On April 7, 2026, the Ford Foundation officially announced the newest group of leaders selected for the Ford Global Fellowship, welcoming 32 remarkable individuals into a growing international network dedicated to tackling inequality from the ground up. This announcement marks another significant milestone in what has become one of the most respected and ambitious social justice fellowship programs in the world.
With this latest cohort, the Ford Global Fellowship community now exceeds 150 active fellows working across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. Each of these individuals was chosen not just for their academic credentials or professional achievements, but for something much harder to quantify: a proven, lived commitment to making the world more equitable, democratic, and just.
If you have been following leadership development programs, international fellowships, or social justice philanthropy, this is a story worth paying close attention to. In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about the Ford Global Fellowship 2026 cohort, including who the new fellows are, what the program offers, how fellows are selected, which regions are represented, and what the fellowship means for the future of global social change work.
What Is the Ford Global Fellowship?
The Ford Global Fellowship is a flagship international program launched by the Ford Foundation in 2020. It was introduced as a bold, 10-year commitment with an initial investment of $50 million, and its purpose is straightforward: to identify, connect, and support the next generation of social justice leaders from around the world who are already doing transformative work in their communities but need the resources, networks, and support to go further and deeper.
The program is not a traditional scholarship that pays for a university degree. Instead, it is a leadership fellowship built around the idea that the most powerful change agents in the world often already exist in the communities most affected by inequality. What they frequently lack is not talent or vision but access to funding, global connections, and the kind of sustained institutional support that can take their work from local impact to systemic change.
Each fellow receives a no-strings-attached stipend of $25,000, individualized leadership coaching, access to a vibrant global community of practice, and participation in multi-day in-person gatherings held in different regions across the world. These convenings are designed to spark cross-border learning, build genuine relationships among fellows, and generate fresh thinking about how to address inequality across vastly different cultural and political contexts.
Importantly, the Ford Global Fellowship is not a passive experience where fellows simply receive support. Fellows are co-creators of the program itself. The design, learning agenda, culture, and activities of the fellowship are shaped in real time by the fellows themselves, making the program truly collaborative and responsive to the realities on the ground.
A Brief History of the Ford Foundation’s Commitment to Fellows
To understand why the Ford Global Fellowship matters so much, it helps to know the history behind it. The Ford Foundation has been investing in individuals for over 90 years. Over the decades, the foundation has supported leaders as varied as Kofi Annan, Muhammad Yunus, and Condoleezza Rice, as well as writers like James Baldwin and Saul Bellow, constitutional lawyers in South Africa, and doctoral students of color in the United States.
The Ford Global Fellowship builds directly on the legacy of the Ford Foundation’s International Fellowships Program (IFP), which ran from 2001 to 2013 and represented a $280 million commitment to advancing the education of social justice leaders across the globe. Over those 12 years, more than 4,300 fellows from 22 countries completed graduate or postgraduate programs. Many of those alumni went on to hold public office, lead international organizations, and build civil society institutions that continue to serve millions of people today.
While the IFP focused on formal academic study and tuition support, the Ford Global Fellowship takes a different approach. It recognizes that some of today’s most impactful leaders are not primarily academics but practitioners, artists, lawyers, activists, engineers, and entrepreneurs who are doing the hard work of systemic change every single day. The fellowship is designed to support them in that ongoing work, not to redirect them into a classroom.
The 2026 Announcement: What We Know
The Ford Foundation announced the 2026 cohort of the Ford Global Fellowship from New York on April 7, 2026. This year’s group consists of 32 new leaders drawn from 11 regions across the globe where the Ford Foundation has an established presence and deep network of partners. Their addition brings the total fellowship community to over 150 fellows.
Adria Goodson, the director of the Ford Global Fellowship, spoke about the significance of this cohort at the time of the announcement. She described the fellowship as a reflection of an evolution of Ford’s historical mission to invest in visionaries who are reimagining a more just future. She emphasized that by connecting leaders across regions, the fellowship is helping to fortify the global civic architecture needed to accelerate efforts to disrupt the drivers of inequality in an increasingly complex world.
Noorain Khan, the chief innovation officer at the Ford Foundation, also shared her perspective on the announcement. She highlighted that for nine decades, the foundation has operated on the conviction that individuals with lived experience are the most effective architects of social change. The 2026 cohort, she noted, reflects the foundation’s continued commitment to keeping its resources focused on those who are actively building more inclusive and democratic societies from the ground up.
The 2026 cohort represents a genuinely wide spectrum of work. Fellows include filmmakers and biomedical engineers, environmental justice advocates and disability rights leaders, digital security specialists and Indigenous rights lawyers, grassroots organizers and impact investors. What unites them is not their field or geography but their shared commitment to dismantling the systems that produce and perpetuate inequality.
