♀️ Meet our Girls’ Empowerment / Gender Equity 2026 Fellows — four leaders advancing a world where every girl decides her own future.
🌍Astha Sharma, Co-Founder & Co-Managing Director, Shequal Foundation — Nepal Shequal Foundation’s mission is to accelerate mindset shifts toward gender equality by equipping, empowering, and creating opportunities for girls and women to have their individuality recognized, respected, and included across Nepal.
🌍 Elizabeth Hunt, Executive Director, Career Girls — USA Career Girls is founded on the dream that every girl around the world has access to diverse and accomplished women role models to learn from their experiences and discover their own path to empowerment.
🌍Pamela Jacobsen, Co-Founder & CEO, Girls Soccer Worldwide — US & Paraguay Girls Soccer Worldwide is empowering girls to rise out of poverty through sports, education, and leadership opportunities.
🌍Grace Ongong’a, Founder & Executive Director, Asembo Skills for Hope — Kenya Break the generational cycle of poverty in Asembo by equipping women with skills to prosper.
What unites them? Across five countries and many strategies — sport, role models, skills, family ties — they share one goal: every girl, equal and empowered.
Last chance to register for tomorrow’s free session: “Year-End Fundraising is Just the Beginning, Part 1” at 8 AM PST with Kim Bottom from Velora. Learn the strategy that sets up your organization for sustained giving through 2027. Register here: zoom.us/meeting/register/uGQd0S_zQcuPM0YpdtYHdg... See MoreSee Less
🔤 Meet our Childhood Education 2026 Fellows — five leaders laying the foundation in a child’s earliest, most formative years.
🌍 @Wiebke Eden-Fleig, Founder & Programs Director, Just.Childhood — Lebanon. Just.Childhood’s mission is to empower underprivileged children and youth through educational, psycho-social, and sports for development, enabling them to overcome challenges and build brighter futures.
🌍 Gautam Gauri, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Diksha Foundation — India. Diksha’s mission is to enable children, adolescents, and communities from marginalized backgrounds to develop their full potential through holistic education, creativity, leadership, and community engagement.
🌍 Aramide Kayode, Executive Director, Talent Mine Academy— Nigeria Talent Mine Academy’s mission is to raise children in low-income communities to solve problems and rise out of poverty.
🌍 Ushree Roy, Executive Director, Vicente Ferrer Foundation US — Indi Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA works to create sustainable opportunities for vulnerable communities through education, healthcare, inclusive development, and rural transformation initiatives in partnership with long-standing grassroots programs in India.
🌍 Dorothy Dulo, Founder & CEO, Sawa Africa — Kenya. Sawa Africa works in Western Kenya to provide resources and skills for families to thrive in education and community development.
What unites them? They invest at the beginning — where a single early advantage compounds across a lifetime.
🌍 A Journey of Gratitude: Some leaders open doors. Others rebuild the pathways so girls and women can walk through them with confidence.
Meet Adamaka Ajaelo, Founding Executive Director of Self-eSTEM and a 2025 Gratitude Network Fellow. ✨
Adamaka saw a truth too many girls and women were forced to navigate alone: a STEM world that wasn’t built with them in mind. Instead of accepting that reality, she chose to redesign it.
Self-eSTEM was born from a powerful belief—that pride, purpose, and possibility grow when girls and women see themselves as innovators, builders, and leaders. Through hands-on STEM training, digital skills development, and leadership coaching, Self-eSTEM strengthens STEM identities that last.
Today, Adamaka leads a movement that doesn’t just teach STEM; it transforms who gets to thrive in it. Her work reminds us that equity isn’t a destination. It’s a daily commitment to ensuring every girl and woman knows she belongs.
✊ Meet our Youth Leadership / Empowerment 2026 Fellows — five leaders putting young people in the driver’s seat.
🌍 Jennifer Maddox, Founder & Executive Director, Future Ties, NFP — USA. Future Ties, NFP is dedicated to empowering youth and strengthening families through education, workforce development, and community engagement.
🌍 Benoy Stephen Devanesan, Co-Founder & Director, Y-Ultimate — India. Y-Ultimate’s mission is to use the sport of Ultimate Frisbee to enable societal change.
🌍 Richard Reyes, Executive Director, PLUS ME Project — USA PLUS ME Project activates the art of personal storytelling to build confidence in youth as they pursue their college, career, and life goals.
