Eisenhower Fellowships

2025 Annual Meeting

PHILADELPHIA | MAY 13-14, 2024

Eisenhower Fellowships welcomed more than 220 attendees from nearly 30 countries for two days
of extraordinary events to mark its 2025 Annual Meeting on May 13 and 14 in Philadelphia. 

Eisenhower Fellowships welcomed more than 220 attendees from nearly 30 countries for two days of
                    extraordinary events to mark its 2025 Annual Meeting on May 13 and 14 in Philadelphia. 

Pin Ceremony

Eisenhower Fellowships celebrated four groups of Fellows and Global Scholars at the Spring 2025 Pin Ceremony, awarding EF certificates and fellowship pins to the 2025 Global Fellows, 2024 USA Fellows, 2024 Zhi-Xing Fellows and 2024 Global Scholars on Tuesday, May 13 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The ceremony marking the official end of their fellowship programs and immersing them in the EF global network was followed by a cocktail reception.

Annual Awards Dinner

More than 220 people from nearly 30 countries attended the 2025 Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday night, May 14 at the National Constitution Center. Featured speakers were EF President George de Lama, 2024 USA Fellow Constance Ranae Jones, 2025 Global Fellow Elise Caluwaerts of Belgium, EF Chairman, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert M. Gates and Trustee Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Veteran broadcast journalist Ray Suarez was master of ceremonies. Caluwaerts, a renowned opera singer, closed the dazzling evening with a beautiful aria.

2025 Distinguished Fellow Award

2025 Distinguished Fellow Award

EF Chairman Dr. Robert M. Gates presented the 2025 Distinguished Fellow Award to Miatta Gbanya of Liberia and the late Nuru Mugambi of Kenya, marking the first time this honor has been bestowed upon African Fellows. The award celebrates their remarkable professional achievements, exemplary engagement with EF and exceptional leadership in their respective countries. Members of the inaugural 2016 Africa regional program, Miatta and Nuru contributed greatly to the growth and influence of EF in Africa and inspired the EF global network with their selflessness, their courage and their dedication to giving back and helping others. Accepting Nuru’s posthumous award were her daughter Makena Mugambi and sister Christina Mugambi.

2025 Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service

Celebrated financier, philanthropist, author and television personality David Rubenstein received Eisenhower Fellowships’ highest honor, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service. EF Chairman, Dr. Robert M. Gates, presented Rubenstein the medal for his extraordinary public service to support higher education and the arts, advance economic empowerment in disadvantaged communities and preserve America’s historical legacy to deepen global understanding.  

IMAGINING A NEW FUTURE

Eisenhower Fellows build bridges of understanding across borders and cultures and work together to better our world.

David Bray
USA 2015
Director, GeoTech Center
and Commission
Henry L. Stimson Center

David Bray leads the bipartisan Commission on the Geopolitical Impacts of New Technologies and Data, guiding cross-sector efforts to deepen global understanding of AI, biotechnology, quantum computing and trust in digital economies. Since his Eisenhower Fellowship, David has bridged policy, innovation and public service to advance resilient supply chains and secure data systems globally. A dedicated public servant, he has supported U.S. national and humanitarian missions during crises, earning recognition for leadership at the nexus of emerging tech and global stability.

1 of 26

Bosede AfolabiNigeria 2014
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Lagos and Lagos University Teaching Hospital

Bosede Afolabi is a trailblazer in women’s health, committed to reducing Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rates. Since returning from her Eisenhower Fellowship, she created the MILES model—the country’s largest maternal health program—enrolling more than 7,500 pregnant women in Lagos. Her team’s efforts have achieved a 99.9% childbirth survival rate, dramatically markedly improving on Nigeria’s national average of 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births. Today, her model informs national health policy and is poised for nationwide scaling.

2 of 26

Magaly Blas
Peru 2015

Founder and Director
Mamás del Río

Magaly Blas is dramatically improving maternal and child health in remote Amazonian communities through Mamás del Río, an innovative program that trains community health workers and leverages mobile technology to deliver safe birth kits and increase health education to women along the river. Since her Eisenhower Fellowship, she has scaled the program from Peru to Colombia, reaching more than 100 remote Amazonia communities and training hundreds of community health workers and traditional attendants. Prenatal care coverage has increased from ten percent to 90 percent and has supported more than 7,000 women with safe childbirth and postnatal services, reducing maternal and neonatal deaths in isolated areas.

3 of 26

Martin Burt
Paraguay 1994

Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Fundación Paraguaya

Martin Burt is working to eliminate poverty through the Poverty Stoplight, a self-assessment tool that empowers families to identify and overcome multidimensional and multigenerational poverty using personalized strategies. Since his Eisenhower Fellowship,

Martin has expanded Fundación Paraguaya’s groundbreaking Poverty Stoplight tool and founded Self-Sustainable Agricultural Schools, empowering hundreds of thousands globally to escape poverty through dignity-centered approaches that combine self-assessment, education and community-driven change. His Poverty Spotlight tool has been used by more than 2.1 million people in 59 countries and has been adopted by more than 800 organizations to foster sustainable economic and social transformation. Martin’s Self-Sufficient Agricultural Schools combine academics with entrepreneurship to help students run real businesses and graduate with practical skills. With a 91 percent success rate, many graduates pursue higher education or enter the workforce, breaking cycles of poverty through innovation and self-reliance.

