they can learn through our comprehensive school health program.
• Michèle Traoré, Co-Founder & CEO of Kabakoo – La maison de l’Etonnement, which enables West African youth to flourish with mindset and skills for self-employment through community-driven, AI-powered upskilling.
• Yordanos Eyoel, Founder & CEO of Keseb, which builds an ecosystem for cross-country learning, collaboration, and innovation to counter authoritarianism and advance inclusive and resilient democracies.
• Reshma Saujani, Founder & CEO of Moms First, which is transforming our workplaces, our communities, and our culture to enable moms in America to thrive.
• David Flink, Founder & CEO of The Neurodiversity Alliance, which improves the educational experience and outcomes of students who learn differently, while growing the neurodiversity movement for a more equitable and inclusive society for all. 
• Sean Sherman, Founder & Executive Director of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS), which promotes Indigenous foodways education and facilitates Indigenous food access.
• Rey Faustino, Founder & CEO of One Degree, which empowers people to build healthy and fulfilling lives through equity-centered technology and deep community partnerships.
• Bree Jones, Founder & CEO of Parity Homes, which leverages social capital to tackle property abandonment and blight in majority Black neighborhoods, while also narrowing the racial wealth disparity.
• Phyu Hninn Nyein,Executive Director of Proximity Designs, which helps underserved small farm families in rural Myanmar grow more food, earn better incomes and take climate action.
• Lisa Hunter Romanelli, CEO of The REACH Institute Resource for Advancing Children’s Health (The Reach Institute), which ensures that the most effective, scientifically proven mental health care reaches all children and families.
• Olivier Nsengimana, Founder & Executive Director of Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, which applies home-grown solutions to protect and restore threatened wildlife and wild places.
• Adriana Gómez, Executive Director of Teensmart International, which uses online technologies to empower youth to make smart decisions, live healthy lives and contribute to their communities.

The final 10 Elevate Prize winners will be announced in early 2025. The winners, as well as last year’s cohort, will gather in Miami in May 2025 for the third annual Make Good Famous Summit, where they will work together to challenge conventional thinking, foster inclusive dialogue, spark innovation, and inspire people to do good in their own communities.

About the Elevate Prize Foundation

Founded in 2019 by businessman and philanthropist Joseph Deitch, the Elevate Prize Foundation is a global non-profit that empowers social entrepreneurs and activists by providing them with the resources they need to amplify their impact. The foundation’s signature program is its annual Elevate Prize, which is awarded to 10 global leaders tackling pressing issues in innovative ways. The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, another one of the foundation’s programs, recognizes prominent individuals for their commitment to inspiring global social action and using their influence for the good of humanity. In 2022, the foundation launched the Elevate Prize GET LOUD Award, a monthly grant to fuel grassroots movements and organizers on the frontlines committed to collective action and building power among communities. For more information, visit www.elevateprize.org and follow @ElevatePrize on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.