Meet the 2026 Ford Global Fellows
Here is an overview of the 32 leaders welcomed into the 2026 cohort of the Ford Global Fellowship. Reading through their work is a powerful reminder of the sheer breadth and depth of the global movement for equity and justice.
Beinerth Chitiva Mosquera, Colombia
General Director of the English Learning Center, Beinerth Chitiva Mosquera runs a nonprofit that provides academic enrichment and leadership development for young people in Chocó, one of Colombia’s most underserved regions. He believes that equal access to quality education is a core pillar of a just and free society.
Chinenye Uwanaka, Nigeria
Founder and managing partner of the Firma Advisory, a pan-African law and policy advisory firm, Chinenye Uwanaka provides strategic guidance on technology, infrastructure, investment, intellectual property, and public policy across the continent. She believes that truly representative systems can create wealth and dignity for citizens.
Dr. Darshana Joshi, India
Cofounder and CEO of VigyanShaala International, Dr. Darshana Joshi works to dismantle systemic barriers in STEM education for underserved youth in India, particularly girls and students from rural and low-income communities. She believes that those most affected by global challenges must be part of designing the solutions.
Diri Diepriye Ibim, Nigeria
A filmmaker and cofounder of FEMBUD, a feminist creative collective, Diri Diepriye Ibim also oversees programs and advocacy at the Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, a survivor-run nonprofit focused on sexual and gender-based violence response and prevention. She believes that art and creativity are essential to structural change.
Enrique Salanic, Guatemala
A K’iche’ and queer actor, cultural practitioner, and spiritual guide, Enrique Salanic works through film, performance, and Mayan fire ceremonies to challenge the idea that only certain bodies, beliefs, and stories deserve protection and visibility.
Erika Moore, United States
A biomedical engineer and professor at the University of Maryland, Erika Moore works to dismantle inequity in the study of human health. She believes in teaching equity as a core research design principle, arguing that this approach can create a healthier, stronger world for everyone.
Febriana Firdaus, Indonesia
An award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker, Febriana Firdaus has reported extensively on human rights violations, government accountability, and environmental issues across Southeast Asia. She is a champion of digital storytelling as a tool for inspiring future generations to address global inequality.
Gabriela Carrera, Guatemala
A professor and community organizer at Universidad Rafael Landívar, Gabriela Carrera works as director of public action, an initiative focused on community transformation through dialogue and mutual education.
Gerald Sikazwe, Zambia
A social movement builder who uses poetry, performance, and digital storytelling, Gerald Sikazwe amplifies the voices of underrepresented communities in Southern Africa through his work with the Word Smash Poetry Movement and the Centre for Young Leaders in Africa.
Gervas Evodius, Tanzania
A priest, gender activist, and cofounder of Hakizetu Organization, Gervas Evodius promotes gender equality and advances women’s economic rights across Tanzania. He believes that economic independence creates pathways to dignity and safety.
Guadalupe García Prado, Guatemala
An anthropologist and founder of the Observatory of Extractive Industries in Guatemala, Guadalupe García Prado grounds research and advocacy in a deep connection to land, forests, waters, and living territories to protect communities from extractive industry harms.
Hashem Hashem, Lebanon
A playwright, theatermaker, poet, and performer based in Beirut, Hashem Hashem also runs an Arabic creative writing platform on Instagram. He believes that theater and storytelling are powerful tools for exposing injustice and building communities of care and solidarity.
Hassana Maina, Nigeria
Founder and executive director of ASVIOL Support Initiative, a feminist organization that advances survivor-centered legal support and policy reform, Hassana Maina believes that addressing the structural inequality behind gender-based violence is essential to building a world where equality is lived rather than negotiated.
Hind Hamdan, Lebanon
A gender and workers’ rights specialist, Hind Hamdan advances gender-transformative approaches within trade unions, grassroots movements, and labor governance systems. She is committed to making invisible labor visible and shifting power structures through storytelling and mentorship.
Kari Guajajara, Brazil
A Guajajara-Tenetehára lawyer with the Indian Law Resource Center, Kari Guajajara believes that protecting Indigenous lands is indispensable to climate justice and human rights. She is committed to upholding the constitutional rights of Indigenous communities to their ancestral lands.
Karina Penha, Brazil
Co-executive director and founder of the Amazônia de Pé Movement, a prominent movement dedicated to protecting the Amazon and its people, Karina Penha confronts land, racial, and territorial inequality as root causes of the climate crisis in Brazil.
Kartik Sawhney, India
A tech entrepreneur, disability advocate, and cofounder of I-Stem, a nonprofit that builds digital infrastructure to ensure all people can independently access public services, Kartik Sawhney believes that accessibility is essential to dismantling inequality and fostering economic mobility.
