The Elevate Prize Foundation Awards $6 Million to Winners of Third Annual Elevate Prize to Amplify Impact in Driving World Change

Nobel laureate and Gen Z activist Malala Yousafzai and other judges selected 12 leaders, innovators and activists catalyzing social impact around the world

MIAMI, Jan. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Elevate Prize Foundation announced today the winners of the third annual Elevate Prize, which will grant $6 million in unrestricted funding and supportive services across a group of diverse social entrepreneurs working to solve pressing issues around the world. For the first time, the Foundation is awarding 12 instead of 10 winners, each of whom stands out for their innovative solutions to global challenges across the issue areas of social justice, human rights, public health, inclusivity in media, prison reform, education, and climate change. 

This year's winners were selected by a panel of purpose-driven leaders in activism, business, academia, media and beyond, including Malala Yousafzai, the latest recipient of The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, which recognizes prominent individuals who use their influence to inspire social action; Malala surprised two of this year's Elevate Prize winners via video call to inform them they received this year's award. Other new members of the judging panel included 20-year-old social activist and CNN Young Wonder Tiana Day and inaugural Elevate Prize winners Amanda Nguyen, a TIME 2022 Woman of the Year and founder of Rise Justice Labs, and Dixon Chibanda, founder and CEO of Friendship Bench Global.

"It was an honor to participate as an Elevate Prize judge alongside incredible leaders and activists," said Malala Yousafzai. "This year's Elevate Prize winners are an outstanding group of purpose-driven innovators, and I look forward to following their journey and all they will achieve."

Founded in 2019 by Joseph Deitch, The Elevate Prize Foundation is on a mission to "Make Good Famous" by creating a fanbase for good and igniting a global movement for change. The Foundation will partner with these rising activists and social entrepreneurs, providing them with resources to raise visibility of their work and multiply their impact – whether in the media, online or on-the-ground. This year's Elevate Prize winners will each be awarded with an unrestricted grant of $300,000 and supportive services valued at $200,000, which include communications strategy, branding, social media training and leadership development – all designed to help them share their stories, reach a wider audience, and grow their followings.

"We are thrilled to announce this year's Elevate Prize winners, an inspirational group of exceptionally diverse leaders who are driving progress and collective action in an increasingly fractured world," said CEO of The Elevate Prize Foundation Carolina García Jayaram. "From climate change to inclusivity in media, they are solving for some of the most relevant and urgent issues of our time and remain undaunted by the enormity of their challenges. By bringing them greater – and much deserved – visibility, we believe they will inspire legions of others to create positive change as well. It is a great privilege to partner with these individuals to expand their impact, and we look forward to telling their stories across wider platforms."

This year's Elevate Prize winners are:

• Atif Javed, Tarjimly, a mobile app that allows the world's 3 billion multilingual speakers to remotely volunteer their language skills as translators and interpreters for the 65 million displaced people. Atif was selected as part of The Elevate Prize Foundation's partnership with MIT Solve.
• Bianca Tylek, Worth Rises, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry and ending the exploitation of those it impacts through extensive advocacy and systems change efforts.
• Cindy Eggleton, Brilliant Detroit, which provides families with children 0-8 with what they need to be school-ready, healthy, stable by repurposing vacant houses into vibrant community centers.
• Crystal Echo Hawk, IllumiNative, which helps build power for Native peoples by amplifying contemporary Native voices, stories, and issues to advance justice, equity, and self-determination.
• Dr. Cynthia Fast, APOPO, which saves lives by training animals, primarily African giant rats, to work alongside medical professionals to detect disease in patients, and to root out landmines in previously war-torn regions.
• Elijah McKinnon, Open Television (OTV), a platform for intersectional television, supporting artists and communities marginalized by their race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, disability, or nationality.
• Namya Mahajan, Rocket Learning, one of India's leading nonprofits focused on catalyzing early childhood education and community engagement by distributing research- backed pedagogy focused on cognitive, numeracy, and literacy development.
• Nelly Cheboi, TechLit Africa, uses recycled computers to create technology labs in schools in rural Kenya. Nelly, 2022 CNN Hero of the Year, was selected as part of The Elevate Prize Foundation's partnership with CNN Heroes.
• Piyush Tewari, SaveLIFE Foundation, which is committed to improving road safety and access to emergency medical care across India by combining evidence-based interventions and advocacy to shift policies on a national level.
• Rachel Silverstein, Miami Waterkeeper, which works towards a vision of swimmable, drinkable, and fishable water for all while combating climate change through public advocacy efforts and science.
• Sana Mustafa, Asylum Access, which supports forcibly displaced individuals and communities as they reclaim their rights, agency, and power through legal services and systems change policy work.
• Teresa Wanjiku Njoroge, Clean Start Solutions, which works with women and children impacted by the criminal injustice system, to restore dignity and hope, for successful reintegration through employment training, referrals, and holistic services.

This year's Elevate Prize winners, along with the past two cohorts of winners, will gather in Miami in May 2023 for the inaugural Make Good Famous Summit. This year's theme is "Reimagining Culture to Power Change" and will examine ways to put media, content, and creators to work to challenge inequitable systems and ignite a movement for progress. 

Founded in 2019 by businessman and philanthropist Joseph Deitch, The Elevate Prize Foundation is a global non-profit that empowers social entrepreneurs and activists by providing them with the resources they need to amplify their impact. The Foundation's signature program is its annual Elevate Prize, which is awarded to 10 or more 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. In 2022, the Foundation launched The Elevate GET LOUD Award, a monthly grant to fuel grassroots movements and organizers on the frontlines committed to collective action and building power among communities. For more information, visit www.elevateprize.org and follow @ElevatePrize on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

SOURCE The Elevate Prize Foundation