Lessons From the Grassroots: Insights From Our 2024 McNulty Prize Winners

The 2024 McNulty Prize Winners’ impact and courage were featured throughout the Resnick Aspen Action Forum, especially at a plenary in conversation with Aspen Institute senior moderator, Stace Lindsay. Saket Soni is transforming the way America responds to climate disasters through Resilience Force; Nedgine Paul Deroly & Jean-Claude Brizard are revolutionizing Haitian education systems to empower civic leaders with Anseye Pou Ayiti; and Gloria Walton is amplifying frontline innovation by bridging the gap between funders and community leaders through The Solutions Project. Watch the full conversation here.

What follows is a summary of key takeaways from the conversation:

Q. Each of you has a unique origin story, having spent your lives taking on a range of challenges, yet you ultimately shifted your passions to this one path. What was the catalytic moment that led you to dedicate yourself to this work?

Spending her formative years being raised by her loving grandmother instilled Gloria’s dedication towards social and environmental justice-based values, internalizing positive models of sustainability and community. She spoke about her grandmother carpooling with neighbors to and from Church, and having a compost bin to prevent food waste as a young girl. These models of care greatly shaped Gloria’s work as an organizer and fostered a deep love and commitment to community building.

Connecting on an emphasis on family, Jean-Claude connected with Gloria as he was similarly sparked by the values his family taught and instilled. Raised by educators, his mother challenged him to consider how he would contribute to the world and give back to his country. As part of his Pahara venture, inspired by the fellowship and McNulty Prize community, he answered his mother’s call by committing himself to improving Haiti’s education system. He joined forces with a great leader who was on the ground in Haiti—a leader he found in Nedgine.

Missing an immigration deadline, Saket’s journey took a dramatic turn, leaving him undocumented in the harsh reality for immigrants that was post-9/11 America. He was introduced to the world of low-wage labor, and eventually volunteered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Here, he encountered the dire conditions faced by the manual labor forces leading rigorous rebuilding efforts, who lived in trailers and were paid as little as $2 a day — and where he received a tip that led him to uncover a massive human trafficking scheme. Witnessing their struggles and the broader systemic issues fueled his commitment to addressing these injustices. What started as a volunteer trip for ten days became ten years in New Orleans, and Saket has devoted his life to working at the intersection of disaster recovery, workforce, immigration, and racial justice.

Q. For social impact ventures to succeed, it’s necessary to make difficult choices that go against conventional wisdom. What were your upstream battles, and what did it take for you to rise above it?

Breaking free from conventional wisdom often requires a transformative approach—one that can redefine narratives, reclaim identities, and challenge entrenched assumptions. Nedgine reflected on a pivotal moment in history: the year 1804, when Haiti became the first Black Republic following the world’s only successful slave revolt. This moment was not only a remarkable feat of liberation for the nation but an inspiration for others; Haiti would go on to help liberate several other Latin American countries. Raised within a community that nurtured a deeper understanding of Haiti's rich history, Nedgine committed herself to the struggle of championing the mighty story of her nation.

She also found that re-Haitianizing classrooms was critical to rising above conventional wisdom. By listening to local communities, APA learned what it means for “Haitians to be at their best.” To achieve this excellence, Haitians needed to embrace their assets that had been stripped away by colonialism. Nedgine underscored that the education system was designed to detach the Haitian community from what makes them powerful. By reintegrating collaboration, native Kreyol vs French language instruction, folk stories, proverbs, and more, they are responding to generational trauma from colonialism in a transformative way. By valuing and reinstating Haitian identity, language, and culture, APA is accelerating the civic and academic growth of Haiti's new generation, empowering them to thrive and lead.

Gloria chose to believe in her vision—a vision that believes the various plights of Americans are interconnected. In her early years at TSP, she boldly strived to move $50 million to grassroots climate organizations, despite facing significant skepticism from funders and peers. However, overcoming the discouragement, Gloria relentlessly spoke to every single person willing to listen about this “bottom-up” vision of collective growth and impact. Gloria disrupted the philanthropic status quo by steadfastly aligning with the communities she serves, even if that meant making big bets. These values-driven decisions paid off, where in one case TSP fundraised $151 million for several organizations beyond her own, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the greater climate justice movement.

What is considered conventional wisdom, Saket finds, is often a recent idea that “reaches back and makes it seem like it was always true.” In America, Saket observed that people overwhelmingly believe you can never change those who disagree with you. He shares a story about a hurricane that flattened 27 counties in Florida, where an older, impacted resident hung up a sign that read, “Strangers will be shot.” Despite the hostility implied by the sign, Saket and a team of around 100 Resilience Force workers approached the home, volunteering their help. Their efforts to rebuild the house ultimately led the homeowner to take down his sign, fostering a deep and lasting friendship — something Saket and resilience workers have repeated a thousand times over. Through this experience, Saket illustrates the transformative power of perseverance and the potential to turn adversaries into allies by reaching out with genuine intention and a common purpose.

Q. What key advice or messages do you have for other leaders who are looking to pursue similarly difficult, but vital social change work across the globe?

Emphasizing the importance of collective effort, Jean-Claude believes in redefining success, which Nedgine believes can be accomplished through recontextualizing language. Language, in two ways, strikes Nedgine as critical to leadership. In APA, they lead with Kreyol, but they also know what it means to choose their words wisely. She calls for the redefining of traditional archetypes of leadership and to expand these definitions to all.

People are driven by a need to connect to purpose, and to be bigger than themselves. Saket connects people to purpose builds something greater and practices leadership tangibly, beyond the effects of aligning around a shared enemy.

True leaders must learn to embrace vulnerability and seek support, no matter how uncomfortable it may be, Gloria shares. Her experiences emphasize how leadership requires lending your support and also asking for help. The call of leadership is the ability to reach out, despite how uncomfortable it can be, and to receive love when people show up for you. You have to be okay with people taking care of you too. The conversation underscored the transformative power of grassroots solutions and the impact of visionary and courageous leadership. Watch the full conversation from Courage, Vision, Impact: The 2024 McNulty Prize at the Resnick Aspen Action Forum to delve deeper into these remarkable stories: