Leadership Matters Now More Than Ever

Nominations Accepted Through March 31

Stockholm & New York, February 1, 2026 – The Tällberg Foundation today opened nominations for the 2026 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize. The Prize honors outstanding leaders from any country or discipline who demonstrate the vision and courage to tackle the complexity of today’s world. Nominations are open through March 31, 2026.

“This isn’t just a challenging period—it’s a fundamental transformation in how our world works,” said Alan Stoga, chairman of the Tällberg Foundation. “Never in our lifetimes has the need for values-based, global leadership been greater. We’re looking for leaders who don’t simply react to events but actively shape the future. Leaders who work across disciplines and borders, who see what’s coming and act with courage, ethics, and vision.”

With the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), three winners will be selected in 2026. Each laureate will receive an unrestricted $50,000 grant, be celebrated at an awards dinner in early 2027, and join Tällberg’s global network of leaders—an active forum for engagement, collaboration, and sustained impact.

Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leaders are innovative, courageous, and ethical. They transcend sectors and borders to tackle pressing challenges with measurable impact and a fundamentally global worldview. They represent what is uniquely human about leadership: the capacity to see beyond systems and structures to the people they serve.

Nominations are open to anyone, anywhere, except for Prize jurors; individuals cannot nominate themselves. The process is open online at tallberg-snf-eliasson-prize.org.

“The Tällberg Foundation’s vision of leadership—and the process by which it recognizes exceptional leaders—is underpinned by our shared belief that every opportunity should be given to prospective and rising leaders, no matter where they come from, who put human beings at the core of what they do. We are proud to support the prize as a means of elevating and empowering leaders from around the globe,” said SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos.

Prize winners will be announced in November 2026 and formally honored in early 2027.

If you know a leader whose work deserves global recognition, nominate them today at tallberg-snf-eliasson-prize.org.

Laureates to be Celebrated at SNF Nostos 2026 in Athens

Stockholm and New York, November 19, 2025—The Tällberg Foundation today announced the winners of the 2025 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prizes, which honor outstanding leaders whose work is courageous, innovative, impactful, rooted in universal values, and global in perspective.

The 2025 laureates:

Rhett Ayers Butler, Founder and CEO, Mongabay.
For redefining global environmental journalism through Mongabay, a networked model of independent reporting that empowers local voices, informs global policy, and renews confidence in journalism as a force for accountability and change.

Bryan Doerries, Artistic Director, Theater of War Productions.
For harnessing the power of ancient stories to heal modern trauma, creating brave spaces where art, empathy, and dialogue aim to restore human connection, and reimagining the role of culture in public life.

Dr. David Gruber, Founder and President, Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative).
For bringing together science, technology, imagination, and empathy to decipher the language of whales, pointing towards new ways of understanding, interacting with and protecting non-human life.

“These extraordinary leaders remind us that courage and imagination can reshape the human story,” said Alan Stoga, Chairman of the Tällberg Foundation. “Each works in very different worlds — from journalism to art to science — but all share a deep commitment to reframing how we think, act, and care for one another and for the planet.”

Andreas Dracopoulos, Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which is the lead supporter of the Tällberg Foundation, added:

“That this year’s winners all focus on fostering communication and collaboration, empathy, and greater understanding speaks to the Tällberg Foundation’s vision of leadership as nurturing new connections that shift our perspective and realign our priorities. It’s a vision that SNF is proud to support.”

The 2025 laureates will be celebrated during SNF Nostos 2026, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s 30th anniversary celebration in Athens, Greece, during the last week of June, 2026. SNF Nostos brings together leaders, scientists, innovators, academics, artists and others to explore ideas, culture, and humanity’s shared future. The Tällberg Foundation and its global network will not only celebrate this year’s Prize winners at Nostos, but also create and participate in a range of other activities during Nostos.

