Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show,’ received a $250,000 award from the Miami nonprofit Elevate Prize Foundation for his philanthropic work and efforts to mobilize his fan base. About the Elevate Prize Foundation Founded by Joseph Deitch, the Elevate Prize Foundation empowers changemakers and social entrepreneurs with the visibility, funding, and support […]

On today’s episode I’m joined by Carolina García Jayaram, the founding executive director of The Elevate Prize Foundation. The mission of the Elevate Prize is to amplify the impact of innovators, activists and problem-solvers. In its first year the global entrepreneurship competition powered by MIT SOLVE had nearly 1300 applicants from 119 countries. There are […]

In this episode: Carolina’s background leading arts and culture organizations. What makes The Elevate Prize Foundation different (like why they're industry agnostic and award some of the prize money directly to the entrepreneur, in addition to their organization). The pain points felt by social entrepreneurs and how they plan to help.

When a person’s passions include changing the way things are done in their chosen industry and community, life’s work goes beyond philanthropy to innovation. You may not have known their names before, but these South Florida locals are powerhouse influencers who are revolutionizing our world in both big and small ways. About the Elevate Prize […]

The Elevate Prize Foundation has announced the recipients of its inaugural Elevate Prizes. Launched in April in partnership with MIT Solve, the competition provides up to $5 million annually to help extraordinary purpose-driven leaders increase their impact and catalyze transformational change. Selected from nearly thirteen hundred applicants, the ten inaugural winners will receive $300,000 in prize funding, as well as professional development […]

CHICAGO (CBS) —Two Chicago-area problem solvers are getting $300,000 each to work on global change.They are “Elevate” prize winners. It’s a competition to find leaders and give them resources to increase their impact. Naperville resident Trisha Prabhu. The 20-year-old came up with “Rethink” at the age of 13. CHICAGO (CBS) —Two Chicago-area problem solvers are […]

Naperville resident Trisha Prabhu invented an app to curtail cyberbullying, and Wilmette native Chad Bernstein helps students find their path to purpose through music. Each is now $300,000 richer, having won spots in the inaugural cohort of 10 Elevate Prize winners. About the Elevate Prize Foundation Founded by Joseph Deitch, the Elevate Prize Foundation empowers changemakers and […]

Two Chicago area natives are among the 10 inaugural winners of an award that aims to further their work. Winnetka native Chad Bernstein, who founded Guitar Over Guns, an organization that combines mentorship and guitar lessons, and 20-year-old Naperville native Trisha Prabhu, inventor of ReThink, an anti-cyberbullying app that has about 500,000 downloads to date and is […]

A junior at Harvard University is about to receive a big payoff for her seven-year campaign against cyberbullying. Trisha Prabhu, 20, will get at least $300,000 from the Elevate Prize Foundation to further develop ReThink, a smartphone app that nudges people into using more courteous language online. About the Elevate Prize Foundation Founded by Joseph Deitch, the Elevate […]

The love that we invest in others comes back to us multiplied. Service to others is also service to ourselves. But don’t take my word for it. Experiment. Give of yourself and see what happens. Start small. Give a sincere complement and see how it makes you feel and how that seed blossoms in others… and gets paid forward. Then try something a little bigger that resonates for you. Have fun with it!

As a part of our series about “Social Impact Investors”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joseph Deitch. Joseph, (who most call Joe) has built a billion-dollar business. He’s the founder and chairman of Commonwealth Financial Network, the Tony-award winning Broadway producer of The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, an enthusiastic philanthropist, and a man Financial Advisor magazine once selected (alongside Warren Buffett) as one of the 35 most influential leaders of the financial planning profession over the previous three-plus decades. He’s also the author of #1 Amazon bestseller Elevate: An Essential Guide to Life.

When we launched the Elevate Prize Foundation just under a year ago, we had no idea what the world had in store for us and how the events of the past months would inform and impact our inaugural year. As we worked to build this new foundation, we leaned into our values of radical diversity, […]