Ginelle Akoto Bamfo

(Class of 2025)
Young Leaders Program

The Hunt
New York, NY

The Hunt is a short film about Amber, an unemployed recent graduate searching for purpose after repeated setbacks in the job hunt. Inspired by her own post-grad experience, the film reflects the frustration of sending applications into a void, being ghosted by companies, and seeing opportunities disappear. With the job market especially challenging for Black women, she wants to put a human story behind the statistics and show the resilience it takes to keep going.

Jessica Moore

(Class of 2021)
Young Leaders Program

Pawfessional Access Fund
Washington, DC

The Pawfessional Access Fund is a grantmaking nonprofit that helps young professionals with disabilities afford medically necessary service dogs so they can work, study, and live more independently. It covers costs not typically supported by insurance or employers, including training or placement fees, travel, and essential first-year expenses. Funding comes from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and grants, and impact is measured through grant placements and outcomes like job retention and degree completion.

Sanah Ahmed

(Class of 2023)
Young Leaders Program

Ilmra Community Diabetes Lab
Chicago, IL

Ilmra Community Diabetes Lab partners with community health clinics to analyze de-identified patient data and better understand diabetes within the populations they serve. By organizing longitudinal datasets, the project identifies patterns in disease progression and treatment response—especially among marginalized populations—to help clinicians improve care and understand why some patients decline faster or respond differently to treatment.

Alexandra Martinez Lopez

(Class of 2022)
Young Leaders Program

InspiraSTEM
San Salvador, El Salvador

InspiraSTEM is an annual conference founded by Salvadoran scientists living abroad to empower Salvadoran college students in STEM disciplines through high-level training workshops and academic seminars. This initiative seeks to foster the development of future scientists and professionals in El Salvador who might otherwise lack access to high-quality scientific training, with the ultimate goal of driving positive changes in modern Salvadorian society. The inaugural conference in 2025 served 100 university students in STEM fields from across El Salvador.

Kaylee Zilinger

(Class of 2024)
Young Leaders Program

Yale VIBES
New Haven, CT

Yale VIBES (Virtual Internship in Biomedical Education in Science) is a paid, two-semester virtual internship designed for undergraduate students from historically marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds, particularly those attending non-research-intensive universities. The program pairs students with Yale faculty to work on data analysis, research, and writing projects while also providing mentorship, professional connections, and exposure to graduate school pathways, helping participants build skills and see themselves in academic research environments. In it’s third year, the program has significantly expanded its reach and has been instrumental in helping students build professional connections that lead directly to employment and publication outcomes.

Jose Banales
(Class of 2019)
Young Leaders Program

JB Consulting, LLC
Denver, CO

JB Business Consulting, LLC specializes in sales operations consulting, helping small businesses in Denver generate and retain revenue. The firm tailors its services to client objectives, leveraging the owner’s experience to support business growth. The first year focuses on initial investments in equipment and software, with profitability expected by August 2025.

Yasmin Cortes
(Class of 2020)
Young Leaders Program

Flower Power
Chicago, IL

Flower Pow3r founded in 2024 by Yasmin Cortes, empower youth in Chicago’s under-resourced neighborhoods to heal and lead through the art of floral creation. By partnering with Chicago Public Schools, the program transforms classrooms into creative sanctuaries where students learn teamwork, mindfulness, and self-expression while exploring pathways to green careers. Through this blend of social-emotional growth, education, and community revitalization, Flower Pow3r cultivates peace and purpose — proving that even in places marked by hardship, beauty can grow and thrive.

Tyler Cunningham
(Class of 2019)
Young Leaders Program

CA-Loop
Santa Barbara, CA

CA-Loop merges sustainable farming, retail resale, and waste divertment. It integrates an aquaponics farm with a retail space focused on diverting waste and creating profitable goods. CA-Loop will be North America’s first Re-Use Mall-A large, centralized hub where food, goods, and services create a mixed-use, and community focused shopping center to improve the community and environment.