This year’s laureates were chosen by a jury with a wealth of experience, diverse worldviews, and considerable wisdom from a pool of more than 1,500 candidates from 146 countries. Each winner will receive a $50,000 honorarium as part of the Prize. The Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize was launched in 2015 and has honored 35 leaders from a wide range of disciplines and geographies.

Chosen from an exceptionally competitive pool of 408 applicants representing 96 countries, these leaders will embark on a year-long journey of growth and collaboration through a one-on-one mentorship with accomplished global figures from the Tällberg network. The program kicks off in Tirana, Albania, from January 27–29, 2026, hosted in partnership with Albania’s Social Contract Institute.

“The leaders selected by the jury stand out for their creativity, persistence, and recognition that our world is at an inflection point,” said Alan Stoga, Chairman of the Tällberg Foundation. “We need new solutions for new challenges–and that requires new kinds of leadership. That is what TLML is all about, and why we are so excited about this extraordinary group of people.”

The TLML program, now in its third year, identifies and nurtures high-potential leaders from around the world, connecting them with experienced mentors for a transformative, year-long process of reflection, learning, and collaboration. Participants come from fields as diverse as education, technology, health, agriculture, and human rights—but share a belief that only leadership grounded in values can drive systemic change.

The 2026 TLML Mentees are:

• Aline Telles Coelho (Brazil) — Founder and Executive Director of the Agbara Fund, Brazil’s first philanthropic fund for Black women, supporting over 4,000 women through programs in economic justice and well-being.
• Aman Tripathi (India) —Automotive strategist and sustainability advocate driving business transformation at Nissan Europe and championing diversity and inclusion across global teams.
• Aysha Siddiqua Tithi (Bangladesh) — Student activist recognized internationally for her leadership in her country’s 2024 anti-discrimination movement and her advocacy for human rights and climate justice.
• Gaurav Mehta (India) — Founder and CEO of DharmaLife, a social enterprise empowering rural women entrepreneurs to deliver market-based solutions across clean energy, health, and livelihoods.
• Hadijah Nankanja (Uganda) — Founder and Executive Director of the Community Women’s Enterprise Network Uganda, building entrepreneurial capacity among women and youth for inclusive economic growth.
• Hanna Poikonen (Finland) — Neuroscientist, dancer, and founder of WiseMotion Community, pioneering cross-disciplinary research at the intersection of movement, neuroscience, and mental health.
• Hanna Valynets (Belarus/Lithuania) — Journalist and media innovator focused on human rights, disinformation, and independent media, leading a cross-border network of freelance reporters.
• Jubilian Ngaruwa (Nigeria) — Documentary filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer using ethical storytelling to amplify local voices and preserve African cultural narratives.
• Lili Sára Balogh (Hungary) — Agronomical engineer and President of the Hungarian Agroecology Network Association, advancing regenerative and equitable food systems through research, advocacy, and practice across Europe.
• Nitesh Kumar Jangir (India) — Engineer and social innovator whose medical technologies for emergency and critical care have saved thousands of lives across Asia and Africa.
• Sakina Bakari Mwinyimkuu (Tanzania) — Director of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in the Tanzanian government, co-founder of Emerging and Senior Women Leaders Tanzania, and a national mentor for young professionals.
• Samah Hadid (Lebanon) — Global Executive Director of Musawah and human rights advocate focused on advancing gender equality and justice across Muslim-majority countries.
• Sohini Bhattacharya (India) — Senior advisor and former CEO of Breakthrough, with three decades of leadership in gender justice, philanthropy, and movement-building in South Asia.
• Surya Karki (Nepal) — Global Pathbuilders Fellow and founding CEO of Christel House Nepal, transforming and leading efforts to build sustainable schools and expand access to quality education for underprivileged children.
• Umama Fatema (Bangladesh) — Youth leader and women’s rights advocate who helped lead Bangladesh’s 2024 student reform movement and continues to mobilize youth for social change.