4 of 26

Jonathan Castro
Venezuela 2019
Founder
Bright Future for Young Venezuelan Women

Jonathan Castro is advancing women’s and youth empowerment in Venezuela through a 13-week leadership and career development program for young women from low-income communities. He founded “Bright Future for Young Venezuelan Women” with a community-driven approach to combating gender inequality and fostering opportunities for displaced populations. Developed from the insights gathered on his Eisenhower Fellowship, the initiative equips participants with tools in negotiation, leadership development and mentoring while helping them build personalized academic and professional life plans. With 80 graduates—75 women and 5 men—and nearly double the expected number of applicants, the program has sparked a growing alumni network and demand for expansion. Jonathan is now working to scale the model across the country.

5 of 26

Brian Englander
USA 2018

Chairman, Department of Radiology
Pennsylvania Hospital, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Brian Englander advances early cancer detection through innovative mobile screening programs that reach underserved populations across the U.S. and internationally. Inspired by his Eisenhower Fellowship, he pioneered mobile mammography in Mongolia and is expanding similar efforts on Native American reservations and beyond. By integrating cutting-edge technology with global partnerships, Brian is transforming breast healthcare access in diverse and remote communities.

6 of 26

Rama Kayyali
Jordan 2017
CEO and Co-Founder
Little Thinking Minds

Rama Kayyali leads Little Thinking Minds, a pioneering educational technology company revolutionizing Arabic language learning across the Middle East and North Africa. Since her fellowship in 2017, when the platform had 70,000 users, LTM has grown to reach more than 500,000 students in ten countries, including public and refugee schools. Her fellowship connections helped secure critical investment and sharpen her approach to adaptive, data-driven education. Today, LTM continues to improve literacy outcomes and expand access to high-quality education for Arabic-speaking children.

7 of 26

Francesca Fedeli
Italy 2014

President and Co-Founder
FightTheStroke.org

Francesca Fedeli co-founded FightTheStroke, inspired by her son Mario’s stroke at birth. Since her Eisenhower Fellowship, she has grown the organization from an informal parent network into a global leader in community-driven care, supporting more than 1,200 families. Francesca’s foundation established Italy’s first pediatric stroke center, developed an award-winning AI- and neuroscience-based rehab platform and now influences EU and WHO policy. She remains a passionate advocate for patient-centered innovation and disability rights.

8 of 26

Jordan Foley
United States 2021
Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Head Chef
Let’s Chow

Jordan Foley empowers veterans and military spouses through Let’s Chow, a nonprofit that provides hands-on culinary training and food truck experience to create sustainable career pathways in the food industry. His initiative has helped dozens of former service members secure jobs or launch their own food businesses, boosting economic mobility and community engagement. Let’s Chow also serves as a model for workforce development, using mobile kitchens as real-world training hubs. Since his Eisenhower Fellowship, Jordan has significantly scaled Let’s Chow and actively collaborated with Eisenhower Fellows to advance economic mobility through food entrepreneurship.

9 of 26

Victoria Marwa Heilman
Tanzania 2016

Founder & Chairperson
Tanzania Women Architects for Humanity (TAWAH)

Dr. Victoria Heilman is an architect and social entrepreneur transforming lives through design. As founder of Tanzania Women Architects for Humanity (TAWAH), she leads award-winning efforts to build low-cost, low-carbon homes for vulnerable groups, train women in sustainable construction and mentor young female architects. Since her Eisenhower Fellowship, Victoria has transformed TAWAH from a volunteer group into an award-winning organization that has trained more than 100 women, built 17 homes for the elderly and launched a new vocational center empowering rural women. A 2025 Gold World Habitat Award winner,Victoria also co-leads a mentorship program linking students in Tanzania and the U.S., deepening the global EF legacy. Her visionary work is redefining housing, equality and leadership in East Africa.

10 of 26

Raul Gauto
Paraguay 1989
President
Forestal Sylvis

 Raul Gauto returned from his Eisenhower Fellowship with a new perspective: protecting forests requires empowering the people who live near them. Returning to Paraguay with this insight, he helped establish the 150,000-acre Mbaracayu Reserve, preserving biodiversity while supporting more than 4,000 local families. Raul founded Forestal Sylvis in 2010 to combat climate change through sustainable commercial forestry, planting more than three million trees and managing 10,000 acres of silvo-pastoral land. His leadership fostered educational and economic opportunities, including a school for rural girls and a yerba mate factory supporting 250 families. Raul has advanced sustainable development by blending environmental protection with social and economic progress, creating a lasting legacy for Paraguay’s forests and communities.

