Friends of the Children – Charlotte (A program of Thompson Child & Family Focus) Erica Reid Thompson Child & Family Focus has collaborated with the national nonprofit Friends of the Children to launch this program locally. The program provides Charlotte’s most vulnerable children with a long-term, salaried professional mentor, called a friend. This professional mentor is…
Emerge – The Art of Leadership Ryan McGill The mission of Emerge is to develop Charlotte’s youth into confident, powerful, and compassionate leaders. The focus of Emerge is to teach students “leadership in life” skills through the practice of martial arts. Through martial arts, meditation, and project-based leadership training, Emerge teaches the tools needed to prepare and…
El Puente Hispano Natalie Marles El Puente Hispano’s mission is to connect and integrate the Hispanic community in Cabarrus by providing information, education, resources and guidance to foster self-sufficiency and productivity. All El Puente Hispano programs are free and include a diverse range of classes for adults and children and programs focusing on connecting the Latino…
City Startup Labs Henry Rock City Startup Labs aims to create a skilled class of entrepreneurs among the formerly incarcerated while exploring how entrepreneurship can be a tool of restorative justice for communities in need of reconciliation and returnees needing to have trust restored. Entrepreneurship can be twenty-first century workforce development for returning citizens who build…
Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation John Searby The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation educates and advocates to protect the Catawba-Wateree River Basin for all who depend on and enjoy it. An experienced network of diverse community members, engaged volunteers and professional staff provides dedicated, talent and resources to protect and enhance our river today and for future generations. The Catawba Riverkeeper…
Attach Families Inc. Katherine Noto Developmental trauma may negatively impact a child’s emotional, psychological, and physical health throughout childhood and adulthood. Attach Families provides foster and adoptive families with the specialized knowledge and training to understand developmental trauma and how to recognize signs and symptoms, and also helps children heal from it by providing access to neurofeedback…
Wells Fargo People’s Choice Grand Prize Winner ($20,000)
Second Place Winner ($7,500)
Third Place Winner ($2,500)
Coaches’ Award Winner ($1,000)
Family Impact Fund Ann Barnes Robertson Family Impact Fund interrupts the cycle of poverty, empowering two generations at a time. By providing tuition assistance to young children from low-income families for high-quality early education, Family Impact Fund allows their parents to maximize their employment or continue their education. The impact: young children learn, working parents succeed…
Renaissance West Community Initiative William McDonald, Jr. Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI) tackles intergenerational poverty with a holistic approach that includes mixed-income housing, a cradle-to-career education pipeline, and community wellness programming. RWCI seeks to diversify its revenue by attracting social entrepreneurs whose focus is to develop new income streams from nontraditional sources and employ residents.