“Our mission is to help leaders navigate complexity with courage and empathy,” said Michael Niconchuk, TLML Program Director and Tällberg Foundation Board Member. “This incredibly diverse cohort includes leaders early in their journeys as well as individuals with a track record of accomplishment. TLML aims to give them all the space and support to grow faster.”

Each mentee will be paired with a mentor from the Tällberg Foundation’s global network of accomplished leaders for a one-on-one mentorship experience over the course of 2026.

“True leaders forgo facile ‘answers’ to seek real solutions,” said SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos. “Knowing that emerging leaders like these, grounded in universal human values, are at work around the world with border-transcending support from the Tällberg network is reason for optimism for the future.”

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For more details and access to our media kit, click here.

The Tällberg Foundation today opened nominations for the 2025 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, which honors outstanding leaders from any country or discipline who demonstrate the vision and courage to tackle the complexity of today’s world. Nominations are open through May 15, 2025.

“In an era of technological, geopolitical, and environmental upheaval, we need leaders who shape the future rather than react to it,” said Alan Stoga, chairman of the Tällberg Foundation. “This Prize recognizes extraordinary individuals who don’t just talk about solutions—they take action to drive meaningful change. At its best, leadership can bend the arc of history in the right direction.”

With the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), three winners will be selected in 2025. Each laureate will receive an unrestricted $50,000 grant, be celebrated at an awards dinner next January, and join Tällberg’s global network of leaders—an active forum for engagement and collaboration.

Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leaders are innovative, courageous, ethical, working across disciplines and geographies, with a global worldview. These individuals transcend sectors and borders to tackle pressing global challenges with measurable impact.

Nominations are open to anyone, anywhere, except for Prize jurors and candidates themselves. The process is open online at tallberg-snf-eliasson-prize.org.

Prize winners will be announced in November 2025 and formally honored in early 2026.

“As AI advances prompt us to consider the qualities that are uniquely human, leadership should be counted among them—leadership not in the sense of sheer organizational capacity, but of acting out of respect for the dignity inherent in every human being,” said SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos. “With its public nomination process and wide-open perspective on where leaders can be found, the Tällberg Foundation’s leadership programs are true to that vision, and all of us at SNF are very proud of the strong collaboration we share.”

If you know a leader whose work deserves global recognition, nominate them today at tallberg-snf-eliasson-prize.org/nominate.

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Applications Accepted Through May 1

The Tällberg Foundation opens applications for the next cohort of the Tällberg Leaders Mentoring Leaders (TLML) program, a global initiative designed to accelerate the growth of emerging leaders by connecting them with experienced mentors from the Foundation’s network.

TLML offers extraordinary individuals the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills, broaden their perspectives, and prepare for values-based leadership through a focused one-on-one, year-long mentorship. The program will begin in January 2026 with a multi-day, intensive workshop designed to establish mentor-mentee relationships and engage participants in deep discussions about global leadership challenges.

Leadership is not a solo endeavor—it is shaped by relationships, guidance, and a willingness to learn. TLML provides a space where emerging leaders can engage with mentors who have faced and overcome the toughest leadership dilemmas,” said Michael Niconchuk, TLML team leader and a Tällberg Foundation director. “This program is not just about knowledge transfer, but about fostering resilience, ethics, and vision needed to lead in today’s turbulent world.”

The Tällberg Foundation’s mission is to identify, support, and connect outstanding leaders—people who recognize the challenges facing society, take risks to address them, and drive meaningful change. It does so with lead support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

“The world is at an inflection point, where old paradigms are breaking down, and new leadership is urgently needed. TLML is designed to cultivate the next generation of global leaders by pairing them with experienced mentors who have faced and overcome demanding leadership challenges,” said Alan Stoga, chairman of the Tällberg Foundation.

The program is open to emerging leaders from any country, sector, or discipline who are committed to ethical leadership and making a meaningful difference in their communities and beyond.

Applications are open through May 1, 2025.  However, successful applicants should initiate the process as soon as possible.  Participants will be selected through a competitive process.

START YOUR APPLICATION NOW!

