$100,000 McNulty Prize 2014 Laureates Announced

ASPEN, Colo., July 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Aspen Institute and Institute Trustee Anne Welsh McNulty today announced the seventh annual John P. McNulty Prize laureates, a group of five extraordinary leaders who bring the spirit of innovation and excellence that characterized their success in the private sector to bear on some of the most intractable issues of our time.

"The McNulty Prize has done a great service by shining a light on the significant projects coming out of our Leadership Initiatives and exemplifying the best of what can be accomplished when entrepreneurial minds are set on solving the difficult challenges they see around them," said Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute.

The 2014 laureates are making a significant impact on their communities and across the globe, from educating women and girls in parts of northern Nigeria; to engaging Palestinian youth in civic participation and the democratic process; to providing youth alternatives to gangs in El Salvador through soccer programs and personal development; to uniting those affected by rare diseases into a powerful advocacy movement; to working with poor rural populations in South Africa to develop their own path to self-sufficiency.

"The leadership needed to solve the most stubborn global challenges is lacking at the highest levels of government and business. These fellows are using their entrepreneurial expertise, their resources, and their networks to relentlessly tackle problems that wait for no nation's politics," said Anne Welsh McNulty.

The John P. McNulty Prize of $100,000 is given annually to honor the visionary work of a Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. The winner will be chosen from the five laureates, and each of the other laureates will receive $10,000. An international panel of judges, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, international statesman Olara Otunnu, and international development expert Brizio Biondi-Morra, will select this year's winner from among the laureates. The winner will be announced November 12, 2014, in New York City.

The 2014 Laureates are:

BULUNGULA INCUBATOR
South Africa
Former senior economist and asset manager Réjane Woodroffe founded the Bulungula Incubator to act as a catalyst for rural communities to create sources of income, integrate new technologies, and demand the infrastructure and services they have a right to from the government, while maintaining traditional values and structures. 
http://bulungulaincubator.wordpress.com/

GLOBAL GENES
US
After his own movie-inspiring search to find a cure for his children, biotechnology CEO John Crowley turned his sights on helping other rare disease sufferers. He co-founded the Global Genes project to unite existing networks for over 7,000 rare diseases into a powerful alliance for advocacy, lobbying, information, support, and research sponsorship. 
http://globalgenes.org/

ISA WALI EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE
Nigeria
Responding to the crisis of women's education and health in northern Nigeria, made infamous by Boko Haram, human rights attorney Maryam Uwais set up the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative to give women and girls education in literacy, health and childbirth assistance, income generating skills, and the voice to take more ownership and leadership in their communities. 
http://www.iwei-ng.org

PROYECTO PAÍS
El Salvador
El Salvadoran retail and manufacturing executive Arturo Sagrera is enlisting teens to end the epidemic of gang violence sweeping the nation. Combining personal development programs and soccer, Proyecto País convenes parents, community stakeholders, and private businesses to promote leadership and peaceful co-existence in 43 communities nationwide.
http://www.fusal.org/programas/proyecto-pais

YOUTH LOCAL COUNCILS
West Bank, Palestine
Development expert Lana Abu-Hijleh is building the capacity of the next generation of Palestinian leaders, providing 7,000 youths a chance to participate in and run their own electoral process, respond to constituent concerns, plan and execute community improvement projects, and shadow local ministers and council members to learn good governance practices and become engaged citizens in the political process.
www.globalcommunities.org/yslc

Live video of the finalist announcement at 6:45pm MDT / 8:45pm EDT on July 30 will be available here: www.aspenactionforum.org/live. Watch a video on the 2014 Laureates here:  www.vimeo.com/mcnultyprize/2014laureates. Follow the event on Twitter at @AspenAction and #MyAspenAction.

Previous winners of the McNulty Prize include William Bynum (Hope Credit Union – 2013) Amit Bhatia (Aspire India – 2012), Dele Olojede (NEXT ­ 2011), John Danner (Rocketship Education ­ 2010), Patrick Awuah (Ashesi University ­ 2009), and Jordan Kassalow (VisionSpring ­ 2008).

About The John P. McNulty Prize
Founded by Anne McNulty in honor of her late husband John, the Prize aims to galvanize efforts to address the foremost social, economic and political challenges of our time by recognizing the very best in high impact leadership. Each year, the winner is selected by an international jury that has included Mary Robinson, Bill Gates, Sr., and Sir Richard Branson and recognizes exceptional leadership projects undertaken by the Fellows of the Aspen Global Leadership Network as part of their Fellowship experience. Visit www.mcnultyprize.org and follow the Prize on Twitter at @theMcNultyPrize.

The Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN) is a growing, worldwide community of entrepreneurial leaders from business, government, and the nonprofit sector — currently, nearly 1,900 "Fellows" from 48 countries — who share a commitment to enlightened leadership and to using their extraordinary creativity, energy, and resources to tackle the foremost societal challenges of our times. All share the common experience of participating in the Henry Crown Fellowship or one of the dozen Aspen Institute leadership initiatives it has inspired in the United States, Africa, Central America, India, China, and the Middle East.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130417/DC96489LOGO

SOURCE The Aspen Institute