A Future Possible Awards celebrate leaders who break new ground with bold social impact solutions, and show us what it looks like to transform communities in positive, lasting ways.
The 10 Roles Powering Breakthroughs
A Future Possible Awards focus on the 10 essential roles that leaders and organizations embody to keep progress moving and allow breakthrough social impact ideas to scale. The roles we need to create the future we all deserve: where communities thrive and equality of opportunity abounds.
The winners are nominated through a curated process informed by endorsements from expert advisors and mentors with deep experience in social impact. The awards are presented by NationSwell, the nation’s most admired membership community and advisory for cutting-edge impact leaders.
Meet the 2026 winners
Meet the 2026 winners
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![A black-and-white portrait of a man with glasses, smiling, wearing a button-down shirt, with a graphic yellow and black background.]()
THE INVENTOR
Ken Ikeda
CEO, CAST (Community Arts Stabilization Trust) -
![A man in a suit and tie, standing in front of a graphic background with red and black geometric shapes.]()
THE SUSTAINER
Artis Stevens
CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America -
![A woman wearing a black headscarf with a smile, standing in front of an abstract purple and black geometric background.]()
THE ADVOCATE
Zarqa Yaftali
Founder and Chairperson, Women and Children Research and Advocacy Network -
![Black and white photo of two smiling women, one with long dark hair wearing earrings and a white top, the other with shoulder-length hair wearing a black top and earrings, in front of a black background with a gold star design.]()
THE INNOVATOR
Sarah Alexander & Olivia Rosenthal
Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, Patch Caregiving -
![Black and white photo of a woman with long wavy hair wearing earrings and a black top, smiling. Next to her is a black and white photo of a man with short hair and a beard, wearing a light-colored shirt, smiling. The background features an abstract pattern with orange and black geometric shapes.]()
THE CATALYST
Catherine Casey Nanda & Amon Anderson
Co-Founders and Managing Partners, Acumen America -
![A man with dreadlocks styled high, wearing a black sweater over a white shirt, stands in front of a geometric blue and black background.]()
The builder
Adair Mosley
CEO, GroundBreak Coalition -
![Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair in business attire, set against a background featuring bold yellow and black geometric patterns.]()
The mobilizer
Alexa Arnold
CEO and Co-Founder, The TAG Movement -
![A smiling man with glasses, wearing a light-colored, ribbed knit sweater, with a black and purple geometric patterned background.]()
The integrator
Sixto Cancel
Founder and CEO, Think of Us -
![A black and white photo of a smiling woman with dark hair, wearing a blazer and white top, set against a geometric, coral and black patterned background.]()
The architect
Jennifer Blatz
CEO, StriveTogether -
![A black and white photo of a woman speaking, wearing a blazer and a T-shirt with partially visible text, against a blue and black geometric background.]()
The storyteller
Vanessa Renae
Co-Founder and President, GirlTREK
THE INVENTOR
Deploying new tools and models – AI, science, technology, economic systems – in ways that open groundbreaking and powerful new paths forward
Ken ikeda
CEO, CAST (Community Arts Stabilization Trust)
"At CAST, Ken is leading a global model for land trusts, urban revitalization and artist equity. He has taken a pilot concept and built a company and a movement. This leadership is particularly important as we look at how to convert vacant downtowns, stabilize cultural organizations and have artists be owners versus simply the vanguard of urban renewal."
– Christy MacLear, President, Good Chaos
THE SUSTAINER
Operationalizing progress by creating sustainable, efficient and effective teams and processes
artis stevens
CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
“I first met Artis when he became CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America during the pandemic. Facing declining participation, he and local chapters set out to modernize the century-old organization while preserving its unwavering commitment to mentorship. As a former BBBS mentor, I experienced firsthand how transformative these relationships can be. BBBSA’s transformation offers lessons in bold leadership, values-driven partnerships, and the power of storytelling – especially through sports. Artis’s leadership offers a powerful example of what it means to be a true sustainer: honoring a mission's core purpose while ensuring it can grow, evolve, and thrive for future generations.”
– Alice Lin Fabiano, President, Johnson & Johnson Foundation
THE ADVOCATE
Raising awareness and urgency to drive support for an issue, and fearlessly activating all the levers for change
Zarqa Yaftali
Founder and Chairperson, Women and Children Research and Advocacy Network
"Zarqa combines legal reform, research, survivor-centred advocacy and coalition-building to challenge the structures denying Afghan women and girls their rights. Her work has helped shape legal protections in Afghanistan, and she is now bringing together Afghan and international advocates to advance recognition of gender apartheid in international law."
