Civic Engagement

Sergio Aguayo, Mexico, Senior Fellow

Sergio is building a better democracy in Mexico: his organizations have been critical in giving citizens a more participatory role in government and in entrenching electoral and public spending transparency. Read more here.

Pavel Cincera, Czech Republic, Fellow

With the first fact-based online portal focused on environmental issues, Pavel is spearheading independent journalism in ex-Soviet countries by building the foundations for environmental awareness and activism in Poland.  Read more here.

Ahmed El Maraghy, Egypt, Fellow

Ahmed is integrating the blind into Egyptian society through access to media channels, including the first magazine for the blind in Egypt, and by changing public opinion towards the blind through public awareness campaigns. Read more here.

Menaha Kandasamy, Sri Lanka, Fellow

Menaha is building the first women’s plantation workers movement in Sri Lanka by educating women on their labor rights and establishing a structure of equal representation for women within national unions. Read more here.

Ashwin Mahesh, India, Fellow

Ashwin is tackling social problems and development challenges in India by engineering public interest technology and creating channels for public discourse to design applications for tens of millions of people. Read more here.  

Mary Nally, Ireland, Fellow

Mary is empowering Ireland’s elderly community by providing unique services to this often isolated group, such as the first national support hotline for the elderly run by the elderly. Read more here.

Gilles Reydellet, France, Senior Fellow

Gilles has made public services accessible to the most underserved populations with a network of free walk-in centers that help citizens access and navigate the services and rights to which they are entitled to as French citizens. Read more here.

Thorkil Sonne, Denmark, Fellow

Through the first software testing company to employ autistic people, Thorkil transforms the skills of autistic people from handicaps to a competitive advantage, thereby providing autistic people with the opportunity for active, productive and fulfilling lives. Read more here.

Economic Development

André Albuquerque, Brazil, Fellow

André regularizes the ownership status of squatter families’ land in Brazil by mediating protracted conflicts with landowners, while also fostering civic participation and community development. Read more here.

Elizabeth Hausler, USA, Fellow

Recognizing that earthquakes don’t kill people, but building collapses do, Elizabeth is changing practices of home building in earthquake-prone regions wherein communities lead every aspect of the rebuilding, from design to training to construction.  Read more here.

Farouk Jiwa, Kenya, Senior Fellow

Frustrated with traditional development models and having built one of the largest social enterprises in Africa, Farouk combines business savvy with NGO outreach and training to help small farmers diversify their income. Read more here.

Leonora Mol, Brazil, Fellow

Leonora is stimulating the local economy and increasing quality of life among low-income residential communities through the combination of housing loans, participatory governance structures, technical assistance, and the incorporation of clean technologies. Read more here.

Ben Powell, Nicaragua, Fellow

Ben is unlocking the potential of small business entrepreneurs in developing countries by providing management know-how and access to capital, demonstrating that investing in small businesses is an effective means to fight poverty and unemployment. Read more here.

Rabee Zureikat, Jordan, Fellow

Rabee’s new form of tourism - "exchange tourism" - empowers rural dwellers both economically and culturally by engaging urban and rural parties in an equal partnership and generating funds which are then invested into marginalized rural areas. Read more here.

Health

Ana Luisa Arocena, Uruguay, Fellow

Ana Luisa is creating and disseminating new technologies to recycle and dispose of hazardous materials, thereby creating a transparent and socially ethical waste industry throughout South America. Read more here.

Steve Collins, Ireland, Senior Fellow

Steve’s new feeding model, which brings treatment out to homes and villages instead of relying on centralized centers, has changed the way the United Nations and World Health Organization respond to famine and malnutrition. Read more here.

Paulino Decanini, Mexico, Fellow

Paulino has introduced a transparent and accessible healthcare insurance system in Mexico: his program designed for low-income families allows unlimited visits to a primary care physician as well as discounted diagnostic services, thereby paving the way for effective preventative medicine. Read more here.

Fernando Monckeberg, Chile, Senior Fellow

A pioneer in connecting infant mortality and child malnutrition to a country’s economic and social development, Fernando has led a nation-wide effort with his belief that in order to save a country from poverty and underdevelopment, you must first save its children from hunger. Read more here.

Sharon Terry, USA, Fellow

Sharon bridges the gap between science and society’s health needs by enabling patients living with genetic conditions, science, government, industry and the citizen sector to collaborate in the development of treatments.  Read more here.

Anders Wilhemson, Sweden, Fellow

Anders is changing the face of public health with his Peepoo bag, a biodegradable personal sanitation technology for populations lacking basic sanitation infrastructure, while also creating jobs for local entrepreneurs to collect and sell the bags as fertilizer. Read more here.

Environment

Radoslaw Gawlik, Poland, Senior Fellow

In order for Poland to have a sustainable future, Radoslaw has linked government and citizen organizations in an unprecedented way to bring about radical environmental change, setting an example for other ex-Soviet countries. Read more here.

Tristan Lecomte, France, Fellow

Tristan has linked the fair-trade market and the goals of the Kyoto Protocol by providing incentive and competition for companies and industries to enter carbon markets.  Read more  here.

Willie Smits, Indonesia, Senior Fellow

Willie has revolutionized reforestation techniques and policies worldwide by examining the root causes of deforestation and fostering the relationship between the animal world, our natural resources and humankind. Read more here.