Booz Allen Aspen Ideas Award Winners Aim to Change the World

The Booz Allen Aspen Ideas Award, developed by Booz Allen Hamilton and the Aspen Institute, uncovers the ideas and programs that exemplify how Aspen Ideas Festival Scholars and Presenters are changing and impacting lives around the world.

Booz Allen and the Aspen Institute are proud to present the three winners of the second annual award. Nearly 100 ideas were submitted by Aspen Ideas Festival Scholars and Presenters, and a panel of judges selected the winners from among 15 finalists after three highly competitive pitch competitions.

Spotlight Health Challenge: What is your idea to improve the health of your community?

Winner: Mona Hanna-Attisha

Idea: Flint Kids Read

Mona Hanna-Attisha says, “As a pediatrician in Flint I see kids who are suffering from lead exposure, lead exposure related illness, developmental delay. I also recognize that thoughtful science based interventions can give them the best possible hope for a better future.”

Overview: Flint Kids Read provides children and childcare providers, teachers, home visitors, and parents access to age-appropriate reading materials (books!) to establish a strong educational foundation for early life. Each child or adult with influence on the literary journey for a child in Flint will receive an age appropriate book by mail each month from age 0-5 or from the age that the children they care for are age 0-5. Read more.

Festival 1 Challenge: What is your idea to move your community forward?

Winner: Marcus Bullock and Dwayne Betts
Idea: Flikshop and the Flikshop School of Business

Marcus Bullock and Dwayne Betts say, “Between us, we served time at eight prisons. Not once did someone who had served time in prison return to tell us his story of success. Not once did someone return to tell us about overcoming challenges and the choices that were required to avoid prison. We were given no models - told to expect to recidivate. We rejected that narrative.”

Overview: Universities regularly invite professionals to address their students and expand the ideas of what’s possible. This rarely occurs in prison. Flikshop is changing this.

What you witness, you emulate. We are fathers, writers, businessmen, and college professors. Our stories are unique, and all include a major component. Collectively, we’ve served decades in prison and are returning, not just as advocates or speakers, but to draw the blueprint for reentry prep. Education, exposure, and expanding! Read more.

Festival 2 Challenge: What is your idea to move your community forward?

Winner: Carlos Pierre

Idea: Crowd Based Due Diligence: Kiva Investment Advisors

Carlos Pierre says, “I left the trading floors of Wall Street because it was clear to me that there was enough capital, it just wasn’t making it to those that needed it the most. But there was a good reason why money does not go there: In order for money to move, the risk and return of an investment need to balance. There is hardly any return that can cover the risks of unproven social business models.”

Overview: An online platform that lowers due diligence costs of investing in social enterprises by crowdsourcing the evaluation process to approved professionals and graduate students. Read more.

The Aspen Ideas Award celebrates and rewards those individuals who have a vision of a better way of life. Visit the Booz Allen Aspen Ideas Award website to read all of the 2016 submissions and donate to your favorite projects.

About the Aspen Ideas Award: Developed with Booz Allen Hamilton, the Aspen Ideas Award is designed to inspire ideas and innovation that will have a lasting impact on communities around the globe. Each year the Aspen Institute will choose prompts that acknowledge challenges to the well-being of our planet and of our society. All Festival Scholars and Speakers are eligible to submit a project and all Festival attendees are encouraged to engage in the selection process by voting for and commenting on Award submissions. The Aspen Ideas Award culminates in a live pitch session during the Aspen Ideas Festival where 5 finalists in each of our sessions–Spotlight Health, Festival 1, and Festival 2–will pitch their projects for a chance to win $25,000.