Meet the 2023 Fellows

Aisha Abdullahi Bubah

Founder, The Sunshine Series-Mind Wellness Ltd

Bold Idea: Improve access to mental healthcare for underserved Nigerians by training lay counselors to teach communities to self-heal.

Learn more about Aisha

Ali Anderson

Founder & Executive Director, Feed Black Futures

Bold Idea: Eliminate food and economic insecurity for Black, jail and prison-impacted mamas and caregivers and Black farmers in California by delivering regeneratively grown food and teaching about food justice and land stewardship.

Learn more about Ali

Annina Van Neel

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, The Tiekie Box Project

Bold Idea: Decolonize Black Cultural Heritage for the global African diaspora by accelerating restitution and healing of trans-generational trauma incurred by colonialism and slavery.

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Atim Mbah (Patience)

Founder, Green Farmlands

Bold Idea: Improve the productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers in Cameroon by creating an online platform where consumers can shop for their fresh groceries.

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Danielle Boyer

Founder, The STEAM Connection

Bold Idea: Make technical education accessible and representative for Indigenous youth by creating and distributing cultural robotics and educational programming that preserve and uplift Indigenous ways of life.

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Darshana Joshi

Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, VigyanShaala International

Bold Idea: Accelerate innovation, productivity, and pathways to STEM careers for women in marginalized communities by building an active ecosystem to mentor and coach aspiring girls globally.

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Fatima Hassan

Founder, Health Justice Initiative

Bold Idea: Eliminate barriers to lifesaving healthcare for women and people with low incomes in the Global South by holding pharmaceutical companies accountable, resetting intellectual property rules, and supporting marginalized groups.

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Francesca Raoelison

Founder & Executive Director, Omena, Inc.

Bold Idea: Improve the emotional well-being of children and young adult survivors of emotional abuse in Madagascar by providing a trauma-informed, social-emotional intelligence program that fosters self-love, emotional self-awareness, and healthy relationships and drives positive, community-wide changes.

Learn more about Francesca

Gabriel Reyes

Founder, FLi Sci

Bold Idea: Diversify the next generation of scientists and physicians by providing early, formative research experiences to students historically excluded from the sciences.

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Inés Palacios

Founder, Chaka

Bold Idea: Increase economic empowerment for Indigenous women of low-income households by teaching them programming to qualify for jobs in the technology sector.

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James Thuch Madhier

Founder, The Rainmaker Enterprise

Bold Idea: Create food security, stability, and self-sufficiency for people living in conflict-affected regions by building climate-smart water solutions for regenerative agriculture.

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Jigyasa Labroo

Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Slam Out Loud

Bold Idea: Transform India’s art classes into safe spaces for students to find their voice by implementing contextual programs integrated with the lens of climate action and gender.

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Manu Chopra

Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Karya, Inc.

Bold Idea: Build pathways out of poverty for rural Indians by connecting them to AI-based digital work.

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Mathangi Swaminathan

Founder, Parity Lab

Bold Idea: Eliminate gender-based violence by identifying, supporting, and amplifying a community of survivor-led grassroot organizations addressing the root causes of violence.

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Nafisa Jiddawi

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, WAJAMAMA

Bold Idea: Make safe, dignified, and empowered pregnancy, labor, and birth experiences standard for all birthing people in Zanzibar by increasing access to quality holistic health services.

Learn more about Nafisa

Olayinka Iyinolakan

Founder, Center for the Digitization of Indigenous African Languages

Bold Idea: Close the digital inequality gap for suburban and rural Africans by using AI technology to preserve African languages and localize digital access to education, healthcare, and financial services.

Learn more about Olayinka

Rana Abdelhamid

Founder & Executive Director, Malikah

Bold Idea: Build safety for women and girls by providing self-defense training, financial literacy, and mental health resources, creating safer spaces, and building resilience against violence and oppression across the world.

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Shiluba Mawela

Founder & Managing Partner, Tshiamo Impact Partners

Bold Idea: Close the funding and gender gap for small and medium enterprises by developing innovative impact advisory and asset management services that prioritize gender lens investing and directing resources to those overlooked by traditional finance.

Learn more about Shiluba

Tatiana Rodriguez

Founder, Family Matters First

Bold Idea: Abolish family separation and reunite separated parents with their children by empowering parents to build advocacy tools, support networks, and mutual aid.

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Tonya Daniel

Founder, Enjoy The Baby, LLC

Bold Idea: Revolutionize maternity care for people of color by integrating doulas who empower families to advocate for equitable care and prioritize their individual needs.

Learn more about Tonya