Open Society Foundations and Echoing Green Announce 2013 Black Male Achievement Fellows

NEW YORK, June 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Open Society Foundations in partnership with Echoing Green awarded the Black Male Achievement Fellowship to eleven social entrepreneurs dedicated to advancing the lives of black men and boys in the United States. The Black Male Achievement (BMA) Fellows, representing eight organizations, will receive $70,000 in seed funding for their innovative nonprofits.

The BMA Fellows' nonprofits employ visionary strategies for building lasting and positive change for black men and boys. Some of the organizations' activities include providing entrepreneurship training for black men in prison, making career day an everyday experience at school, creating pathways in technology for black men, and leveraging condom sales to decrease teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS rates.

"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Echoing Green to support the second class of talented social entrepreneurs seeking solutions to some of the most intractable problems facing black men and boys in America today," said Shawn Dove, manager of the Open Society Campaign for Black Male Achievement. "The BMA Fellows' innovative and disruptive ideas enrich and strengthen the field for everyone working for economic, political, and social inclusion for all Americans."

The BMA fellowship is modeled after Echoing Green's fellowship program, which identifies and supports emerging social entrepreneurs who launch new organizations that go on to have long-term, systemic impact on society. 

"I continue to be humbled by the opportunity to support the Black Male Achievement Fellows and to be a part of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement," said Cheryl L. Dorsey, president of Echoing Green. "These social change makers represent thousands of others working tirelessly on behalf of our country's black men and boys. The first class exhibited that determination every day, and I am excited for this next class to continue the momentum."  

In addition to their fellowship awards, members of the 2013 class will also receive support through trainings, consulting opportunities, mentorship, and access to the networks of Echoing Green and Open Society fellows.

The 2013 BMA Fellows

Jason Panda
B HOLDING GROUP, LLC/B CONDOMS
Leveraging condom sales to decrease teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS

Laura Weidman Powers 
CODE2040 
Creating pathways in technology for African-American men

Chelsey Roebuck 
ELiTE
Encouraging the growth of socially responsible leaders in engineering and science

Kalimah Priforce 
QEYNO LABS
Making career day an everyday experience at school

Harlyn Pacheco & Ricardo Rodriguez 
QLOVI
Transforming content for the modern classroom

Jen Porter & Jane Wilson 
THE RESET FOUNDATION
Empowering incarcerated young black men to succeed

Claire Blumenson & Sarah Comeau 
THE SCHOOL JUSTICE PROJECT, INC.
Protecting the special education rights of young black men during incarceration and reentry

Momo Akade 
GigaBryte 
Bridging the racial and ethnic divide in the field of computing

About the Open Society Foundations
The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Working with local communities in more than 100 countries, the Open Society Foundations support justice and human rights, freedom of expression, and access to public health and education.

About Echoing Green
Founded in 1987 by global growth equity firm, General Atlantic, Echoing Green unleashes next generation talent to solve the world's biggest problems. To date, Echoing Green has invested over $31 million in seed funding in more than 500 social entrepreneurs (Echoing Green Fellows) and their innovative organizations across the globe.

SOURCE Open Society Foundations

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