2016 McNulty Prize Laureates Announced

ASPEN, Colo., July 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Aspen Institute and Trustee Anne Welsh McNulty announced the ninth annual group of John P. McNulty Prize Laureates, four extraordinary leaders who have brought the spirit of innovation and excellence of their diverse careers to bear on some of the most intractable problems facing our world today.

From bridging conservation and inclusive development to drive job creation in rural South Africa; to empowering women in the Himalayas to take control of their livelihoods; to demobilizing gangs and shifting community attitudes on criminal justice in Panama City; to introducing a group model of prenatal care in South Carolina that is revolutionizing healthcare outcomes, the 2016 Laureates are impacting their communities and the globe in innovative, scalable and replicable ways.

"These leaders have realized that the true power of their entrepreneurial and organizational expertise goes beyond advancing their careers, to mobilizing partners and resources across sectors to relentlessly tackle problems and effect positive social change," said Anne Welsh McNulty.

The John P. McNulty Prize of $100,000 is given annually to honor the visionary work of one Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network of the Aspen Institute; each Laureate receives $10,000. An international jury, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, international statesman Olara Otunnu, and international development expert Brizio Biondi-Morra, will select the winner. The winner will be announced in November 2016 in New York City.

The 2016 Laureates:

ISIMANGALISO RURAL ENTERPRISE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM
South Africa

A beautiful and vital UNESCO World Heritage Site, iSimangaliso Wetland Park in Kwazulu-Natal is also situated in one of the poorest regions of South Africa. Park CEO Andrew Zaloumis founded this program to transform an aid-dependent economy by providing entrepreneurs with training, mentorship and seed capital to start small businesses in and around the historic park to ignite a cycle of job creation and economic growth.
www.isimangaliso.com

MANDAKINI WOMEN WEAVERS
India

In the wake of massive floods in 2013, Mukti Datta applied her experience improving rural economic situations by replicating the Panchachuli Women Weavers model she pioneered. Mandakini provides women with sustainable livelihoods linked to global markets, the success of which has catalyzed the creation of a new hub for handlooms to scale opportunities for women weavers across India's Himalayan region.
www.panchachuli.in  

ESPERANZA
Panama

Working at the individual, group, and community level to address the root causes of gang violence in Panama City, real estate developer KC Hardin is succeeding in demobilizing street gangs and reintegrating members into society through a holistic curriculum of education and entrepreneurship, followed by supporting them in finding alternative, productive sources of income and a sense of dignity in the historic city center.
www.esperanzasvc.org

CENTERING PREGNANCY SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina, U.S.

An evidence-based, innovative group prenatal care program brought to South Carolina by obstetrician and medical director Dr. Amy Crockett, Centering Pregnancy is decreasing rates of preterm birth and eliminating racial disparities in health outcomes. Furthermore, it is changing the face of healthcare by influencing insurance and public health agencies to put preventive care first by making it economically sustainable and accessible to patients.
centeringpregnancy.ghs.org  

The announcement was celebrated on July 20 at the Resnick Aspen Action Forum in Aspen, watch the Laureates in conversation on their organizations, motivations and challenges at this link: http://agln.aspeninstitute.org/live 

About The John P. McNulty Prize
Founded by Anne Welsh McNulty in honor of her late husband John, the McNulty Prize celebrates the boldness and impact of individuals who are using their exceptional leadership abilities, entrepreneurial spirit and private sector talents to address the world's toughest challenges.

Each year, the winner is selected by an international jury that has previously included Mary Robinson, Bill Gates, Sr. and Sir Richard Branson, and recognizes exceptional leadership ventures undertaken by the Fellows of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

For more information, visit www.mcnultyprize.org. Follow @McNultyPrize on Twitter and join the conversation using #McNultyPrize.

The Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN) is a growing, worldwide community of entrepreneurial leaders from business, government, and the nonprofit sector, with over 2,200 Fellows from 49 countries who share a commitment to enlightened leadership and to using their extraordinary creativity, energy, and resources to tackle the foremost societal challenges of our time. All share the common experience of participating in the Henry Crown Fellowship or one of the many Aspen Institute leadership initiatives it has inspired in the U.S., Africa, Central America, India, China, and the Middle East.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

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SOURCE The Aspen Institute