Prudential Emerging Visionaries Summit celebrates young innovators addressing global challenges
Hoda Kotb and Remy Tsukahira at the 2024 Prudential Emerging Visionaries Summit.
This week, twenty-five young innovators were celebrated at the 2024 Prudential Emerging Visionaries Summit for their contributions to addressing key financial and societal challenges.
The event, which highlights youth initiative and creativity, was presented by NBC's "Today" show co-anchor Hoda Kotb and Prudential Chairman and CEO Charles Lowrey.
With support from the Financial Health Network, the Prudential Emerging Visionaries program, a collaboration between Prudential Financial and the social entrepreneurship network Ashoka, recognises young people aged 14-18 from across the United States and internationally.
The young people are celebrated for their leadership and innovative solutions to today’s pressing challenges.
The summit was not only a platform for recognition but also an opportunity for these young leaders to engage directly with senior Prudential leaders. They discussed strategy and impact and received mentorship to support and advance their projects.
During the summit, five of the twenty-five national winners were chosen as grand prize finalists and were given the chance to pitch their ideas for advancing financial equity to a panel of judges. The panel included Prudential's CEO Charles Lowrey, leaders from Ashoka, the Financial Health Network, and two program alums.
Initially set to select only one grand prize winner, the judges were so impressed by the impact of the finalists' projects that they awarded each of the five presenters an additional $10,000, bringing their total winnings to $15,000 each.
The event also recognised an Employees' Choice Award winner, who received an additional $5,000 to further their project. The recipients of this year’s grand prize included:
Michael Brode from Winterville, North Carolina, founder of "Crypto Debunked, a platform that provides financial education focusing on cryptocurrency and blockchain to underserved communities.
Jonathan De Caro from Moodus, Connecticut, creator of "One Loan Fund," which offers microloans to unbanked rural women in Latin America, aiming to enhance economic mobility and sustainability.
Caden Harris from Stonecrest, Georgia, who established "Financial Literacy for All," a traveling financial literacy platform designed to integrate financial education into school curricula nationwide.
Sebastian Tan from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, who launched "OutsideConnection," a job site that helps previously incarcerated individuals find employment and reintegrate into society.
Remy Tsukahira from Los Angeles, California, founder of "Artemis Girls Business Academy," which connects teen girls with professional women mentors to foster careers in business and entrepreneurship.
Additionally, Sreenidi Bala from Farmington, Connecticut, won the Employees' Choice Award for her initiative "Code for All Minds," which provides STEM education resources tailored for neurodivergent students.
Charles Lowrey, expressed his admiration for the young visionaries: "You are joining a community we want to help grow — a community of young people working to create positive change around the world.
“Thank you for your hard work and for setting such an inspiring example."
