AGLN Blog

We are excited to announce the 11th annual John P. McNulty Prize Laureates, four extraordinary individuals who have effectively leveraged their expertise and entrepreneurialism to create meaningful change across the world.   

From giving Indian voters and policymakers access to transparency and truth; to providing New York City and Baltimore schoolchildren with glasses so they can see well enough to learn; to amplifying the arts as a means to move Rwanda and other countries from trauma to understanding, to teaching inclusive civic values to teenagers in Australia and the US, all of the 2018 Laureates are equipping individuals and communities with the tools they need to determine their own paths.    

“Hope Azeda, Dave Gilboa, Mehrdad Baghai and Govindraj Ethiraj have answered the call to use their talents, resources and platforms to expand the reach of opportunity to people and communities around the world. By removing economic and social barriers, the Laureates are making the world healthier, fairer and more open,” said Anne Welsh McNulty, President of the McNulty Foundation and Trustee of the Aspen Institute. 

The announcement will be celebrated on July 25 at the Resnick Aspen Action Forum. Watch the Laureates pitch their bold ideas, followed by an interview with Ford Foundation President & McNulty Prize juror Darren Walker at 2:45pm MDT on July 25 here. 

Congratulations to the 2018 McNulty Prize Laureates!
UBUMUNTU ARTS  | Rwanda 

An artist, curator and leader in reconciliation efforts following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Africa Leadership Initiative – East Africa Fellow Hope Azeda’s Ubumuntu Arts Festival & Organization brings together performers from Rwanda and around the world to explore the trauma of conflict and the depths of the human experience.

“I grew up as a refugee in Uganda, and when I came back to Rwanda it was like a broken mirror. I think art is the link, art is the bridge in post-conflict situations. It provokes a true reflection of life and you begin to stick the pieces back together.”
- Hope Azeda 

ubumuntuartsfestival.com 
HIGH RESOLVES  | Australia & US 

In response to rising intolerance, strategist, author, and Henry Crown Fellow Mehrdad Baghai co-founded High Resolves, a multi-year, hands-on educational intervention that immunizes high school students against racism and hatred, and trains them to be active agents of social change.

“We will fail to respond to the world's increasingly complex challenges unless we develop a critical mass of leaders with the intent, skills and confidence to accomplish what previous generations have failed to do: to act in the interest of their communities.” - Mehrdad Baghai 

highresolves.org  PUPILS PROJECT  | United States  

Henry Crown Fellow and Warby Parker Co-Founder and Co-CEO Dave Gilboa partnered with the New York City and Baltimore public school systems to provide students critical access to vision care, and glasses at no cost to their families, eliminating a persistent gap for schoolchildren.

“Vision disability is the single most prevalent disabling condition among children in the US, disproportionately affecting low-income and minority students. The program's goal is to ensure that all students who need glasses have the resources to access them." - Dave Gilboa 

blog.warbyparker.com/pupils-project-2018  INDIASPEND / BOOM / FACTCHECKER  | India 

Through three media ventures focused on debunking misinformation and fake news, fact-checking, and advancing public-interest journalism, media executive, journalist, and Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellow Govindraj Ethiraj is using a data-driven approach to improve public discourse and transparency in India.

"Democracies like India are young and need to move towards more transparency and fact-based policy making. This can only happen if citizens appreciate the importance and need for data, and are not influenced by deliberate or otherwise misinformation." - Govindraj Ethiraj 

indiaspend.com, boomlive.in, factchecker.in 

About The John P. McNulty Prize 

Founded by Anne Welsh McNulty in honor of her late husband John, the McNulty Prize celebrates the boldness and impact of individuals who are using their exceptional leadership abilities, entrepreneurial spirit and expertise to address the world’s toughest challenges. 

Each year, the winner is selected by an international jury that has included Darren Walker, Mary Robinson, Bill Gates, Sr. and Sir Richard Branson. The winner receives $100,000 and each Laureate receives $25,000 to further his or her venture. The Prize is given in partnership with the Aspen Institute, and recognizes exceptional leadership ventures undertaken by Fellows of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Learn more at mcnultyfound.org.