🌍 Nshimba Elvis, Founder & CEO, Umoja Sport Foundation — Democratic Republic of the Congo Umoja Sport’s mission to use sport as a tool for education, skills development, and economic empowerment within communities.
🌍 Geanna Williams-Davis, Founder & President, EleganceXtreme Inc — USA. EleganceXtreme’s mission is to empower and uplift youth and seniors by providing educational resources, trauma-informed care, and community support in a safe and equitable environment.
What unites them? They don’t just serve young people — they hand them the mic, the ball, and the lead.
GivingTuesday can spark donor action, but what happens after? Join us for “Year-End Fundraising is Just the Beginning: Part 1” on August 26th at 8 AM PST with Kim Bottom from Velora.
Learn how to approach holiday giving with stronger messaging, segmentation, and strategic campaign moments that move donors to give. Plus, set a foundation for sustained giving through 2027.
This is a free online session for nonprofit leaders ready to think beyond the holiday rush.
🎉 And that's a wrap on the 2026 Virtual Changemaker Pitch Competition! 🎉
Six incredible Fellows and Alumni took the (virtual) stage today, sharing the problems their organizations were built to solve — and the vision for a world where their models win. Huge congratulations to all of our winners:
🥇 1st Place, Current Fellow Track: Paul Collins Rubaihayo — Sapphire Africa Foundation
🥈 2nd Place, Current Fellow Track: Natalie Kwan — Music For Every Child
🥈 2nd Place, Alumni Track: Raman Bahl — Learning Initiatives for India (LIFI)
🏆 Best in Show: Paul Collins Rubaihayo — Sapphire Africa Foundation
Superlative Awards (voted by our Semifinals audience):
💪 The Resilience Award — Simbas Footprints Foundation
🚀 The Future Is Now Award — Meghshala Trust
🌟 The Unsung Hero Award — Pangea Educational Development
🌊 The Ripple Effect Award — Dost Education
Every single competitor — finalists and semifinalists alike — showed up with courage, honesty, and a fierce belief in the communities they serve. Thank you to our judges, our donors, and everyone who tuned in to support these changemakers. This is what's possible when we invest in the people closest to the problem.
Tomorrow, six social changemakers from the Gratitude Network take the virtual stage for the Finals of our 2026 Virtual Changemaker Pitch Competition to tell us the problem they were built to solve, what they've had to survive and unlearn to stay in the fight, and the idea their experience has earned.
Listening closely — and scoring — are five leaders who know what it takes to move an audience:
⭐ CURRENT FELLOW PANEL
▪️ @Randy Coste — Former sales leader, Oracle (retired)
▪️ Heidi Buckhout — Director of Sustainability Communications, Walmart
▪️ Roger Rittenhouse — Retired technology executive; Board Member, Pleasanton North Rotary Club
Between them: decades across global sales, sustainability communications, literacy, nonprofit leadership, and social impact technology. We're grateful for their time and their care.
More than $5,500 in prizes will be awarded, including four audience-voted Superlative Awards and a Best in Show.
♀️ Meet our Girls’ Empowerment / Gender Equity 2026 Fellows — four leaders advancing a world where every girl decides her own future.
🌍Astha Sharma, Co-Founder & Co-Managing Director, Shequal Foundation — Nepal Shequal Foundation’s mission is to accelerate mindset shifts toward gender equality by equipping, empowering, and creating opportunities for girls and women to have their individuality recognized, respected, and included across Nepal.
🌍 Elizabeth Hunt, Executive Director, Career Girls — USA Career Girls is founded on the dream that every girl around the world has access to diverse and accomplished women role models to learn from their experiences and discover their own path to empowerment.
🌍Pamela Jacobsen, Co-Founder & CEO, Girls Soccer Worldwide — US & Paraguay Girls Soccer Worldwide is empowering girls to rise out of poverty through sports, education, and leadership opportunities.
🌍Grace Ongong’a, Founder & Executive Director, Asembo Skills for Hope — Kenya Break the generational cycle of poverty in Asembo by equipping women with skills to prosper.
What unites them? Across five countries and many strategies — sport, role models, skills, family ties — they share one goal: every girl, equal and empowered.
