AGLN Blog

The McNulty Foundation and Aspen Global Leadership Network are excited to announce the recipients of the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund. The Catalyst Fund awards $75,000 in total to five exceptional organizations led by AGLN Fellows that have demonstrated significant momentum in the early stages of their development, with great potential to scale or deepen their impact. 

The 2019 recipients are pioneering solutions to challenges in their communities: from supporting Ghana’s elders so they can age with dignity; providing job training and mental health services to Salvadorans with violent pasts; building an accountable ecosystem for nonprofits in the Middle East; bridging Indiana’s talent gap, to providing life-changing artificial limbs to children in war-torn Syria. All are creating positive change for individuals and communities throughout the globe, and are poised for significant growth in the coming years.

Read on to learn about the 2019 Catalyst Fund recipients! 
 

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Karma Ekmekji | 3QA | Middle East

By pioneering the first regional standards and accreditation system for non-profits across the Middle East, international affairs advisor Karma Ekmekji (Middle East Leadership Initiative) is creating a more accountable civil society with greater potential to drive change. Having proven its impact in Lebanon, 3QA is poised to introduce their system to 180 new organizations in the country before expanding across Jordan and the rest of the Middle East. 

3qa.co
 
Jaime Zablah Siri | La Factoria Ciudadana | El Salvador

City council member Jaime Zablah Siri (Central America Leadership Initiative) is giving hope to people who have had violence in their past — from returning deportees to gang members and incarcerated people — and rehabilitating and reintegrating them with education, jobs and a chance at a better life. With thousands of Salvadorans deported from the US and elsewhere every year, La Factoria Ciudadana will expand operations to provide the job training and mental health services needed to start new lives with hope and dignity. 

lafactoriaciudadana.com
 
Esi Ansah | Association of Ghana’s Elders | Ghana

Leadership and HR expert Dr. Esi Ansah (Africa Leadership Initiative - West Africa) is building an ecosystem of services to ensure that Ghana’s elders age with dignity, and continue to have an active and productive stake in their communities. The Association of Ghana’s Elders (AGE) has established programs unique to the needs of Ghana’s elders, and with increased demand, it is poised to expand membership, offer more services, and strengthen its policy advocacy efforts.

ageafrica.com
 
Jason Kloth | Ascend Indiana | United States

Seeking to align Indiana’s workforce with 21st Century demands and keep talent in-state, former Indianapolis Deputy Mayor of Education Jason Kloth (Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship) created a platform that connects Indiana's talent to training programs and real job opportunities. Having forged a network that spans business, government, education, and community sectors, Ascend is poised to scale its efforts to ensure that Indiana remains a place of economic opportunity for all. 

ascendindiana.com
 
Karim Alwadi | Saving Syrian Children | Syria

Responding to the world's deadliest conflict, business executive and investor Karim Alwadi (Middle East Leadership Initiative) built the first officially sanctioned Chinese charity that benefits people outside China, providing prosthetics and long-term rehabilitation and counseling to Syrian children. Having navigated complex political and geographic dimensions, the venture is establishing two more rehab centers that will provide life-changing services to more Syrian children.

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About the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund 

The McNulty Foundation established the Fund in 2017 to provide unrestricted support to promising ventures, as well as additional funding to ventures led by McNulty Prize Laureates. The Fund was endowed through a matching grant from the McNulty Foundation, with donations from David Blood, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, the Nancy & George Walker Foundation and many others, who honored the legacy of John P. McNulty with over $1.2 million in contributions. 

Learn more