The workshop marked the second year of the TLML program, which pairs high-potential, values-driven leaders from diverse sectors with accomplished mentors from the Tällberg Foundation’s global network. These mentees, chosen from an exceptionally competitive pool of 818 applicants from 109 countries, include entrepreneurs, social innovators, environmental advocates, and technologists who are already impacting critical global challenges.

The program commenced with interactive sessions designed to foster collaboration and tackle complex leadership challenges. Highlights included “Algorithmic Justice: Prometheus Bound,” an immersive exploration of the ethical dilemmas posed by advanced technologies, and “Visions of 2035,” a thought-provoking session that challenged participants to imagine and navigate the dynamics of a rapidly evolving world. Participants also engaged in in-depth mentoring workshops, informal discussions, and celebratory events, including a gala dinner honoring the winners of the 2024 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize.

“The University of Pavia has been an inspiring partner in convening this unique gathering of global leaders,” said Alan Stoga, Chairman of the Tällberg Foundation. “This workshop exemplified our belief great leadership can—and must—bend the arc of history. The energy and commitment displayed by this year’s mentees and mentors have set a powerful tone for the year ahead.”

“The 2025 TLML program has started with incredible enthusiasm and a shared sense of purpose,” said Mike Niconchuk, who leads the Tällberg Foundation program. “The kickoff sets the stage for a transformative year, providing a space for mentees and mentors to connect, collaborate, and prepare to tackle the complex challenges facing our world.“

We encourage you to learn more about this year’s mentors and mentees on our website, tallbergfoundation.org.

The 2024 Laureates: 

Dr. Kristian Olson (USA): Physician, educator, and human-centered designer, transforming healthcare delivery in underserved regions.

María Teresa Ronderos (Colombia/Argentina): Investigative journalist, champion of truth, and advocate for collaborative journalism.

Fernando Trujillo (Colombia): Conservationist and global expert on river ecosystems, building partnerships for sustainable futures.

“These three extraordinary leaders embody the courage, values and purpose needed to make a positive impact in today’s world,” said Alan Stoga, Chairman of the Tällberg Foundation.

The celebration at Aula Volta featured remarks honoring the laureates’ exceptional contributions to solving global challenges, followed by a reception at the halls of the Rectorate of the University and a gala dinner at Pavia’s Arnaboldi Palace. The ceremony is part of a week-long program that also includes workshops, interactive discussions, and the launch of the 2025 Tällberg Leaders Mentoring Leaders (TLML) program.

“Our partnership with the University of Pavia reflects our shared belief that courageous, innovative, and globally-minded leadership can shape a better future,” said Alan Stoga, Chairman of the Tällberg Foundation.

The Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), awards $50,000 to each laureate in recognition of their transformative impact and steadfast dedication to universal values.

This year’s cohort reflects the diversity, creativity, and resilience that the Tällberg Foundation seeks to cultivate in leaders who can address the complex global challenges of the 21st century. From entrepreneurs and activists to fintech innovators and environmental advocates, the 2025 mentees embody the courage, persistence, and values-driven leadership the world needs.

Alan Stoga, Chairman of the Tällberg Foundation, remarked, “Our world faces unprecedented challenges, and we need courageous, innovative leaders to navigate these complexities. The TLML program, in its second year, exists to accelerate the growth of such leaders by connecting them with seasoned mentors who have already made a significant impact in their fields.”

The 2025 TLML mentees are:

