Fund for New Leadership
Meet the FellowsTHE FUND FOR NEW LEADERSHIP SUPPORTS
AMERICA’S EMERGING SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS.
Early Investment. Extraordinary Impact.
FNL identifies promising, often undiscovered leaders rooted in communities across the country and working on America’s most urgent challenges. Through early, meaningful investment and a year-long fellowship bootcamp, we provide unrestricted funding, rigorous coaching, and strategic problem solving to help emerging leaders accelerate their impact. Our fellows cross lines of difference, build uncommon partnerships, and create innovative solutions to the complex problems facing America today.
Fellows Spotlight
Valencia Peterson is the Founder and Executive Director of Open-Door Abuse Awareness Prevention (ODAAP), a nonprofit organization that endeavors to prevent all facets of violence in particular sexual assault and intimate partner violence through trauma-informed education to youth using the medium of sports.
Learn More
FNL Fellow Mohammed Al Samawi is the founder and director of Abrahamic House — the first-ever national, multi-faith incubator that seeks to build sustainable interfaith understanding and social change.
Learn More
FNL Fellow Bob Carswell is CEO of Material Return, a one-stop shop for creating a sustainable, socially responsible economy, focusing on custom circularity for textile brands.
Learn More
FNL Fellow Danielle Campbell is the co-director of 2A Forward — which engages gun owners around a solution-oriented framework of investment in community safety and violence prevention.
Learn More
FNL Fellow Martine Caverl is co-founder of Ujimaa Medics, which trains residents of urban neighborhoods, especially those affected by gun violence, to be first responders.
Learn More
FNL Fellow Briane Cornish is co-founder of finEQUITY, which works to improve the financial futures of community members who have experienced long-term incarceration.
Learn More
About Us
Our mission
We identify and invest in promising and exceptional early-stage social entrepreneurs tackling America’s most urgent challenges, accelerating the growth of both the leader and their venture to achieve real, lasting impact.
Learn MoreOur thesis
We asked ourselves: What becomes possible when rising leaders and early-stage ventures get meaningful resources up front, from a partner willing to take a chance on bold ideas? We believe early investment is essential to unlocking the potential of emerging leaders and accelerating their transformative work.
Learn MoreOur process
With the support of an impressive team of talent scouts and advisors, we carry out a rigorous search and selection process to find changemakers whose work would benefit from a unique combination of support. The process is a leadership development journey in and of itself. The best-in-class interview process, practical homework assignments and the storytelling and pitch coaching in the run-up to our in person “Finalists Summit” will leave all applicants with insights, tools, skills and assets they can take with them as their journey continues.
Learn More