Letícia Leobet, Brazil
A Black feminist advocate and deputy coordinator at Geledés, the Black Women’s Institute, Letícia Leobet leads efforts to translate community demands into effective policy at the United Nations system. She believes that reparative approaches, not technocratic solutions, are needed to truly transform systems of inequality.
Luis Sevillano, Colombia
A university professor who has spent 25 years working with USAID and local governments to promote the rights and cultural heritage of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities, Luis Sevillano believes that culturally inclusive public policy can build a future where opportunity is not defined by race or place of birth.
Makomborero Carl Muropa, Zimbabwe
A human rights lawyer, education strategist, and cofounder of African Montessori Hub, Makomborero Carl Muropa provides underserved communities with culturally responsive, child-centered learning while also working on housing justice issues.
Naomi Mwaura, Kenya
Founder and executive director of Flone Initiative Trust, Naomi Mwaura improves safety and inclusion for historically excluded commuters in Kenya. Her work centers on building transportation systems that prioritize safety and dignity as core infrastructure.
Paknam Kima Pai, Colombia
A lawyer, researcher, and advocate for the rights of the Inkal Awa Indigenous people, Paknam Kima Pai challenges systemic inequality and believes that territorial autonomy and self-governance are essential to the future of Indigenous communities.
Parasurama Pamungkas, Indonesia
A researcher and advocate working on AI governance, spyware accountability, platform regulation, and data protection in the Global South, Parasurama Pamungkas believes that technology should benefit society by aiding vulnerable individuals and ensuring lives full of dignity.
Pravin Nikam, India
A lawyer and educator who founded SAMAVESH, an organization working to transform conditions that exclude communities from education and economic opportunity, Pravin Nikam believes that addressing inequality requires redesigning social systems so that basic rights are guaranteed by design.
Reem Almasri, Jordan
A digital security strategist who advises social justice organizations in Southwest Asia and North Africa, Reem Almasri helps civil society organizations take ownership of their communications and data, building more resilient and secure operations.
Roishetta Sibley Ozane, United States
An environmental justice leader and founder of the Vessel Project, which provides critical support to vulnerable populations in Louisiana, particularly Black and Indigenous communities, Roishetta Sibley Ozane believes in the deep interconnectedness of environmental and social struggles.
Siphiwe Ngwenya, South Africa
An artist, creative economist, and executive director of the Maboneng Township Arts Experience, Siphiwe Ngwenya transforms township and rural homes into gallery, cinema, and heritage spaces. He is committed to a world where art sustains households and communities own the means of cultural production.
Staicy Naanyu Letoluo, Kenya
Founder and CEO of Indigenous Friends of the Mau Forest, the first Indigenous Maasai Lady youth-led organization in Narok, Kenya, Staicy Naanyu Letoluo believes that Indigenous women and girls must be at the center of decisions about their land, education, and conservation strategies.
Yaw Owusu-Boahen, United States
A mission-driven impact investor and vice president at ConnCORP, Yaw Owusu-Boahen is dedicated to closing the racial wealth gap through investments in people, places, and platforms. He believes that everyone deserves reliable pathways to wealth and a brighter future.
Yazmany Arboleda, United States
Founder and artistic director of the People’s Creative Institute and New York City’s inaugural People’s Artist for the Civic Engagement Commission, Yazmany Arboleda uses public art to transform civic spaces and advance social change. He sees democracy as a reflection of what we collectively choose to value and resource.
Ying Xin, United States
Program manager for the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program at Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights, Ying Xin designs leadership initiatives for LGBTQI+ leaders in under-resourced regions. She believes in bridging frontline community advocacy and high-level systemic change.
Zhen Ni, United States
A project manager at the University of Chicago and advocate for the disabled community in China, Zhen Ni works to dismantle systemic exclusions in education, care, and social services. He envisions a society where disability is honored as a profound source of knowledge about justice and interdependence.
What the Ford Global Fellowship Offers Its Fellows
One of the most important things to understand about the Ford Global Fellowship is what it actually provides to the people selected. Here is a detailed look at the support fellows receive:
A $25,000 No-Strings-Attached Stipend
Every Ford Global Fellow receives a personal stipend of $25,000. This funding comes with no restrictions on how it is used. Fellows can invest it in their organizations, use it for personal development, apply it to research, or allocate it in whatever way best supports their work and mission. The unrestricted nature of this funding is intentional and reflects the foundation’s deep trust in its fellows and their judgment.
Leadership Coaching and Individual Development
Each fellow has access to individualized coaching designed to strengthen their leadership skills. This is not generic corporate training but personalized support tailored to each fellow’s specific context, challenges, and goals. The coaching is designed to help fellows reach new audiences, navigate complex systems, and build the kind of resilient, sustainable leadership that can weather the long arc of social change work.