11 of 26

Emma Miloyo
Kenya 2015

Founder and Director
Design Source

Emma Miloyo, founder and director of Design Source, leads innovative architecture and urban planning initiatives focused on sustainability. Since her Eisenhower Fellowship, during which she explored community-led development models in the U.S., she has implemented similar strategies in Nairobi through the Kilimani Project Foundation. Under her leadership as Board Chair, the Foundation has planted thousands of trees, launched mental health programs and empowered youth and informal traders — transforming Kilimani into a model for holistic, community-driven urban development.

12 of 26

Hanna Keraf
Indonesia 2024
Chief of Community Development & Partnership
Krealogi

Hanna Keraf co-founded Du Anyam, a social enterprise that supports more than 1,400 women artisans across 54 remote Indonesian villages to increase their income by up to 40 percent through the production and sale of handwoven crafts made from natural fibers. Hanna now primarily works with Krealogi, a supply chain technology platform that helps small- and medium-sized enterprises scale their operations and sales while promoting sustainable development. Following her Eisenhower Fellowship, her work has advanced financial literacy and digital skills among female entrepreneurs, strengthening economic resilience and preserving indigenous craftsmanship in rural communities.

13 of 26

Caroline Klibanoff
USA 2024
Executive Director
Made By Us

Caroline Klibanoff drives youth engagement by connecting young people with cultural and historical institutions to foster active civic participation. After her Eisenhower Fellowship in Australia and New Zealand, she founded Youth250—a national youth advisory initiative energizing young Americans around the nation’s 250th anniversary and beyond. Caroline’s work reimagines cultural institutions as dynamic civic hubs that empower youth to shape democracy’s future.

14 of 26

Gustavo Almeida
Brazil 2019
Chief Operating Officer
Invest Minas

Gustavo Almeida, Chief Operating Officer at Invest Minas, is helping lead Sol de Minas, a groundbreaking public-private initiative positioning Minas Gerais as Brazil’s top solar energy producer. Since its launch the year of his Eisenhower Fellowship, the program has attracted more than $8.4 billion in investments and expanded solar capacity 20-fold across the state’s 853 municipalities. Gustavo, in collaboration with two other Eisenhower Fellows, is driving the effort to decarbonize critical industries such as mining and steel, making Minas Gerais a global model for sustainable development.

15 of 26

Phuoc Le
USA 2017

Professor and Vice Dean for Medical Education
Vin University College of Health Sciences

Dr. Phuoc Le co-founded Arc Health, a social enterprise that bridges the gap between top-tier medical providers and underserved communities across the U.S. Inspired by his Eisenhower Fellowship experience in Kenya and South Africa, he helped launch Arc Health, which has enabled nearly a half-million patient visits and placed more than 40 healthcare professionals in critical rural and tribal locations. Phuoc Le’s work emphasizes culturally humble, compassionate care and long-term provider placement to ensure sustainable healthcare access. Arc Health’s impact has been recognized nationally, showing how mission-driven business can transform healthcare delivery.

16 of 26

Edward Mungai
Kenya 2016
Founder, Lead Consultant and Partner
Impact Africa Consulting Limited

Edward Mungai heads Kenya’s premier climate innovation hub, nurturing over 2,500 cleantech startups that generate green jobs and deliver sustainable energy, water and agriculture solutions. Inspired by his Eisenhower Fellowship, he catalyzed climate financing through Kenya Climate Ventures and founded a leading sustainability consultancy. Edward’s work propels inclusive economic growth, policy innovation and climate resilience across Africa.

17 of 26

Oyungerel Tsedevdamba
Mongolia 2011
Founder
Local Solutions Foundation

Oyungerel Tsedevdamba is transforming sanitation in Mongolia through “Let’s Change Our Toilets,” a nationwide campaign replacing hazardous pit latrines with affordable, winter-resistant dry toilets. Inspired by her 2011 Eisenhower Fellowship, where she explored water quality systems in the U.S., Oyungerel launched a movement that has developed 32 toilet models, trained more than 7,000 people and reached eight million Mongolians through educational outreach. Her dual approach—a social enterprise for implementation and a nonprofit for education—is designed to ensure long-term sustainability. By challenging taboos and building a climate-resilient sanitation economy, Oyungerel’s work is protecting water resources, improving public health and advancing the right to safe sanitation.

18 of 26

Elisa Sutanadjaja
Indonesia 2013
Executive Director
Rujak Center for Urban Studies

Elisa Sutanudjaja champions climate-resilient urban housing solutions for low-income and middle-class communities in Jakarta. Inspired by her Eisenhower Fellowship, she co-designed Kampung Susun Akuarium, a pioneering model of community-led vertical housing, and leads the Flat House Movement—an innovative cooperative housing initiative now embedded in the city’s zoning regulations. Elisa also drives programs that enhance health and climate resilience in informal settlements and advocates for comprehensive housing policies across Indonesia.

