Echoing Green has invested $475,000 across 11 organizations led by alumni of our Fellowship program, marking the ninth cycle of follow-on funding.
This latest investment provides Fellows unrestricted capital as they further develop, scale, and break new ground in their work, which ranges from rolling out climate-smart agriculture tools to smallholder farms in Kenya to increasing the representation of Black male teachers in U.S. public schools.
This cycle, Echoing Green introduced the Sustainability and Scale grant as part of our follow-on funding framework and broader continuum of capital strategy. Since launching follow-on funding, we’ve aimed to be responsive to the many forms of capital that social innovators need as they evolve beyond the seed funding stage. That’s even more important in today’s environment, according to Lucia Ferrarese, manager, capital at Echoing Green.
“The Sustainability and Scale grant was introduced in response to what we’re increasingly seeing among the Fellows and their organizations: many are navigating pressure to build stronger long-term financial resilience and explore pathways toward sustainability. We’re seeing more Fellows think creatively about earned revenue, partnerships, and new operating models. The grant recognizes that different moments in an organization’s journey require different forms of capital and support,” she said.
Sustainability and Scale grants will specifically support Fellows preparing to grow equity-centered solutions in a sustainable way, while Catalytic Grants continue to back those focused on testing new and novel ideas and methods. Both grant types recognize exceptional impact and provide critical investments at varying levels.
The first recipients of the grant say the funding comes at a crucial time for their organizations. It also strengthens their continued relationship with Echoing Green, even several years after their Fellowships.
“‘Once a Fellow, always a Fellow’ truly feels real in moments like this,” said Sustainability and Scale grantee Jigyasa Labroo ‘23, the founder of Slam Out Loud, which promotes arts-based learning in underserved communities. Unrestricted funding is especially impactful, she explained, because, at this stage of organizational growth, it provides her organization “the flexibility to strengthen the foundations of long-term impact. It will help us deepen our research and monitoring and evaluation, while also investing in organizational culture and wellbeing.”
Rhymes with Reason founder Austin Martin ‘19—also a Sustainability and Scale grantee—echoed her sentiment, calling the follow-on funding “transformational” for his music-driven educational technology platform as a new back-to-school-season approaches.
“This investment allows us to bring on dedicated support to accelerate new partnerships and opportunities, particularly at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and education, an area that has been central to our growth and impact. Together, these efforts will help us scale our mission and deepen our reach with students who need it most across the country,” Austin said.
Echoing Green both finds and fosters top talent in their earliest days and remains committed to championing them throughout the course of their social entrepreneurship journeys.
“Across our sector, the headwinds are strong. We’re seeing many organizations merge, close, or scale back significantly due to this tumultuous funding landscape. This follow-on funding is vital for our Fellows. We’re always proud to deepen our investment in them, but especially now amid so much uncertainty,” said Sharyanne McSwain, president of Echoing Green.
Meet the transformative leaders who received this cycle’s follow-on funding:
Sustainability and Scale Grantees:
- Austin Martin ‘19, Rhymes with Reason
- Dysmus Kisilu ‘18, Solar Freeze
- Jigyasa Labroo ‘23, Slam Out Loud
- Neo Hutiri ‘22, Pelebox
- Vincent Cobb II ‘18, Black Male Educators for Social Justice
- Shiluba Mawela ‘23, Tshiamo Impact Partners
- Olayinka Iyinolakan ‘23, Foundation for the Promotion of Local Languages
- Racquel Bonner ‘22, Fit To Navigate
Catalytic Grantees:
- José Antonio Aguilar Contreras ‘21, RacismoMX
- Mathangi Swaminathan ‘23, Parity Lab
- Hadiyah Mujhid '19, HBCUvc