• Molade Adeniyi (Nigeria): CEO of Teach for Nigeria, an organization dedicated to empowering Nigerian leadership to ensure that children receive their human rights and can reach their full potential;
• Iffat Zafar Aga (Pakistan): Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of Sehat Kahani, a telemedicine startup bringing healthcare to underserved communities in Pakistan;
• Kidist Amedie (Ethiopia): CEO of Guaro Farms, working to reduce food loss and improve the livelihoods of farmers in Ethiopia;
• Lanka Bandaranayake (Sri Lanka): Founder & CEO of Lanka Cine, a filmmaker and activist committed to social change through film and media;
• Laila Berchane (Morocco): Co-founder of Robots & More, raising awareness of STEM education among young people in Morocco and Africa;
• Áurea Carolina de Freitas e Silva (Brazil): Executive Director at NOSSAS, Brazil’s largest civic engagement platform, and former politician advocating for gender, racial, and environmental justice;
• ElsaMarie D’Silva (India): Founder & Managing Director of Red Dot Foundation and creator of Safecity, using crowdsourced data to combat sexual violence in public spaces;
• Shana Fatina (Indonesia): Founder of Tinamitra Mandiri, leading projects in clean energy, eco-tourism, and waste management;
• Kingwa Kamencu (Kenya): Founder of BlackStar Media, using media and popular culture to drive social change and sustainability;
• Daniel Shin Un Kang (Canada): CEO & Co-founder of Flowbo, a fintech company enhancing financial access for freelancers and creators;
• Edith Ndiwa (Kenya): Founder of Color My Dreams Africa, promoting literacy and fighting gender inequality through education;
• Fajer Rabia Pasha (Pakistan): Executive Director of Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education, advocating for girls’ education rights;
• Collins Santhanasamy (Malaysia): Founder of Youth4DRR, engaging youth in global disaster risk-reduction efforts;
• Peter Ward (Sweden): Co-founder of Enaiblers, focusing on improving health equity with affordable and accessible diagnostics for underserved communities.

Michael Niconchuk, TLML program lead, added, “This cohort includes leaders who are already driving meaningful change. Our goal is to support their growth by connecting them with mentors who understand the demands of global leadership and can help them reach their full potential and make even greater impacts sooner.” 

To achieve this, each mentee will be paired with an accomplished leader from the Tällberg Foundation’s global network for one-on-one mentoring and collaborative leadership exploration over the course of 2025.

The 2025 TLML Mentors are:

• Mark Abdollahian (U.S.): CEO, ACERTAS and Professor, Claremont Graduate University and board member, Tällberg Foundation;
• Eduardo Amadeo, (Argentina): Economist, social innovator, rancher, and politician;
• Tom Cummings (Netherlands): Leadership advisor to corporate boards and board member, Tällberg Foundation;
• Rana Dajani (Jordan): Molecular biologist and human rights advocate;
• Vishakha Desai (U.S./India): Asia scholar with a focus on art, culture, policy, and women’s rights and board member, Tällberg Foundation;
• Moneshia zu Eltz (U.S./India): Facilitator and corporate leader in tech, specializing in M&A and venture investment;
• Helena Nilsson Friberg (Sweden): Business leader and organizational development expert;
• Jocelyn Goh (Singapore): Entrepreneur and executive coach;
• Mads Schack Lindegaard (Denmark/Zimbabwe): Humanitarian NGO executive;
• Daniel Martinez Valle, (Mexico): CEO of Grupo Proeza, investor, and sustainability advocate;
• Katherine Milligan (U.S./Switzerland): Social entrepreneurship leader, educator, and board member with extensive involvement in global innovation networks and advisor on social impact initiatives;
• Sitawa Namwalie (Kenya): Poet, playwright and performer;
• Diane Osgood (US): Sustainability strategist;
• Marthe Reinette (Netherlands): Human relations business executive.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is the lead supporter of the Tällberg Foundation. SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos said, “The breadth of this roster of mentees and mentors reflects the Tällberg Foundation’s truly global vision of leadership, a vision that transcends disciplines and traditional frameworks of power. The flood of interest in TLML demonstrates real optimism in the face of global challenges.”