19 of 26

Christopher Nowinski 
USA 2011
Chief Executive Officer
Center for the Study of
Traumatic Encephalopathy
Boston University

Combatting the global concussion crisis

A former defensive tackle at Harvard and World Wrestling Entertainment superstar, Chris co-founded the non-profit Concussion Legacy Foundation, a brain-injury research and prevention group that grew out of his work as CEO of Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Forced to retire from wrestling at 24 due to post-concussion syndrome, he went on to write Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis. On a mission to bring worldwide attention to CTE, he convinced the National Institutes of Health to recognize that CTE can be caused by repetitive head impacts. His advocacy led to the soccer practice of heading the ball being banned in the U.S. for players under 11 and a global campaign called “Stop Hitting Kids in the Head” to reform youth sports by eliminating all repetitive head impacts for children under 14. He recently launched the Concussion Legacy Foundation Global Brain Bank, collaborating with scientists in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, the U.K. and Canada to study CTE in athletes.

20 of 26

Ellisha Othman
Malaysia 2020
Managing Director / Clinical Psychologist
Thrive Well Sdn Bhd

Ellisha Othman is transforming mental health care in Malaysia through Thrive Well, the country’s first trauma-informed care (TIC) social enterprise. Developed during her Eisenhower Fellowship, Thrive Well now delivers clinical services, research, advocacy and community empowerment programs to reduce mental health stigma and expand access for low-income communities. Her work expands access to mental health services for underserved communities, delivering thousands of therapy hours each month and training professionals in trauma-informed practices. Through nationwide programs and strategic partnerships, she is reshaping how Malaysians understand, access, and advocate for mental health.

21 of 26

Alfonso Vegara
Spain 1987
Founder and President|
Fundación Metrópoli

Alfonso Vegara founded Fundación Metrópoli after his fellowship to champion innovative urban transformation worldwide. For over 25 years, the foundation’s PROYECTO CITIES initiative has treated 20 cities as living laboratories for sustainable development. Since returning from his Eisenhower Fellowship, Alfonso has collaborated with Eisenhower Fellows and governments on visionary urban projects in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Malaysia, Mexico, Colombia, Cape Verde, Japan, Argentina, Indonesia, Singapore and his native Spain. These ranged from a notable partnership with another Eisenhower Fellow to establish a major biomedical research and development complex in Singapore to flood control in Jakarta to creating an innovative ecosystem in Malaga. His pioneering work continues to inspire resilient, inclusive and smart urban policies that elevate quality of life for generations to come.

22 of 26

Phyllis Wakiaga
Kenya 2022
Senior Private Sector Development Advisor
Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

 Phyllis Wakiaga is boosting career development and economic empowerment for young professionals through Careersight, a mentorship-focused social enterprise revitalized after her Eisenhower Fellowship. By integrating best practices in mentorship, entrepreneurship and access to finance, Careersight has engaged more than 1,000 participants in career dialogues and webinars, paired more than 30 women in real estate with industry experts and introduced leadership training to more than 100 students in Kenyan schools. With strong partnerships and a digital mentorship platform in development, Phyllis is scaling access to mentorship and leadership opportunities for young professionals across Kenya.

23 of 26

Ifeoma MaloNigeria 2015
Chief Executive Officer
Clean Tech Hub and Energy Innovation Centre

Ifeoma Malo is advancing economic empowerment and climate resilience through a microcredit program that helps women in underserved Nigerian communities adopt clean energy technologies. Since her Eisenhower Fellowship, Ifeoma has scaled community-driven solutions by investing in solar-powered tools and energy-efficient appliances, which have increased household incomes by 30 percent and business revenues by 40 percent. The initiative also improves health by reducing indoor air pollution and promotes financial inclusion, with more than half of its participants now accessing formal banking services.

24 of 26
25 of 26

Shridhar Venkat
India 2014
Chief Executive Officer

Akshaya Patra Foundation

 

Shridhar Venkat leads the Akshaya Patra Foundation, the world’s largest nongovernmental school lunch program, which feeds more than 2.2 million children daily across 10 Indian states. Under his leadership, Akshaya Patra has pioneered innovative, scalable solutions that combine nutrition, education and women’s economic empowerment. Most notably, after his Eisenhower Fellowship he created the All-Women-Run Community Kitchen in Barsana, which prepares 10,000 meals daily and trains and employs local women, advancing financial independence and community resilience. Shridhar’s engineering expertise drives continuous improvements in food safety and sustainability while supporting local farmers. His Eisenhower Fellowship deepened his vision to expand replicable models of social impact that tackle hunger, empower marginalized communities and foster sustainable development in India and beyond.

26 of 26

IMAGINING A NEW FUTURE

Eisenhower Fellows build bridges of understanding across borders and cultures and work together to better our world.

David Bray
USA 2015
Director, GeoTech Center
and Commission
Henry L. Stimson Center

Changing how AI Impacts the world

As the Executive Director for the bipartisan Commission on the Geopolitical Impacts of New Technologies and Data, Dr. David Bray built bipartisan consensus on several advanced topics, including AI, the future of biology and human health, quantum computing, secure data, trust in the digital economy, resilient supply chains, and more. His work focuses on how data and technology are impacting communities globally. David continues his service to the United States, during times of turbulence and crisis, and receiving numerous distinguished awards for his help in humanitarian and military efforts.

