Lizzo recognized for her activism, commitment to social justice, and using her platform to engender positivity and social good. Inaugural summit convened Elevate Prize winners and leaders from Everytown for Gun Safety, CNN, Google, National Geographic, the MacArthur Foundation among others for discussions on “Reimagining Culture to Power Change.”
MIAMI, May 18, 2023: The Elevate Prize Foundation presented Lizzo with the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award today in recognition of her commitment to social justice, driving positive change, and using her platform to amplify the work of other activists. The Grammy award-winning singer and actress accepted the award during the Foundation’s first-ever Make Good Famous Summit, a two-day event bringing together leaders in media, philanthropy, and social impact to discuss new ways in which culture can spark change.
“I’m so honored to be receiving the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award,” said Lizzo. “When I decided to dedicate myself to positive music, I always wanted to have the resources to be able to bring actual positive change to the world. I am pledging the entirety of this prize to my 4th annual Juneteenth giveback, which will be helping grassroot Black organizations who are giving back to their communities and their neighborhoods. We’ve had three really successful years and this is going to be the greatest year yet!”
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Mirroring the summit’s theme of “Reimagining Culture to Power Change,” the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award recognizes prominent individuals who use their influence to inspire social action. To advance their mission and scale their work, recipients receive $250,000 in unrestricted funding, as well as valuable development resources and partnership opportunities.
Past recipients of the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award include Malala Yousafzai for her efforts with Malala Fund, Amal and George Clooney for their work with The Clooney Foundation for Justice, and Trevor Noah for his impact through The Trevor Noah Foundation.
“We are so proud to recognize Lizzo, an icon who selflessly lends her voice and platform so others around the world can be heard and empowers her fanbase to take action. She is a shining example of how culture and creativity can challenge the status quo and catalyze progress on issues ranging from reproductive rights to social justice – a central theme of this week’s discussions,” said Carolina García Jayaram, CEO of The Elevate Prize Foundation. “This inaugural Make Good Famous Summit marks the first of many. We’re thrilled to convene so many inspiring cross-sector leaders and unite around our shared goal of igniting a global movement for change.”
Sessions held during the inaugural Make Good Famous Summit, which will conclude on May 19, have focused on subjects such as creating cultural movements, learnings from Gen Z changemakers, and the case for philanthropic investment in media and storytelling, among others. The Summit’s final panel, titled “Reimagining Philanthropy: Investing in Visibility and Media to Power Change,” will be livestreamed available to a virtual audience on Friday, May 19, starting at 1:05 pm ET via Zoom (Meeting ID: 998 8594 5653/Passcode: 808544).
Key speakers at the Summit include Nicholas Suplina, Senior Vice President for Law & Policy of Everytown for Gun Safety; Emiliana Guereca, President of Women’s March Foundation, Mona Sinha, Global Executive Director of Equality Now; Shaniqua McClendon, Vice President of Politics at Crooked Media; and Suzanne Kianpour, Foreign Affairs & Political Journalist at the BBC.
Leaders from CNN, Google, MIT, National Endowment for the Arts, Knight Foundation, Water.org, The Clinton Foundation, and other organizations also participated in the Summit. They were joined by several winners of the Elevate Prize, such as 2021 recipient Kaushik Kappagantulu, who is the Co-founder and CEO of agri-tech start-up Kheyti and recent winner of The Earthshot Prize, a prestigious award presented by Prince William and The Royal Foundation. Members of the 2022 Elevate Prize cohort were also in attendance, including Rachel Silverstein, who leads Miami Waterkeeper, a nonprofit that uses science, advocacy, and outreach to protect South Florida’s waterways from pollution and combat climate change.
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The Elevate Prize recognizes and awards rising activists and social entrepreneurs with resources to raise visibility of their work and multiply their impact. It is the signature program of the Elevate Prize Foundation, which aims to serve as an engine for social good by helping changemakers raise their visibility, inspire others and, ultimately, multiply their reach and impact to “Make Good Famous.”
About The Elevate Prize Foundation
Founded in 2019 by businessman and philanthropist Joseph Deitch, The Elevate Prize Foundation is a global non-profit that empowers social entrepreneurs and activists by providing them with the resources they need to amplify their impact. The Foundation’s signature program is its annual Elevate Prize, which is awarded to 10 or more global leaders tackling pressing issues in innovative ways. The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, another one of the Foundation’s programs, recognizes prominent individuals for their commitment to inspiring global social action and using their influence for the good of humanity. In 2022, the Foundation launched The Elevate GET LOUD Award, a monthly grant to fuel grassroots movements and organizers on the frontlines committed to collective action and building power among communities. For more information, visit www.elevateprize.org and follow @ElevatePrize on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
SOURCE The Elevate Prize Foundation