👉 Learn more about the 2026 Gratitude Network Fellows: gratitude-network.org/who-we-support/2026-organizations/
#GratitudeNetwork #GirlsEmpowerment #GenderEquity #SocialImpact #Fellows Changemakers Nonprofits NonprofitLeadership CapacityBuilding LeadershipJourney ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Last chance to register for tomorrow’s free session: “Year-End Fundraising is Just the Beginning, Part 1” at 8 AM PST with Kim Bottom from Velora. Learn the strategy that sets up your organization for sustained giving through 2027. Register here: zoom.us/meeting/register/uGQd0S_zQcuPM0YpdtYHdg ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🔤 Meet our Childhood Education 2026 Fellows — five leaders laying the foundation in a child’s earliest, most formative years.
🌍 @Wiebke Eden-Fleig, Founder & Programs Director, Just.Childhood — Lebanon. Just.Childhood’s mission is to empower underprivileged children and youth through educational, psycho-social, and sports for development, enabling them to overcome challenges and build brighter futures.
🌍 Gautam Gauri, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Diksha Foundation — India. Diksha’s mission is to enable children, adolescents, and communities from marginalized backgrounds to develop their full potential through holistic education, creativity, leadership, and community engagement.
🌍 Aramide Kayode, Executive Director, Talent Mine Academy— Nigeria Talent Mine Academy’s mission is to raise children in low-income communities to solve problems and rise out of poverty.
🌍 Ushree Roy, Executive Director, Vicente Ferrer Foundation US — Indi Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA works to create sustainable opportunities for vulnerable communities through education, healthcare, inclusive development, and rural transformation initiatives in partnership with long-standing grassroots programs in India.
🌍 Dorothy Dulo, Founder & CEO, Sawa Africa — Kenya. Sawa Africa works in Western Kenya to provide resources and skills for families to thrive in education and community development.
What unites them? They invest at the beginning — where a single early advantage compounds across a lifetime.
👉 Learn more about the 2026 Gratitude Network Fellows: gratitude-network.org/who-we-support/2026-organizations/
#GratitudeNetwork #EarlyChildhoodEducation #Education #SocialImpact #Fellows Changemakers Nonprofits NonprofitLeadership CapacityBuilding LeadershipJourney ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌍 A Journey of Gratitude: Some leaders open doors. Others rebuild the pathways so girls and women can walk through them with confidence.
Meet Adamaka Ajaelo, Founding Executive Director of Self-eSTEM and a 2025 Gratitude Network Fellow. ✨
Adamaka saw a truth too many girls and women were forced to navigate alone: a STEM world that wasn’t built with them in mind. Instead of accepting that reality, she chose to redesign it.
Self-eSTEM was born from a powerful belief—that pride, purpose, and possibility grow when girls and women see themselves as innovators, builders, and leaders. Through hands-on STEM training, digital skills development, and leadership coaching, Self-eSTEM strengthens STEM identities that last.
Today, Adamaka leads a movement that doesn’t just teach STEM; it transforms who gets to thrive in it. Her work reminds us that equity isn’t a destination. It’s a daily commitment to ensuring every girl and woman knows she belongs.
🎥 Watch Adamaka’s Journey of Gratitude interview: youtu.be/ouU-qa4A6gM
👉 Learn about other Gratitude Network Fellows: gratitude-network.org/who-we-support
#JourneyOfGratitude #GratitudeNetwork #Self-eSTEM #GrowthJourney #ScalingImpact NonProfitLeadership LeadershipDevelopment Education Fellowship STEM STEMtraining Impact ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
✊ Meet our Youth Leadership / Empowerment 2026 Fellows — five leaders putting young people in the driver’s seat.
🌍 Jennifer Maddox, Founder & Executive Director, Future Ties, NFP — USA. Future Ties, NFP is dedicated to empowering youth and strengthening families through education, workforce development, and community engagement.
🌍 Benoy Stephen Devanesan, Co-Founder & Director, Y-Ultimate — India. Y-Ultimate’s mission is to use the sport of Ultimate Frisbee to enable societal change.
🌍 Richard Reyes, Executive Director, PLUS ME Project — USA PLUS ME Project activates the art of personal storytelling to build confidence in youth as they pursue their college, career, and life goals.