1 of 29

Xiaoliang Ding
China 1999
Former Executive Vice President
Beijing Gengdan Public Welfare Foundation for Education

Poverty alleviation through educational philanthropy

In 2007, Education Foundation of Dr. Xiaoliang Ding (EFD) was established as an educational charity fund to support impoverished areas of China. Each year, EFD collaborates with local education authorities to identify and support 12 high-achieving high school students facing financial hardships in each of Baise City’s 12 counties. EFD offers financial aid to assist them in completing their secondary education and seeks to inspire them through the process. The fund grows with support from governmental and private sectors, EFD has changed the destiny of 100 high school students in Baise City who were academically outstanding but at risk of dropping out due to family poverty.

2 of 29

Magaly Blas
Peru 2018
Director, Mama River Program
Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University

Maternal and child healthcare

A physician and professor of public health at Peru’s Cayetano Heredia University, Magaly directs the Mama River Program that trains community health advocates working in remote areas along the Amazon River to advance newborn and maternal care. In the program’s first year, Mama River workers brought community education videos and safe birth delivery kits to 799 women of childbearing age in 13 rural communities. Since completing her fellowship, Magaly created a spin-off to her program and worked with the governments of Peru and Colombia to expand the Mama River maternal and child healthcare initiative across the border to Colombia. This successful expansion, Mamás del Río (Mothers of the River) now operates in 38 additional communities along both sides of the border.

3 of 29

Thiago Alvarez
Brazil 2014
Co-Founder and CEO
GuiaBolso

Financial transparency and inclusivity

Thiago Alvarez returned from fellowship with the vision and strategic approach to launch open banking in Brazil, by sharing of data, products and services between regulated entities. GuiaBolso pioneered this work under Thiago’s leadership, ensuring customers’ protection, enhancing efficiency in credit and payments markets and promoting a more inclusive and competitive business environment. Open Banking, with over 42 million consumers now utilizing the service has influenced and directly inspired the Brazilian Central Bank to launch the Open Banking initiative. GuiaBolso and Thiago hold a significant role in shaping a more inclusive, competitive, and educated financial future for Brazil.

4 of 29

Javier Arroyo
Spain 2018
Co-Founder
Smartick

Harnessing Global Math Education

Over a decade ago, Javier Arroyo co-developed Smartick, the adaptive online math program. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, the program tailors education to the individual learning style of each child. Over the course of ten years, Smartick has reached over 1 million students across 100 countries; delivering high-caliber education to marginalized groups, including indigenous populations, children affected by cancer, orphans, and those with disabilities.

5 of 29

Valerie Cummins
Ireland 2012
Chief Impact Officer
Simply Blue Group

Powering the future with offshore wind

As director of Simply Blue Group, a company dedicated to the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals for oceans and seas, Valerie oversees its growing network of floating offshore wind farms. Currently, two 2.3GW farms are deployed in the North Atlantic around Ireland, with plans to develop more. Over a windfarm’s 25-year life span it is estimated to remove from the atmosphere a volume of carbon dioxide equivalent to the volume removed by 10 million mature trees. Valerie co-chaired Future Earth Coasts, a global community of scientists and intergovernmental agencies driving the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and she is a founding editor of the Coastal Atlas of Ireland, an award-winning celebration of Ireland’s marine spaces.

6 of 29

Rama Kayyali
Jordan 2017
CEO and Co-Founder
Little Thinking Minds

Digital tools for Arabic Literacy

“Little Thinking Minds” is the brainchild of Rama, who is on a mission to improve Arabic language learning across the Middle East and North Africa by creating engaging literacy tools that use digital content and technology for children ages 4 to 10. The year of Rama’s fellowship her company had 70,000 users. Today, 450,000 students are registered on its platforms.

7 of 29

Francesca Fedeli
Italy 2014
President and Co-Founder
FightTheStroke.org

Improving the lives of stroke survivors

As an activist for the rights of medical patients and people with disabilities, Francesca is president and co-founder with her husband Roberto of FightTheStroke Foundation, a non-profit that develops innovative adaptations for people with cerebral palsy and survivors of stroke. The Foundation, with its patented motor-rehabilitation platform that combines advanced neuroscience and artificial intelligence, was inspired by the life experience of their son, Mario, who suffered a disabling stroke at birth. Starting from an informal Facebook group of families, FightTheStroke has grown to encompass 1,000 families in Italy and is recognized internationally as a great leap forward in “community-led care.”  In 2017, along with Gaslini Hospital in Genova, Francesca’s foundation opened Italy’s first Center for Neonatal and Pediatric Stroke, which served more than 200 children in its first four years.

8 of 29

Camilo Fonseca Velásquez
Colombia 2019
Macro Sector Director of Creative, Cultural and Graphic Industries 
Bogotá Chamber of Commerce

Peace and prosperity through social entrepreneurship

Co-recipients Mariana Villamizar and Camilo Fonseca Velásquez work to identify, inspire, connect and strengthen social entrepreneurship and peace-building opportunities in Colombia. Camilo serves as the Macro Sector Director of Creative, Cultural and Graphic Industries for the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce. Mariana heads government affairs for Grupo Éxito, a department store/grocery chain with more than 2,600 stores in South America and early supporting partner of RECON. In 2014 Camilo co-founded RECON, an online platform for peace initiatives and social innovation. In strengthening sustainable development and investing in education, through poverty and inequality reduction, environmental protections and peacebuilding, their project has positively touched the lives of more than 500,000 Colombians.

