Ford Foundation announced the 2026 cohort of its Ford Global Fellowship, welcoming 32 leaders into a growing global network focused on advancing social justice and addressing systemic inequality.
The program, launched in 2020 as a 10-year, $50 million initiative, now includes more than 150 fellows working across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. The fellowship is designed to support leaders from diverse fields, including education, law, science, entrepreneurship, and the arts, by providing resources, networks, and collaborative opportunities to drive change in their communities.
The 2026 cohort reflects a wide range of expertise and backgrounds, with participants selected for their ability to lead institutions, bridge societal divides, and develop innovative solutions to persistent global challenges. Fellows include:
- Beinerth Chitiva Mosquera, General Director, English Learning Center, Colombia
- Chinenye Uwanaka, Founder and Managing Partner, The Firma Advisory, Nigeria
- Dr. Darshana Joshi, Founder and CEO, VigyanShaala International, India
- Diri Diepriye Ibim, Cofounder, FemBud Collective; Programs, Productions, and Advocacy Manager, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, Nigeria
- Enrique Salanic, Actor, Ajq’ij, Guatemala
- Erika Moore, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland, College Park; Principal Investigator, The Moore Lab, United States
- Febriana Firdaus, Journalist, Indonesia
- Gabriela Carrera, Director of Public Action, Universidad Rafael Landívar, Guatemala
- Gerald Sikazwe, Communications and Advocacy Lead, Word Smash Poetry Movement; Communications Officer, Centre for Young Leaders in Africa–Zambia, Zambia
- Gervas Evodius, Cofounder and Executive Director, Hakizetu Organization, Tanzania
- Guadalupe García Prado, Founder and Director, Observatory of Extractive Industries, Guatemala
- Hashem Hashem, Theatermaker; Cofounder, Qorras; Founder, Hashem’s Apple for Creative Writing, Lebanon
- Hassana Maina, Founder and Executive Director, ASVIOL Support Initiative, Nigeria
- Hind Hamdan, Gender and Workers’ Rights Specialist, Lebanon
- Kari Guajajara, Attorney, Indian Law Resource Center, Brazil
- Karina Penha, Co-Executive Director and Founder, Amazônia de Pé; Director, PerifaConnection, Brazil
- Kartik Sawhney, Cofounder, I-Stem, India
- Letícia Leobet, Cochair, Stakeholder Group of People of African Descent; Deputy Coordinator of the International Area, Geledés–Black Women’s Institute, Brazil
- Luis Sevillano, Transformer of Social Realities for Colombia’s Ethnic Communities, Colombia
- Makomborero Carl Muropa, Cofounder, African Montessori Hub; Vice President of Programs, Aslan Housing Foundation, Zimbabwe
- Naomi Mwaura, Executive Director, Flone Initiative Trust, Kenya
- Paknam Kɨma Pai, Indigenous Leader of the ɨnkal Awá People; Legal Representative, Paknam Kɨma Pai Foundation; Director, Katsa Tɨ Ecomuseum; Traditional Authority on the Awá Indigenous Legal System and Legal Pluralism, Colombia
- Parasurama Pamungkas, Digital Rights Advocate, Indonesia
- Pravin Nikam, Founder, SAMAVESH, India
- Reem Almasri, Digital Security Strategist, Jordan
- Roishetta Sibley Ozane, Founder and CEO, The Vessel Project, United States
- Siphiwe Ngwenya, Executive Director and Curator, Maboneng Township Arts Experience, South Africa
- Staicy Naanyu Letoluo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Indigenous Friends of the Mau Forest, Kenya
- Yaw Owusu-Boahen, Vice President of Impact Investing, ConnCORP; Executive Director, Wealth Accelerator, United States
- Yazmany Arboleda, People’s Artist, NYC Civic Engagement Commission; Founder and Artistic Director, The People’s Creative Institute; Senior Artistic Advisor, Community Arts Network, United States
- Ying Xin, Program Manager, Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program, Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights, Harvard Kennedy School, United States
- Zhen Ni, Project Manager, University of Chicago, United States
These fellows represent a broad spectrum of disciplines and geographies, contributing to efforts spanning climate justice, education, human rights, governance, and inclusive economic development. The initiative emphasizes collaboration and shared learning, creating a global “infrastructure of belonging” that supports long-term systemic change.
The announcement builds on the Ford Foundation’s 90-year history of investing in individuals and institutions that promote democratic values, reduce poverty, and advance human rights globally. With a $16 billion endowment and operations spanning multiple regions, the organization continues to prioritize leaders working at the frontlines of inequality.
KEY QUOTES:
“The Ford Global Fellowship reflects an evolution of Ford’s historical mission to invest in visionaries reimagining a more just future. By connecting these leaders across regions, we are fortifying the global civic architecture necessary to accelerate their ability to disrupt the drivers of inequality in an increasingly complex world.”
Adria Goodson, Director, Ford Global Fellowship
“For 90 years, the Ford Foundation has operated on the conviction that individuals with lived experience are the most effective architects of social change. This approach ensures that as we look toward the future of philanthropy, our resources remain focused on supporting those who are actively building more inclusive, democratic societies from the ground up.”
Noorain Khan, Chief Innovation Officer, Ford Foundation
