CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS AND CRITERIA

Nominate Someone by June 19th

1. Humanitarian of the Year

Focus: Exceptional, sustained contribution to humanity

Additional Criteria:

  • Decades-long track record of transformational impact
  • Global recognition and influence
  • Legacy of institutions, movements, or systems change
    Enduring impact across generations

2. Education Innovation

Focus: Expanding access to quality education and lifelong learning

Additional Criteria:

  • Scalable solutions improving access, quality, or outcomes in education
  • Innovation in delivery (digital, hybrid, community-based models)
  • Measurable improvements in learning outcomes or access
  • Focus on underserved or marginalized populations

2. Education Innovation

Focus: Expanding access to quality education and lifelong learning

Additional Criteria:

  • Scalable solutions improving access, quality, or outcomes in education
  • Innovation in delivery (digital, hybrid, community-based models)
  • Measurable improvements in learning outcomes or access
  • Focus on underserved or marginalized populations

3. Healthcare Innovation

Focus: Improving health outcomes and access to care

Additional Criteria:

  • Demonstrated improvements in health access, outcomes, or equity
  • Scalable healthcare delivery or innovation
  • Evidence-based or clinically validated approaches
  • Focus on underserved populations or global health gaps

4. Criminal Justice Reform

Focus: Advancing fairness, inclusion, and systemic change

Additional Criteria:

  • Demonstrated impact addressing systemic inequality or injustice
  • Policy influence or structural change outcomes
  • Community-led or inclusive approaches
  • Measurable progress toward equity

5. Care & Human Dignity

Focus: social workers, and care innovators who elevate human dignity through service, advocacy, and compassion.

Additional Criteria:

  • Redefined global healthcare equity.
  • Health equity and economic resilience.
  • Humanized healthcare systems.
  • Global investment in health and education.
  • Health, food sovereignty, and sustainability.

6. Women & Girls Empowerment

Focus: Advancing gender equity, safety, education, and economic empowerment

Additional Criteria:

  • Tangible improvements in education, health, safety, or economic mobility
  • Addressing systemic barriers (e.g., gender-based violence, pay gaps)
  • Empowerment through leadership, ownership, or agency
  • Measurable outcomes benefiting women and girls at scale

7. Future of Work

Focus: redefining how people work, learn, and thrive—through workforce development, reskilling, remote work, or inclusive labor models

Additional Criteria:

  • Recognized for pioneering research into hybrid work
  • Led the influential Workable Futures Initiative, pioneering new models
  • Pioneering AI-driven, high-quality learning design
  • A leading voice on the societal impacts of AI, inclusive labor models
  • A global influencer redefining workplace accessibility & inclusive hiring

8. Clean Energy/Biofuel

Focus: Climate action, conservation, and environmental resilience

Additional Criteria:

  • Measurable environmental impact (e.g., emissions reduction, conservation outcomes)
  • Scalable climate solutions across industries or geographies
  • Integration of economic and community resilience
  • Alignment with global climate priorities and frameworks

9. Positive Content Creator

Focus: creators using digital platforms to inspire, educate, and uplift—shaping culture through responsible storytelling and positive influence.

Additional Criteria:

  • Global cultural bridge.
  • Empowerment through storytelling.
  • Uses simple, wordless humor to promote authenticity

10. Technology & AI for Good

Focus: Leveraging technology to solve societal challenges

Additional Criteria:

  • Innovative use of technology to address large-scale social issues
  • Demonstrated adoption and measurable outcomes
  • Ethical, inclusive, and responsible use of technology
  • Potential for rapid global scale

11. Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate

Focus: Ending exploitation, protecting victims, and dismantling trafficking systems

Additional Criteria:

  • Demonstrated success in rescue, prevention, or survivor rehabilitation
  • Work influencing policy, law enforcement, or cross-border collaboration
  • Survivor-centered, ethical, and trauma-informed approaches
  • Measurable reduction in trafficking risk or impact in targeted regions

12. Sports Youth Empowerment

Focus: athletes, coaches, or sports organizations using athletics to mentor youth, build character, and create pathways to opportunity

Additional Criteria:

  • Education and youth empowerment through sports.
  • Equity in sports and venture capital.
  • Peace-building through sport.
  • Advances youth education, gender equity, and community upliftment

13. Civil Society Humanitarian

Focus: visionary leader whose unwavering commitment to peace and diplomacy has measurably reduced or resolved armed and civil conflicts, fostering stability, reconciliation, and lasting societal progress

Additional Criteria:

  • Well-being and purpose-driven media.
  • Youth-driven political engagement.
  • Basketball as a global youth platform.
  • Strengthening rule of law and peacebuilding frameworks globally

14. Corporate Social Impact Leader

Focus: Private sector leadership driving meaningful change

Additional Criteria:

  • Integration of impact into core business strategy
  • Measurable ESG or social outcomes at scale
  • Industry leadership and influence
  • Authentic, long-term commitment beyond marketing

15. Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing

Focus: Improving mental health outcomes and access for young people

Additional Criteria:

  • Proven interventions improving mental health access, awareness, or outcomes
  • Scalable delivery models (schools, digital platforms, communities)
  • Evidence-based or clinically informed approaches
  • Reduction in stigma and measurable improvements in wellbeing
Nominate Someone by June 19th