Meseret Hailu
(Class of 2011)
Whole Community Program

Ethiopian Youth Culture Workshop
Aurora, CO

The Ethiopian Youth Cultural Workshop (EYCW) is a summer enrichment experience for children. Designed to promote the preservation of cultural heritage among the children of Ethiopian immigrants living in the United States, the EYCW offers workshops on language skill development, an appreciation for African cuisine, and critical thinking skills.

Alexandra Martinez Lopez
(Class of 2022)
Young Leaders Program

InspiraSTEM
San Salvador, El Salvador

InspiraSTEM is an annual conference to empower Salvadoran college students in STEM disciplines through high-level training workshops and academic seminars.This initiative seeks to foster the development of future scientists and professionals in El Salvador who might otherwise lack access to high-quality scientific training, with the ultimate goal of driving positive changes in modern Salvadorian society.

Lamar Morgan
(Class of 2023)
Young Leaders Program

Lambstone Community Advisors
Augusta, GA

Lambstone Community Advisors is a community engagement and outreach advisory firm centered on bringing strategic and creative solutions to support for-profit businesses, non-profits, and quasi-governmental entities in their various endeavors. Focusing on creating and managing compelling content and events, Lambstone is an authentic community partner seeking first to understand the communities its work may affect before working prescriptively to address its most crucial opportunities for outreach and engagement.

Anthony Rucker
(Class of 2021)
Young Leaders Program

Rucker Insights, LLC
Chicago, IL

Rucker Insights, LLC is a business consulting firm specializing in sales and marketing for small and mid-sized companies, by helping clients generate revenue through services like social media management, sales funnel optimization, website creation, and content marketing.

Kaylee Zilinger
(Class of 2024)
Young Leaders Program

Yale VIBES
New Haven, CT

Yale VIBES (Virtual Internship in Biomedical Education in Science) is a paid, two-semester virtual internship for undergraduate students from historically marginalized backgrounds, particularly those from low-income or non-research-intensive universities, who are interested in graduate school.

Jessamyn Sweet
(Class of 2017)
Young Leaders Program

The Drawing Room –
Understudy Program
San Francisco, CA

The Drawing Room is a nonprofit community art organization that revitalizes vacant commercial spaces in San Francisco, transforming them into dynamic venues for art and public engagement. The UnderStudy program, is a paid learning experience for low-resource youth, equipping them with hands-on skills in gallery operations, curation, marketing, and business management.

Devante Morgan
(Class of 2018)
Young Leaders Program

MAAD
Los Angeles, CA

MAAD is a black-owned media and production company that empowers creators by offering them access to a comprehensive set of technical and production resources. This will enable them to produce high-quality media in their unique and authentic voice.

Delshanee Martin
(Class of 2021)
Young Leaders Program

Black Beauty Block Party
Los Angeles, CA

The Black Beauty Block Party is a one-day festival in Los Angeles created to spark systemic change in the Black community by breaking down barriers to Black women’s social, educational, and financial mobility. Organized by Lab Beauty, the event uses beauty as a tool for empowerment, wealth-building, and visibility.

Rodina Mohammed
(Class of 2020)
Young Leaders Program

SORS
New York

SORS is a luxury fragrance brand that creates high-end fragrance oils and perfumes at accessible prices, designed to make every customer feel like the main character in their story. Blending premium quality with affordability, SORS bridges the gap between exclusivity and inclusivity, offering timeless scents that inspire confidence and creativity. With a focus on authenticity, individuality, and sustainability, SORS caters to fragrance lovers seeking affordable luxury. The vision is to grow and expand into complementary products like incense, candles, and more, establishing SORS as a household name in luxury fragrance.

Abril Vela
(Class of 2018)
Young Leaders Program

CS for Success
Chicago, IL

CS for Success provides consultation services that further enable K-12 students to participate in equitable, inclusive, high-quality computer science experiences. The team offers decades of experience working in industry, education, non-profit, and student entrepreneurship communities. As such, they are able to help clients develop ecosystems of high-quality computer science educational opportunities within their communities – whether that be a classroom, school building, school district, neighborhood, or city – to provide students with a clear pathway to postsecondary success. They specialize in working with small and medium sized organizations providing services in curriculum and implementation support, project development, and project management.