9 of 29

Mariana Villamizar
Colombia 2014
Director, Public and Corporate Relations
Grupo Éxito

Peace and prosperity through social entrepreneurship

Co-recipients Mariana Villamizar and Camilo Fonseca Velásquez work to identify, inspire, connect and strengthen social entrepreneurship and peace-building opportunities in Colombia. Camilo serves as the Macro Sector Director of Creative, Cultural and Graphic Industries for the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce. Mariana heads government affairs for Grupo Éxito, a department store/grocery chain with more than 2,600 stores in South America and early supporting partner of RECON. In 2014 Camilo co-founded RECON, an online platform for peace initiatives and social innovation. In strengthening sustainable development and investing in education, through poverty and inequality reduction, environmental protections and peacebuilding, their project has positively touched the lives of more than 500,000 Colombians.

10 of 29

Raul Gauto
Paraguay 1989
President
Forestal Sylvis

Protecting the environment and creating opportunities

Raul returned to Paraguay from his fellowship with the new understanding that protecting the environment means protecting the people around it. Applying that knowledge, he helped create the 150,000-acre Mbaracayu Reserve, established a school for girls from the region’s poorest families and advanced  the Fundacion Avina mission to educate Latin American leaders about sustainable development. In 2010 he founded Forestal Sylvis, a corporation that seeks to reduce climate change by planting commercial forests. This has resulted in a better quality of life for 4,000 families around Mbaracayu, producing over 600 graduates of the all-girls school there, supporting 250 farmers and their families with a new yerba mate factory and removing an estimated 27 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.

11 of 29

Emma Miloyo
Kenya 2015
Director
Design Source

Holistic community development

As Chairperson of the Board, Emma Miloyo leads the Kilimani Project Foundation, a community-based organization empowering Kilimani residents in Nairobi Kenya. The Foundation’s seek environmental conservation, youth empowerment, neighborhood safety, sustainable urban planning and local business development. Through various initiatives, the organization, to date, has collected 9,000 kgs of waste for recycling, planted 3,400 and tangibly reduced local crime. The Kilimani Foundation invests in the leadership and mental health of residents, promotes sustainable, healthier living environments and commits to the community’s holistic well-being.

12 of 29

Carlito Guansing Galvez
Philippines 2006
Secretary
Armed Forces of the Philippines

Fighting COVID-19 and promoting peace in the Philippines

As a career military man, Carlito has battled Islamic State-affiliated separatists, advised the Philippines’ president on peace negotiations, designed the army’s relief effort after Typhoon Ondoy and led the country’s task force on COVID-19. Of note in his majority-Christian country is his role negotiating peace on the impoverished southern island of Mindanao, where Muslims had waged an armed struggle for self-determination since 1968, resulting in more than 150,000 deaths. Under a power-sharing agreement negotiated in 2014, the Philippines government and the Moro Island Liberation Front agreed to cease fighting, leading five years later to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

13 of 29

Sangita Jindal
India 2004
Chairperson
Jindal South West Foundation

Philanthropy that transforms lives

A philanthropist committed to the transformative power of art, Sangita founded the Jindal Southwest Foundation (JSW) in 1988.  She oversees its social-development projects in the areas of education, health and nutrition, environmental management and heritage preservation, with a focus on empowering rural communities. Various foundation projects have reached more than one million people in 1,000 villages across 14 Indian states. Sangita also publishes Art India magazine, an internationally circulated platform for discussion of contemporary Indian art, and established the Earth Care Awards to incentivize exemplary stewardship of business initiatives that affect climate change.

14 of 29

Gustavo Almedia
Brazil 2019
Chief Operating Officer
Invest Minas

Investing in clean energy

The Sol de Minas initiative, a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors, aims to catalyze investments in renewable energy, particularly solar power, and accelerate the shift towards a low-carbon economy in Minas Gerais, Brazil’s second-most populous state with 21 million residents. Three Eisenhower Fellows, affiliated with Invest Minas, the state’s investment promotion agency, lead this effort Gustavo Almeida, Invest Minas’ current COO, Thiago Toscano (2015), former CEO of Invest Minas and current President of CODEMGE and João Paulo Braga (2022), Invest Minas’ current CEO. To date, 37 new solar or hybrid energy projects have been installed in Minas Gerais, with investments totaling $ 8.4 billion, allowing it to become the first state in Brazil to achieve 7 gigawatts of installed solar energy capacity.

