Leslie Bluhm, David Helfand and Chicago Ideas Announce the Ninth Annual Class of Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellows

CHICAGO, Aug. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Philanthropists and entrepreneurs Leslie Bluhm and David Helfand, along with Chicago Ideas, are proud to announce the 2019 Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation (BHSI) Fellows. The Fellowship, in its ninth year, supports innovative social entrepreneurs under the age of 35 who are addressing the world's most pressing social needs.

Since 2011, the Fellowship has recognized 36 leaders from around the globe awarding more than $3,000,000 in direct and indirect financial and in-kind support. The BHSI Fellowship has also orchestrated meaningful connections between Fellows and major donors, placed board members, advised on strategy and facilitated scaling at the local, national, and international levels.

"As we entered our 9th year of the Fellowship and spoke with our previous fellows we realized the value of approaching this year's program differently," said Founder of the Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship Leslie Bluhm. "Many of our Fellows were at major inflection point for their organization--this signified to us that we could be a part of that second chapter in an even more meaningful way through bringing back some of our previously recognized Fellows to experience a '2.0' of the program."

The 2019 BHSI class is addressing some of our most pressing issues, from increasing voter accessibility to inclusive housing and a patented disinfectant product designed to reduce the risk of contamination in areas affected by disease outbreaks. Below are the 2019 Fellows who will be recognized at Chicago Ideas:

• Micaela Connery, The Kelsey, BHSI Fellow 2012. The Kelsey's vision is to create the building blocks for a truly inclusive future for the one in five Americans who have disabilities around a critical need: housing. The Kelsey creates mixed ability, mixed income housing communities where people of all abilities and backgrounds live, play, and serve together. The organization works to: unlock new capital for disability and affordable housing; leverage existing public, private, and nonprofit partners; and create housing models that are sustainable and replicable.
• Seth Flaxman, Democracy Works, BHSI Fellow 2015. Democracy Works is the leading organization committed to massively improving voter registration and turnout across the United States of America. From polling place location, to a seamless voter registration experience online and off, they are leveraging top tech talent and partnerships with the world's leading tech companies to make it easy for everyone to vote in every election.
• Jason Kang, Kinnos, BHSI Fellow 2018. Kinnos shrinks the margin of human error responsible for infection and death when disinfectants are not properly applied in hospital and environmental settings. Its flagship product Highlight is a blue-colored additive for bleach and chlorine sprays that provides real-time visual feedback on decontamination, protecting health workers, patients, and the general public from infections in outbreak regions and hospitals.

"Identifying the fellows that could most benefit from this 'Series B' style program was challenging given the range of growth, success and impact our previous Fellows are experiencing," CEO of Chicago Ideas & Co-Director of the Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship Jessica Malkin said. "Ultimately we felt these three fellows were the perfect choice given the timeliness of the impact areas and the ways in which we could specifically address their most pressing objectives."

The Fellowship experience will be further enhanced to support specific and pointed organizational objectives of the Fellows including peer to peer workshops, mentoring from experts in their respective fields, curated 1:1 meetings both during Chicago Ideas Week and across the country, as well as a $10,000 unrestricted financial gift to their organization. The BHSI Fellows will be featured speakers during Chicago Ideas Week's annual social entrepreneurship Conversation presented by Horizon Therapeutics and hosted by NPR Marketplace's David Brancaccio on Wednesday, October 16th, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

For more information, visit https://www.chicagoideas.com/bhsi

ABOUT CHICAGO IDEAS

Chicago Ideas is a nonprofit platform built on one core belief: When audiences of every background have access to thought leaders and innovative ideas, people have the power to spark change in the world. Chicago Ideas is hosting Chicago Ideas Week, October 12-17, which is the largest affordable ideas festival in the world, connecting attendees to more than 150 world-renowned speakers—but Chicago Ideas' efforts extend much further. Whether it's the year-round programming, over 100 Labs that offer exclusive looks into Chicago-based businesses and cultural institutions, a Youth Program that promotes leadership and personal development among under-represented Chicago high school students or a digital content platform that highlights innovative people and organizations, Chicago Ideas is helping make visionary ideas accessible to everyone. Chicago Ideas is a 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more about becoming a member at chicagoideas.com/membership.

Follow @ChicagoIdeas on Instagram and Twitter.

ABOUT LESLIE BLUHM & DAVID HELFAND
Leslie Bluhm is a social entrepreneur whose life's work is about empowering people to tackle complex challenges through collaborative action. Leslie is the co-founder of Chicago Cares, the city's number one provider of impact volunteerism.  Chicago Cares mobilizes volunteers to build a stronger, more unified Chicago by creating opportunities for civic engagement. Chicago Cares believes that the volunteer experience is a transformational vehicle for both meeting immediate community needs and bringing diverse people together to foster trust, empathy, and understanding. Volunteers come to see the assets and potential in every neighborhood, while building the capacity of non-profits across the city.

Leslie and her husband, David Helfand, have also created the Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship (BHSI) in partnership with Chicago Ideas, to support the next generation of socially-minded entrepreneurs. 

Since 2011, the BHSI Fellowship has recognized 36 young entrepreneurs from around the globe who have pioneered innovations to address some of the world's most critical social needs.  The fellowship is customized to meet the needs of each fellow bringing together experts to advise on strategy, communication and scaling. In addition to direct funding, the fellowship connects the recipients to board members, new funding sources and the Chicago Ideas audience to amplify their stories. 

Leslie was named one of six Chicagoans of the year by Chicago Magazine and was named to Crain's 40 under 40.  She is proud to serve on the board of directors of Chicago Cares, The Chicago Community Trust, OneGoal, Shining Hope for Communities, The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Whitney Museum of American Art.  She earned a BA from the University of Michigan and a JD from the University of Chicago Law School.

David is the President and CEO of Equity Commonwealth, a publicly traded real estate investment trust, in addition to being Co-President of Equity Group Investments, a Chicago-based private investment firm. David is a director of the Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, serves on the Executive Committee for the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and is a member of the Board of Visitors at the Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University. David also serves on the board of the Ounce of Prevention Fund, a national leader in early childhood education policy and advocacy, and as a Commissioner for the Chicago Park District. His core philanthropic interests are entrepreneurship and access to education.

CONTACT:
Vanessa Buenger
Chicago Ideas
[email protected]  

Myriha Burce
Edelman Chicago
[email protected]

SOURCE Chicago Ideas

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