2015 Innovation Prize Awardees

Behold! New Lebanon
New York
A model for activating human capital in rural places, this “living museum of contemporary rural life” has helped inventive rural residents ignite a fresh sense of cultural and economic opportunity.

ScholarCHIPS for Children of Incarcerated Parents
Washington, D.C.
To break the cycle of intergenerational incarceration, ScholarCHIPS supports college students in the Washington, D.C. area who are among the millions of children in America with incarcerated parents.

Growing Veterans
Washington State
Through a unique blend of peer mentoring, community farming, and “dirt therapy,” Growing Veterans uses sustainable agriculture as a catalyst for ending veteran isolation.

Essie Justice Group
California
This peer-support program’s “healing to advocacy” agenda empowers women with incarcerated loved ones to push for social and policy reform, while boosting their economic resilience.

Reclaim Appalachia
West Virginia
Tackling the economic, cultural, and environmental distress of West Virginia’s collapsing coal economy, Reclaim Appalachia creates new economic opportunities rooted in a vibrant spirit of place.

Bay2Tray
California
Bringing local fish into schools proves a powerful way to cultivate the next generation of ocean stewards, while promoting sustainable seafood and supporting a community’s fishing industry.

Coworker.org
New York and North Carolina
To advance worker well-being, Coworker.org harnesses online tools to advocate for freelancers, independent contractors, and others in today’s gig-based workforce.

Elizabeth Monoian &Robert Ferry
Land Art Generator Initiative
Washington State
A series of large-scale public art installations seeks to transform unloved clean-energy infrastructure into wildly inspiring cultural and economic assets.

e-NABLE
New York
A global network of tech-enabled partners uses advanced production tools to deliver life-changing prosthetic hands and arms to those who need them most.