– Malala Yousafzai, Female Education Activist, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Producer
THE INNOVATOR
Meeting needs and creating new opportunities with fresh approaches that challenge the status quo
Sarah Alexander &
OLIVIA ROSENTHAL
Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, Patch Caregiving
"I'm a huge fan and supporter of Sarah and Olivia's work addressing the gap of reliable childcare support for frontline workers. They built Patch, acquired by Wellthy in 2025, into something so essential, and now serve as COO of Backup Care and Chief Growth Officer. Their work offers lessons in combining deep empathy for the people they serve with the operational discipline to deliver and scale a needed solution."
– Lindsay Jurist-Rosner, CEO, Wellthy
THE CATALYST
Directing capital, influence, or institutional power toward promising ideas and leaders that may have otherwise been overlooked or undervalued
CATHERINE CASEY NANDA & AMON ANDERSON
Co-Founders and Managing Partners, Acumen America
"I've had the pleasure of working with Catherine and Amon through our Reckitt Catalyst partnership and watched up close how they identify and support traditionally overlooked entrepreneurs. Acumen America has a singular vision to drive systems change and improve health equity across the country, and that starts by investing in founders personally invested in their own communities."
– Serena Williams, Tennis Legend, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Investor, Author, Reckitt Catalyst Entrepreneur-in-Residence
THE BUILDER
Doing the long lasting, often unglamorous yet deeply meaningful work of making change in a specific place or community
ADAIR MOSLEY
CEO, GroundBreak Coalition
“I’ve known Adair through different seasons of his leadership, and what has remained constant is his drive to grow, to stretch himself, and to make a meaningful difference. He is a gifted leader with a big vision, but what I respect most is his willingness to keep learning, evolving, and challenging his own thinking. I hope others learn from Adair that great leadership is not about arriving, it is about continuing to grow, having the courage to pursue bold ideas, and effectively partnering with others along the way.”
– Chanda Smith Baker, President and CEO, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
THE MOBILIZER
Growing a movement – shifting public will, activating new constituencies, and channeling collective energy toward bold solutions
ALEXA ARNOLD
CEO & Co-Founder, The TAG Movement
"Since we began this work together in 2024, Alexa has turned urgency into a recognized movement. She leads with curiosity instead of certainty, generosity instead of ego, and an unshakable belief that we can still build a better childhood for the next generation. A mobilizer epitomized, she has driven policy and cultural changes while making everyone around her better. It is an honor to see her leadership recognized."
– Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist and Author; Co-Founder, The TAG Movement
THE INTEGRATOR
Bridging sectors, ideologies, or geographies to forge unlikely coalitions that can address challenges in ambitious and durable ways
sixto cancel
Founder and CEO, Think of Us
"I’ve known Sixto since he was 16, and I’ve watched him channel his lived experience in foster care into founding a national nonprofit working to transform child welfare. Sixto and his team build a big tent and bring people together. The people closest to a problem often have the clearest view of what needs to change — when we listen to them, we transform systems."
– Lisa Lawson, President and CEO, Annie E. Casey Foundation
THE ARCHITECT
Redesigning systems, policies, or conditions that keep problems entrenched; working at root causes rather than symptoms
JENNIFER BLATZ
CEO, StriveTogether
"Nearly two decades after I helped found StriveTogether, it's deeply gratifying to see its mission continue to deliver measurable progress for young people. Under Jennifer’s exceptional leadership, the organization has remained true to its belief that lasting change comes from communities working together to transform systems. I hope others learn from this work that unwavering collaboration, accountability, and commitment to outcomes can turn an ambitious idea into national impact."
– Nancy Zimpher, PhD, President, National Association of Higher Education Systems | Chancellor Emeritus, State University of New York
THE STORYTELLER
Shifting what's possible by changing how people understand and relate to a problem through journalism, documentary, fiction, visual art, music, or cultural movements
Vanessa Renae
Co-Founder and President, GirlTREK
"At Echoing Green, we look for four things in a founder: passion, purpose, resilience, and identity alignment. Vanessa and Morgan had all four when we selected them in 2013: they were building what they themselves needed. What I hope others learn from GirlTREK is how to hold onto joy while doing serious work, and how to take care of yourself as a leader while caring for everyone else."
– Cheryl Dorsey, CEO, Echoing Green
2026 Expert Advisors & Mentors
Christy MacLear
President, Good Chaos
Serena Williams
Tennis Legend, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Investor, Author, Reckitt Catalyst Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Malala Yousafzai
Female Education Activist, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Producer
Alice Lin Fabiano
President, Johnson & Johnson Foundation
Lindsay Jurist-Rosner
CEO, Wellthy
Chanda Smith Baker
President and CEO, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
Jonathan Haidt
Social Psychologist and Author
Co-Founder, The TAG Movement
Ryan Rippel
CEO, NextLadder Ventures
Lisa Lawson
President and CEO, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Nancy Zimpher, PhD
President, National Association of Higher Education Systems | Chancellor Emeritus, SUNY
Cheryl Dorsey
CEO, Echoing Green