Five leading organizations and their founders developing groundbreaking social innovations will each receive a $250,000 prize and participate in a new program aimed at delivering systemic solutions to complex social justice issues.
- With support from Morgan Stanley, national nonprofit Centri Tech Foundation has selected five winners from across the United States, each taking an innovative approach to promoting social justice and inclusive economic opportunity.
- Each of the winners will receive a $250,000 prize and tailored support aimed at accelerating their ability to scale their solution and drive systemic change.
- Recipients will participate in a nine-month collaborative program designed to support transformative systems-level solutions to some of the most complex social justice issues in the United States.
New York –
Morgan Stanley, in partnership with Centri Tech Foundation, today announced the first winners of the Social Justice Innovation Award. This new strategic initiative aims to advance social and racial justice and help create greater inclusive economic opportunity. The five winners will participate in a nine-month partnership with Centri Tech Foundation, which begins this week in Washington, DC. As part of a facilitated cohort experience inspired by the Morgan Stanley Sustainable Solutions Collaborative, each winner will receive leadership coaching, support with technology strategies, and access to professional networks. Each organization will also receive $250,000 to support the development and scaling of their solution.
“We are thrilled to announce the first recipients of the Social Justice Innovation Award,” said Rey Ramsey, President of the Centri Tech Foundation. “These visionary leaders deliver solutions that put people and communities first. Their bold ideas align with our mission to leverage technology to accelerate systems change and promote shared prosperity. »
“We are delighted to congratulate the winners of the inaugural Social Justice Innovation Awards – an impressive cohort of innovators who are already tackling complex social issues at a systemic level,” said Susan Reid, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion and Head of the Inclusion Institute at Morgan Stanley. “We look forward to seeing how this investment will strengthen their work and bring about change within the communities they serve and beyond.”
“Addressing the complex challenges of sustainability requires creative thinking, innovative ideas and unique partnerships, and we are proud to work with Centri Tech Foundation on their Innovation for Social Justice Awards,” said Matthew Slovik, Head of Global Sustainable Finance at Morgan Stanley.
Each winner of the Social Justice Innovation Awards has been selected for developing a breakthrough concept aimed at solving critical social justice issues. The five inaugural winners represent a diverse group of organizations, backgrounds and social issues:
- FlikshopVR, led by Marcus Bullock, is rolling out a new VR approach to workforce development in correctional facilities across the country, providing essential entrepreneurial and business skills that will reduce recidivism by expanding post-employment opportunities. incarceration.
- HomeGrown StL, led by Dr. Sean Joe, a regional university initiative in St. Louis, MO, improves the well-being and upward mobility of black boys and young men through life coaching, connecting black men to services essential and democratizing access to care.
- Kalia Health, led by Happy Ghosh, aims to improve maternal health outcomes by developing healthcare technologies for use in low-resource settings in the United States. This healthcare justice startup’s KAL-PDx detects complications such as preeclampsia and eclampsia early through an at-home test.
- Parity, led by Bree Jones, an equitable development company in Baltimore, MD, acquires and rehabilitates vacant and abandoned properties in distressed neighborhoods to create affordable homeownership opportunities. Parity aims to streamline how cities deal with hyper-vacancy while increasing equitable and collective access to home ownership.
- THRIVE!, led by Omolara Fatiregun, partners with government officials and residents to co-build a concrete social justice agenda and recommend budget-neutral solutions that improve the budget cycle to focus on equity and economic mobility. Their software analyzes government spending on equity measures that have scientific evidence of disrupting cycles of poverty, centering low-income people and communities of color.
“Communities across the country are facing unprecedented challenges, as are the organizations and social impact leaders working to help them. The Centri Tech Foundation is proud to support recipients of the Social Justice Innovation Awards with the resources and opportunities needed to effect transformative change,” said Marta Urquilla, President of the Centri Tech Foundation.
To identify the winners, the Centri Tech Foundation and Morgan Stanley engaged a large and diverse network of social justice experts and practitioners from across the United States working in a variety of fields to submit entries. The program received nearly 200 highly qualified nominations and conducted a rigorous selection process to identify innovations with the greatest potential for systemic impact that would also benefit from participating in a collaborative learning experience with the other winners.
About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services company providing a broad range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 41 countries, the company’s employees serve customers around the world, including businesses, governments, institutions and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
About the Centri Tech Foundation
The Centri Tech Foundation (CTF), in collaboration with a network of community development partners, seeks to connect low-income people to high-quality home connectivity and resources that improve economic, health and livelihood outcomes in the digital economy. We believe digital advancement is a civil right. Achieving a sustainable future, where everyone can achieve their aspirations and prosper, requires an inclusive digital economy. Learn more about centritechfdn.org and follow @centritechfdn on social media.
Contacts for Media Relations:
Morgan Stanley
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Centri Tech Foundation
media@centritechfdn.org