15 of 29

Ted Levinson
USA 2014
CEO and Founder
Beneficial Returns

Impact investments that better the world

After his EF journey took him to India and Indonesia, where he met social entrepreneurs and impact investors, Ted found his life’s calling: Unlocking foundation capital and donor-advised funds so that the world’s leading social entrepreneurs can tackle big challenges with market-based solutions. The firm he founded, Beneficial Returns, had loaned more than $9 million to social enterprises in the developing world; by 2023, is has loaned over $6 million. In Baja California, Beneficial Returns loans have financed solar-powered freezers for remote fishing villages. In India they provided emergency credit to a mobile health clinic at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Cameroon they provided capital for small farms to increase their yields while connecting them to major buyers willing to pay a premium for the crops.

16 of 29

Nuru Mugambi
Kenya 2016
Former Director
Kenya Bankers Association

Green-bonds and women’s empowerment

As director of the Kenya Bankers Association, Nuru designed the country’s first green-bond program to support small-and-medium-sized businesses. To date the program has distributed $45 million in microloans to more than 7,000 small to medium-sized businesses. She is a strong advocate of environmentally conscious investing and women’s economic empowerment. Established in 2020 the annual Angaza Awards, a program to showcase the role of African women in the continent’s financial affairs. Angaza in Swahili means “to “enlighten,” and has since expanded from an East Africa Award to a to a two-day Angaza Forum and Pan African Award with 50 honorees so far from 17 countries.

17 of 29

Oyungerel Tsedevdamba
Mongolia 2011
President
Local Solutions Foundation, NGO

Breaking taboos and progressing latrines

On fellowship, Oyungerel investigated water management and quality solutions. Upon return in 2017, she launched a project to introduce indoor dry toilets in low-income areas of Mongolia. Executed through a non-profit, Local Solutions, which she founded in 2007, the educational and product development parts involve breaking taboos about toilets, changing outdoor pit latrines into indoor dry toilets and power off-grid, low income ‘Ger Area’ communities by changing their toilets.  Due to Oyungerel’s efforts, the social stigma against the word “jorlon” (toilet in Mongolian) has disappeared in three years. Over 1000 people now have indoor dry toilets, and each progressive dry toilet saves 500 liters of water a day for a family of 5.

18 of 29

Saliya Pieris
Sri Lanka 2012
President’s Counsel/ Chairman Law Chambers/ Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka

Defending the freedoms of assembly and expression in Sri Lanka

As the immediate past president of the 18,000-member Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Sailya promotes freedom of expression, association and assembly in a country that in 2022 was roiled by protests against the near-bankrupt government for mismanaging the economy. After demonstrations and mass arrests, lawyers led by Saliya’s example stepped up to defend the protesters against arbitrary detentions and the use of excessive force. Citing his “dynamic leadership in the nation’s time of strife,” LMD, Sri Lanka’s leading business magazine, chose Saliya as 2022’s “Sri Lankan of the Year.”

19 of 29

Christopher Nowinski 
USA 2011
Chief Executive Officer
Center for the Study of
Traumatic Encephalopathy
Boston University

Combatting the global concussion crisis

A former defensive tackle at Harvard and World Wrestling Entertainment superstar, Chris co-founded the non-profit Concussion Legacy Foundation, a brain-injury research and prevention group that grew out of his work as CEO of Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Forced to retire from wrestling at 24 due to post-concussion syndrome, he went on to write Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis. On a mission to bring worldwide attention to CTE, he convinced the National Institutes of Health to recognize that CTE can be caused by repetitive head impacts. His advocacy led to the soccer practice of heading the ball being banned in the U.S. for players under 11 and a global campaign called “Stop Hitting Kids in the Head” to reform youth sports by eliminating all repetitive head impacts for children under 14. He recently launched the Concussion Legacy Foundation Global Brain Bank, collaborating with scientists in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, the U.K. and Canada to study CTE in athletes.

20 of 29

Ellisha Othman
Malaysia 2020
Managing Director / Clinical Psychologist
Thrive Well Sdn Bhd

Trauma-informed care for Malaysians

Ellisha established the nonprofit SOLS Health with the goal of destigmatizing Malaysia’s overburdened and under-resourced mental health care system, focusing on middle-class clients who were ineligible for government-funded services for the indigent. On fellowship she transitioned SOLS into Thrive Well, with the goal of improving existing mental health services by championing “trauma-informed care” and awareness of the importance of adverse childhood experiences. In addition to training clinical psychologists in new approaches, Thrive Well provides approximately 7,000 hours of therapy to about 200 clients per month and hosts a monthly radio program that educates the public on vital aspects of mental health.

21 of 29

Alfonso Vegara Gomez
Spain 1987
Founder and President
Fundación Metrópoli

Urban transformation for the 21st century

Alfonso Vegara Gomez returned from fellowship to found the Metropoli Foundation in 1997. This Foundation started with the project PROYECTO CITIES, identifying 20 cities from 5 continents as a global research laboratory to study the key factors of success of the cities. Leveraging public and private sectors, Metropoli contributes to the innovative transformation of cities and regions to cope with the global competitive and uncertain environment of the 21st century. For 25 years, Metropoli Foundation and Proyecto Cities initative have collaborated with Eisenhower Fellows around the world, having a visible impact in urban transformation an improving quality of life in cities of our generation.