The 2024 laureates:

Dr. Kristian Olson, Massachusetts General Hospital/Mass General Brigham/Harvard Medical School; USA. Internist, pediatrician, educator, and human-centered designer developing health care solutions in low and middle-income countries and the United States;

María Teresa Ronderos, Center for Latin American Investigative Journalism (CLIP); Colombia and Argentina. Investigative journalist and champion of collaborative journalism whose deep commitment to seeking truths sustains high-quality journalism in Latin America and beyond;

Fernando Trujillo, Fundación Omacha; Colombia. Conservationist, biologist, and global expert on river dolphins who has helped create innovative coalitions with governments, research institutions, and indigenous communities for aquatic ecosystem conservation in the Amazon basin and globally.

“These leaders demonstrate what is possible when vision combines with action. They inspire us with their achievements, their relentless energy, and their willingness to push boundaries for the greater good,” said Alan Stoga, Chairman of the Tällberg Foundation. “They work in dramatically different fields, but share the recognition that global problems demand global solutions.”

Andreas Dracopoulos, Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which is lead supporter of the Tällberg Foundation, added, “We’re very proud to support the Tällberg Foundation in advancing a new paradigm of leadership fitted to the very challenging era we live in, a paradigm as collaborative as it is innovative.”

The winners will be celebrated at a ceremony on January 21, 2025, at the University of Pavia, Italy, as part of a workshop on leadership. This event is an integral part of the Tällberg Foundation’s mission to provoke new thinking and action around global leadership challenges.

This year’s laureates were chosen by a jury with a wealth of experience, diverse worldviews, and considerable wisdom from a pool of 2,025 candidates from 149 countries. Each winner will receive a $50,000 honorarium as part of the Prize. The Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize was launched in 2015 and has honored 35 leaders from a wide range of disciplines and geographies.

Learn more about the prize winners here and for questions contact us at info@tallbergfoundation.org

“These jurors are themselves all global leaders,” said Alan Stoga, chairman of the Foundation. “Each brings a wealth of experience, diverse worldviews, and considerable wisdom to the jury processes of selecting Prize winners and TLML participants.  They know great leadership and leadership potential when they see it.”  

Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize Jurors    

• Vassilis Kaskarelis, Greece; Ambassador, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Senior Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)
• Helena Nilsson Friberg, Sweden; Deputy CEO of the MiL Institute, former communications and human resource executive at Electrolux and IKEA Group 
• Christian Ntizimira, Rwanda; Physician specializing in palliative care education and practice, founder and Executive Director of the African Center for Research on End-of-Life Care 
• Ana Palacio, Spain; former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain and international lawyer specializing in international and European Union law
• Roby Senderowitsch, Argentina; Practice Manager for Public Administration, Governance Global Practice at the World Bank
• Charlotte Vangsgaard, Denmark; Partner, ReD Associates, a human science-based strategy consultancy

Tällberg Leaders Mentoring Leaders Program Jurors

• Rana Dajani, Jordan/U.S.; Richard Von Weizsacker Fellow at Robert Bosch Stiftung and a professor of molecular biology with expertise in epigenetics and biomarkers of trauma among refugees 
• Vishakha Desai, U.S./India; Asia scholar with a focus on art, culture, policy, and women’s rights 
• Daniel Martinez-Valle, Mexico; Investor, sustainability advocate and transformational business leader; former CEO of Orbia and director of worldwide strategy & planning at Cisco.
• Sam Muller, The Netherlands; International Lawyer; CEO and founding director, The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law 
• Faustin Linyekula, DRC; Dancer, choreographer, director and storyteller at Studios Kabako, Kisangani
• Asha de Vos, Sri Lanka; Marine biologist, educator, and founder/Executive Director, Oceanswell
• Alan Stoga, U.S.; Chairman, Tällberg Foundation, serves as the jury chair for both the Prize and TLML.
• Tom Cummings, The Netherlands; serves as jury secretary on both juries to facilitate the work of the jurors.

“We are delighted that the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) continues to support these crucial initiatives, reflecting their deep commitment to making the world a better place, one great leader at a time,” concluded Stoga

For more information about the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize go to tallberg-snf-eliasson-prize.org.
For more information about the Tällberg Leaders Mentoring Leaders Program go to tallbergfoundation.org/tlml.