The Power of Visibility for Social Entrepreneurs

All around us, innovative social justice leaders are making heroic efforts to transform the world – but this kind of good news doesn’t always make headlines. And invisibility has serious consequences. If activists aren’t seen or heard, they may never receive the support they need to fulfill their potential. 

That’s why amplification is the purpose of the Elevate Prize: we want to make good famous. Over the past two years, we’ve selected 20 brilliant social entrepreneurs, given each of them $5 million in funding and partnered with them to provide mentorship and resources to scale their efforts. Already, these changemakers have demonstrated that visibility brings results.

“This prize is truly life-changing,” said Chad Bernstein, founder of Guitars Over Guns, a US-based music mentoring program for at-risk teens. “Being a part of the Elevate Prize family means being immersed in a network of leaders that are doing totally inspiring and life-changing work.”

Another 2020 prizewinner, Koketso Moeti, founded amandla.mobi to empower low-income Black women through mobile networks in South Africa. “Over and beyond the financial resources that this [prize] has provided, it has also connected us with networks that have been key for catapulting our work further,” she explained. 

These leaders are doing work that deserves to be seen. We believe that amplifying their inspiring stories and innovative ideas will cause them to echo around the world, helping inspire other social entrepreneurs to take up local challenges. That’s how we spark catalytic change. 

This year, applications will be accepted through nominations. Please introduce us to the changemakers that inspire you – people with big ideas who are at a tipping point and ready to become visible. Help us find the next Elevate Prize winners and be a part of amplifying their impact to #makegoodfamous.