22 of 29

Kathy Richardson
Australia 2014
Executive Director
Our Community

Artists and performing arts festivals

Shona and Kathy combine performing arts with a novel assessment tool to assess the professional value of performing in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, billed as the world’s largest performing-arts event. Shona leads the charity behind the festival and Kathy leads Our Community, the social enterprise behind Outcomes Engine, the tool the pair uses to assess the career value of performing at Edinburgh Fringe, where the artists provide the production costs and bear the risks. Conceived in 1947 to heal the spirit of war-ravaged Europe, the annual August festival presents more than 50,000 performances by artists from 56 countries. The Outcomes Engine will help determine the value of participating by surveying the artists on the economic, cultural, social and psychological impacts they encounter, tracking such variables as career progression, income, news coverage and reviews.

23 of 29

Shona McCarthy
Northern Ireland 2014
Chief Executive
Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Artists and performing arts festivals

Shona and Kathy combine performing arts with a novel assessment tool to assess the professional value of performing in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, billed as the world’s largest performing-arts event. Shona leads the charity behind the festival and Kathy leads Our Community, the social enterprise behind Outcomes Engine, the tool the pair uses to assess the career value of performing at Edinburgh Fringe, where the artists provide the production costs and bear the risks. Conceived in 1947 to heal the spirit of war-ravaged Europe, the annual August festival presents more than 50,000 performances by artists from 56 countries. The Outcomes Engine will help determine the value of participating by surveying the artists on the economic, cultural, social and psychological impacts they encounter, tracking such variables as career progression, income, news coverage and reviews.

24 of 29

William Wayne Warren
USA 2006
Farm Owner/Manager
Warren Farms Inc./Warren Orchards

Protecting rivers for endangered species

Co-sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, William Wayne Warren participated as a landowner to engineer and protect the Touchet River in Washington. The project involved managing the 100-year floodplain so the river could meander and have proper degradation and aggregation points essential for spawning threatened and endangered fish species. It took 3 years to implement in phases over a total of 3.1 river miles to allow the river corridor to become at least 3 times wider and to distribute energy and to provide a short-term and long-term habitat. Over 20 acres were also placed into conservation easement in perpetuity with Blue Mountain Land Trust and is protected from all agricultural purposes and future development.

25 of 29

Nathan Sivagananathan
Sri Lanka 2015
Co-Founder and Director
Hatch

Walks to battle cancer

Since opening its doors in 2014, the Tellippalai Trail Cancer Hospital in rural northern Sri Lanka has treated more than 250,000 people. The first of its kind in the previously war-torn northern region of the island nation, the hospital was the brainchild of Nathan. He wanted to help patients battling cancer in Sri Lanka and to heal the country after its decades-long civil war. Through his organization, Trail, he led two cross-country fundraising walks, raising millions of dollars. The first was in 2011 to build the Tellippalai Trail Cancer Hospital in the north, and the second was in 2016 for the Karapitiya Trail Cancer Hospital, for which construction is underway.

26 of 29

Vishal Talreja
India 2013
Co-Founder and Trustee
Dream a Dream

A 21st century dream for 1.5 million students

In India, a country of 260 million school-age children, Dream a Dream, the nonprofit co-founded by Vishal in 1999, has been transforming the educational ecosystem through its programming, curriculum development, pedagogical innovations and holistic assessments. With strategic partnerships in Bangalore and six Indian states, Dream a Dream has provided social-emotional learning and life-skills training for more than 3 million children. Its central mission: Rethink the purpose of education in the 21st century and offset the negative influence of adverse childhood experiences.

27 of 29

Samuel Thenya
Kenya 2008
Founder and Director of Strategy
Nairobi Women’s Hospital

Innovative healthcare in Kenya

As chief executive officer of the Nairobi Women’s Hospital Group, its affiliated Hospital College and Gender Violence Recovery Centre, Samuel’s work was severely challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic. To accommodate patients who feared infection if they entered a hospital, his staff of 1,300 physicians, nurses and assistants became one of the first in the country to make wide use of telemedicine and home delivery of medicines. To invest in future generations of healthcare professionals, the Hospital is in the process of expanding the college from a student population of 1,500 to 10,000 in the next 5 years with plans to acquire a 20-acre state of the art campus.

28 of 29

Shridhar Venkat
India 2014
Chief Executive Officer
Akshaya Patra Foundation

4 billion meal milestone

As chief executive of the 23-year-old Akshaya Patra Foundation, Shridhar runs the world’s largest, non-governmental school lunch program, feeding 2.2 million Indian children every day. Spread across 10 Indian states, the program is credited with decreasing malnutrition and incentivizing attendance at some 11,000 schools. Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, Shridhar leveraged his company’s resources to ensure that the most affected groups were not deprived of food. In April 2024, Akshaya Patra reached the milestone of cumulatively serving 4 billion meals to people in need since inception, a momentous occasion which was commemorated at the UN Headquarters in New York.

29 of 29

EF spotlight

Leaders Inspiring Leaders

Help Eisenhower Fellows

Change Our World

Scroll to Top