Last week, Mackenzie Scott published a post on Medium announcing “465 non-profits converting $3,863,125,000 into meaningful services for others.” We were excited to see so many inspiring organizations receiving additional funds — including our own Elevate Prize winners Friendship Bench and Talking Points. They joined Elevate Giving participants Black Teacher Collaborative and Sanku, a nonprofit […]

That was the question author, speaker, mentor, and life coach Octavia Yearwood posed during our recent Insta live conversation with graphic artist, educator, and TikTok star Tony Weaver and musician and mentor Re@l. All three have deal with the struggles of with creativity, both as artists and as mentors supporting others on the journey, so […]

“I saw deaths that should have been completely preventable,” says Elevate Prize Winner, Dr Aparna Hegde of her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency  in Mumbai, which opened her eyes to the issue of maternal and infant mortality. “I saw how pervasive systemic problems led to loss of lives. And it was absolutely unacceptable to me.” That’s […]

To honor and celebrate Black History Month, some of our Elevate Prize winners and fellows are joining together for Instagram Lives to discuss how we can drive progress towards equality and parity. Hosted by author, speaker, mentor, and life coach Octavia Yearwood, each conversation will focus on the ways we can take action – today. […]

For over 20 years, with her organization Life Camp, Erica Ford has been working on the ground to prevent gun violence, intervene in conflict, and create legislation that saves lives. She’s worked with presidents to change policy, with cities to introduce programs that have reduced gun violence by 10%, and she’s persuaded cultural icons from […]

Source Code founder Valter Cumbi on how to get started on your goals. “I mean it! Seriously. Where did you get the idea you can’t do this?” asks Valter Cumbi. It’s a mantra that he’s kept close to his heart throughout his journey of founding and growing  Source Code Pensa 660#, a platform that’s improving […]

All of our Elevate Prize winners are driving change today, but it took a journey to get there—a journey that started with a single step. For many of us, that first step is by far the hardest one to take. There are so many reasons NOT to begin: We’re resistant to change. We’re afraid of […]

No two ways about it, working for social change is hard. Some of the world’s greatest challenges are on your desk. Every day. The issues you face are all urgent. The work is rooted in despair, and it can be so immersive that sometimes, it’s hard to be hopeful. That’s when we need joy the […]

Congratulations to our 2021 Elevate Prize winners! A tenacious group of leaders, visionaries, and activists on a mission to solve some of the world’s most critical challenges.  The prize: $300,000 in funding, expert tools, and support to amplify their impact — and inspire others to take action.  We were excited to tell them the good […]

“Being safe online is a human right. Nobody should have to pay for that.” Online bullying is a global issue that impacts well over half of all children, young people and teenagers – disproportionately affecting LGBTQI+ teens and girls. “It’s a global problem,” says Trisha Prabhu, Elevate Prize winner and founder of ReThink, an organization […]

For the last 15 years, Fadi Daou, co-founder of the Adyan Foundation (and Elevate Prize Winner 2020) has been led by this conviction to work for sustainable peace in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Through community-building and education, the organization empowers people to reject extremist movements. So, for Fadi, watching recent events […]

UNESCO called it “one of the most devastating acts of destruction of library collections in human history,” condemning ISIS, who burned the University of Mosul library to the ground in 2015. Over a million books, historic maps, and manuscripts were turned to ash in a deliberate attempt not only to destroy the library itself, but […]