A $300,000 grant over three years will help bring Millennium Campus Network closer toward its goal of supporting 25,000 rising social impact leaders by 2030.
MIAMI, November 21, 2025 – The Elevate Prize Foundation announced Sam Vaghar, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Millennium Campus Network (MCN), as the most recent recipient of the Elevate Prize Founder’s Award today, recognizing MCN’s global impact in cultivating the next generation of social impact leaders. The unrestricted $300,000 award, distributed over the next three years, will help MCN achieve its goal of supporting 25,000 Millennium Fellows, young changemakers advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improving the lives of more than 2.5 million people worldwide, by 2030.
Presented by Joe Deitch, founder of the Elevate Prize Foundation, the Elevate Prize Founder’s Award recognizes game-changing social entrepreneurs and extraordinary initiatives that, while outside of the organization’s signature programs, remain central to its mission of inspiring impact. Deitch made the announcement today during MCN’s annual Millennium Fellowship Global Graduation, which was attended by more than 3,000 Millennium Fellows from the Class of 2025.
“Sam Vaghar and MCN have mobilized a remarkable force of student social changemakers from around the world—leaders whose ranks, influence, and accomplishments grow every year,” said Deitch. “It’s my privilege to support Sam and shine a spotlight on his work through the Elevate Prize Founder’s Award. I encourage everyone to learn more about MCN because what they’ve built, what they’re doing, and who they’ve attracted is nothing short of amazing. They are a powerhouse of impact—and they’ve only just begun.”
Founded in 2007 at Brandeis University, MCN has grown into a global training and leadership organization that empowers undergraduate students to take on the world’s most urgent challenges. In partnership with the United Nations Academic Impact, MCN’s flagship Millennium Fellowship provides leadership development, mentorship, community and credentials to students advancing the UN SDGs. MCN has trained over 20,000 alumni since launching the Fellowship in 2013.
The 2025 Fellowship Class includes more than 4,000 Millenium Fellows at 297 universities across nearly 50 nations, selected from more than 60,000 applicants at 7,500 campuses worldwide. Collectively, fellows dedicate thousands of hours each year to grassroots civic initiatives, from public health to gender equity to climate action.
The Elevate Prize Founder’s Award will help MCN:
- Expand global reach: Support the next 15,000 Millennium Fellows to advance local projects serving millions.
- Invest in storytelling: Produce and share Fellows’ civic journeys to inspire broader movements for justice and sustainability.
- Advance sustainability: Pilot a campus sponsorship model inspired by MCN Advisor Michael Brown (Co-Founder of City Year) to scale toward a goal of supporting 100,000 Fellows by 2040.
- Strengthen community convenings: Seed upcoming global gatherings, including future events in New York (UN Headquarters) and Lagos.
“Receiving the Elevate Prize Founder’s Award is a singular honor that I share with the more than 20,000 MCN Alumni who have strengthened communities and their own civic leadership in the process, and I am deeply grateful to Joe for his extraordinary mentorship and leadership throughout this journey,” said Vaghar. “The Elevate Prize Foundation shows us what is possible when storytelling and social impact unite. Together, we’re building a movement to empower the next generation of civic leaders on campuses nationwide and across the globe.”
The Elevate Prize Foundation and MCN first connected in 2019, united by a belief in grassroots changemaking. Since 2020, the Foundation has supported MCN’s mission to empower young civic leaders, with Deitch now serving on its Board of Advisors and Vaghar joining the Advisory Board of Elevate Cities, a bold new venture and sister organization to the Elevate Prize Foundation launched in October 2025 that partners with cities worldwide to connect and celebrate local changemakers. Past recipients of the Elevate Prize Founder’s Award include Mona Sinha, Global Executive Director of Equality Now, and Dr. David Fajgenbaum, Co-Founder and President of Every Cure, underscoring the Elevate Prize Foundation’s commitment to advancing leaders driving transformative change across issue areas around the world.
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About Millenium Campus Network (MCN)
Millennium Campus Network (MCN) trains the next generation of social impact leaders on university campuses worldwide. In partnership with the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), MCN’s Millennium Fellowship empowers undergraduates to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Fellows engage in leadership training, collaborate in campus cohorts, and apply their learning to real-world initiatives, creating grassroots civic impact and earning a certificate of recognition from MCN and the UNAI. Since 2013, over 20,000 Alumni have led civic projects benefiting millions across nearly 50 nations. To learn more, visit https://www.mcnpartners.org/ and follow on Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
About the Elevate Prize Foundation
Founded in 2019 by businessman and philanthropist Joseph Deitch, the Elevate Prize Foundation is a global nonprofit on a mission to Make Good Famous. To ensure lasting impact, the organization is committed to bringing visibility to the work of changemakers and inspiring audiences on an international scale. 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. The foundation also operates 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. The foundation’s latest endeavor, Elevate Studios, was launched in 2025 to finance and distribute purpose-driven content. For more information, visit www.elevateprize.org and follow @ElevatePrize on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