🌍 Nshimba Elvis, Founder & CEO, Umoja Sport Foundation — Democratic Republic of the Congo Umoja Sport’s mission to use sport as a tool for education, skills development, and economic empowerment within communities.
🌍 Geanna Williams-Davis, Founder & President, EleganceXtreme Inc — USA. EleganceXtreme’s mission is to empower and uplift youth and seniors by providing educational resources, trauma-informed care, and community support in a safe and equitable environment.
What unites them? They don’t just serve young people — they hand them the mic, the ball, and the lead.
👉 Learn more about the 2026 Gratitude Network Fellows: gratitude-network.org/who-we-support/2026-organizations/
#GratitudeNetwork #YouthLeadership #YouthEmpowerment #SocialImpact #Fellows Changemakers Nonprofits NonprofitLeadership CapacityBuilding LeadershipJourney ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
GivingTuesday can spark donor action, but what happens after? Join us for “Year-End Fundraising is Just the Beginning: Part 1” on August 26th at 8 AM PST with Kim Bottom from Velora.
Learn how to approach holiday giving with stronger messaging, segmentation, and strategic campaign moments that move donors to give. Plus, set a foundation for sustained giving through 2027.
This is a free online session for nonprofit leaders ready to think beyond the holiday rush.
Save your seat: zoom.us/meeting/register/uGQd0S_zQcuPM0YpdtYHdg ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🎉 And that's a wrap on the 2026 Virtual Changemaker Pitch Competition! 🎉
Six incredible Fellows and Alumni took the (virtual) stage today, sharing the problems their organizations were built to solve — and the vision for a world where their models win. Huge congratulations to all of our winners:
🥇 1st Place, Current Fellow Track: Paul Collins Rubaihayo — Sapphire Africa Foundation
🥈 2nd Place, Current Fellow Track: Natalie Kwan — Music For Every Child
🥇 1st Place, Alumni Track: Francesca Raoelison — Omena Inc
🥈 2nd Place, Alumni Track: Raman Bahl — Learning Initiatives for India (LIFI)
🏆 Best in Show: Paul Collins Rubaihayo — Sapphire Africa Foundation
Superlative Awards (voted by our Semifinals audience):
💪 The Resilience Award — Simbas Footprints Foundation
🚀 The Future Is Now Award — Meghshala Trust
🌟 The Unsung Hero Award — Pangea Educational Development
🌊 The Ripple Effect Award — Dost Education
Every single competitor — finalists and semifinalists alike — showed up with courage, honesty, and a fierce belief in the communities they serve. Thank you to our judges, our donors, and everyone who tuned in to support these changemakers. This is what's possible when we invest in the people closest to the problem.
#GratitudeNetwork #ChangemakerPitch #SocialImpact #NonprofitLeadership #PowerThePrize ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Meet our Finalist Judges. 🏆
Tomorrow, six social changemakers from the Gratitude Network take the virtual stage for the Finals of our 2026 Virtual Changemaker Pitch Competition to tell us the problem they were built to solve, what they've had to survive and unlearn to stay in the fight, and the idea their experience has earned.
Listening closely — and scoring — are five leaders who know what it takes to move an audience:
⭐ CURRENT FELLOW PANEL
▪️ @Randy Coste — Former sales leader, Oracle (retired)
▪️ Betsy Dickey — Founder & Executive Director, Ready for Reading
▪️ Trevor Laudate — Co-Founder & CEO, Ecodrive
⭐ ALUMNI FELLOW PANEL
▪️ Heidi Buckhout — Director of Sustainability Communications, Walmart
▪️ Roger Rittenhouse — Retired technology executive; Board Member, Pleasanton North Rotary Club
Between them: decades across global sales, sustainability communications, literacy, nonprofit leadership, and social impact technology. We're grateful for their time and their care.
More than $5,500 in prizes will be awarded, including four audience-voted Superlative Awards and a Best in Show.
🗓️ Friday, August 7 · 12:00–1:30 PM ET · Virtual
🎟️ Free to attend — register here:
zoom.us/meeting/register/MGyYLklKTMGKY_gIAG0cHQ
Bring your encouragement to the chat. These six have built extraordinary things against real odds, and they've earned a room that listens. 💙
#SocialImpact #Changemakers #Nonprofit #PitchCompetition #gratitudenetwork ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook