Young Leaders Award

A cash award of up to $50,000 and a six-month program that supports visionary, young leaders who are innovating for our planet.

A woman speaking into a microphone while gesturing with her right hand. She is wearing a black t-shirt with a logo, and there is a glass of water on the table behind her.
A woman smiling and standing outdoors, wearing a dark top and a colorful patterned skirt. She is making a peace sign with her right hand against a backdrop of greenery.
A smiling person with curly hair, wearing glasses and a black tank top, stands outdoors in a natural setting filled with greenery.
A diverse group of people sitting on cushions outdoors near a modern house at sunset, with cacti and mountains in the background.
A man wearing a light blue long-sleeve shirt and sunglasses smiles with arms outstretched outdoors, surrounded by greenery and a white umbrella in the background.
A woman speaking into a microphone while gesturing with her right hand. She is wearing a black t-shirt with a logo, and there is a glass of water on the table behind her.A diverse group of people sitting on cushions outdoors near a modern house at sunset, with cacti and mountains in the background.
A smiling person with curly hair, wearing glasses and a black tank top, stands outdoors in a natural setting filled with greenery.
A woman smiling and standing outdoors, wearing a dark top and a colorful patterned skirt. She is making a peace sign with her right hand against a backdrop of greenery.
A man wearing a light blue long-sleeve shirt and sunglasses smiles with arms outstretched outdoors, surrounded by greenery and a white umbrella in the background.

Uplifting the next generation of environmental Changemakers.

Young Leaders Receive

A woman with long, dark hair featuring pink highlights, speaking and gesturing with her right hand. She wears a casual shirt and appears engaged in conversation in a warm, indoor setting.

Funding

Awardees receive up to $50,000 USD to support the development and expansion of their early-stage projects, organizations, and businesses.
A group of hikers walking along a dirt trail in a rocky desert landscape. They are surrounded by shrubs and large boulders under a clear blue sky.

Cohort Retreat

All expenses paid to two-in-person retreats with other Young Leader Awardees to collaborate and learn from business coaches and other Changemakers.
A young man wearing a black hoodie and red headband is sitting on a white sofa, engaged in conversation with a woman in a maroon shawl. They are in a modern space with wooden interiors and greenery.

Leadership Development

A unique package of executive coaching, peer-to-peer networking and learning, and pitch development culminating in an 18-month organizational development plan.

Young Leaders Award Recipients

Do you know a passionate young leader who is working on solutions for the betterment of our planet? Become a nominating organization.

The Young Leaders Award is seeking a well-rounded cohort with a mix of representation across geographies, backgrounds, and approaches to sustainability and regeneration.

Applications for the 2025 cohort are closed.

Would you like to nominate a young leader for the award? Please note that eligibility is limited to leaders in their 20s and 30s, and residing in the US and Canada. If you're interested, please complete the form:

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Reflections from Young Leaders

FAQs

What is the Young Leaders Award?

The Young Leaders Award is an accelerator program for visionary leaders in their 20s and 30s who are innovating for our planet. Recipients receive a $50,000 cash award and a unique package that includes executive coaching, a six-month cohort-based curriculum, and a leadership retreat, culminating in a multi-year organizational growth and impact plan.

What are the program objectives?

STRENGTHEN

Equip Young Leaders with the skills and strategies to build resilient, high-impact organizations

BRIDGE

Connect nonprofit and for-profit climate ventures through peer-to-peer and cross-sector learning

AMPLIFY

Drive lasting social and environmental change through sustained support and collaboration

What is the nomination and selection process?

The Young Leaders Award (YLA) nomination process spans roughly seven months. Walking Softer reaches out to nominating organizations to invite them to identify and nominate young leaders over a three-month period. After nominations close, the list is reviewed, and selected nominees are invited to submit pitch decks. Nominees that advance to the next round will submit applications outlining their impact, vision, and leadership background. External experts and executives are consulted in the final stages of the selection process. Finalists will then be invited to submit a final application and participate in a 30-minute virtual interview.

The evaluation process is informed by our program design principles and based on an evaluation rubric. An important note is that we select young leaders who already have a strong foundation in their relevant climate and/or environmentally related field. Finally, we aim for a well-rounded cohort that represents a diversity of backgrounds, including urban and rural areas, across age groups, and various problem-solving approaches to sustainability.

What are some of the core programming topics?

Each leader will have the opportunity to focus on developing in the areas most relevant to their current stage or needs. Examples of areas we can support include strategic planning, financial management and literacy, pitch deck development, regenerative business, impact evaluation and systems thinking, go-to-market strategies, and networking and fundraising.

Do you prefer certain kinds of projects over others? 

While the Young Leaders Award focuses on the person over the project, all sustainability projects that address the aforementioned criteria are considered. Examples of project types might range across the areas of: 

  • food and plastic waste reduction 
  • shifting toward plant-rich diets 
  • pollution reduction 
  • circular and regenerative economy 
  • responsible consumption 
  • public transport solutions 
  • promoting transport through walking and biking
  • urban greening
  • sustainable buildings
  • responsible production and consumption
  • rewilding and conservation
  • decarbonization 
  • climate resilience and adaptation 
  • Indigenous territorial sovereignty
  • food and renewable energy cooperatives
  • sustainable oceans, policy advocacy, and beyond
  • grassroots activism
  • local city planning engagement
  • action research/participatory research projects
  • policy action 
  • (social) entrepreneurship
  • network/coalition building, and more.
What can awardees spend the award money on? 

Funds can be used to support personal and professional needs associated with the project, including compensation for living expenses so that awardees can focus on their project full-time.

What do you mean by an early-stage project? 

An early-stage project is ideally between two and four years old, although the Young Leaders Award allows for an intentionally flexible interpretation of the “early stage.” The project, organization, or business must be legally incorporated. Projects that are still in “idea” form on paper, with no volunteers and no activities yet, will not be considered. Except in cases where the individual is the founder, the project cannot fall under the scope of normal paid job responsibilities for an organization.

What happens after nominations are submitted? 

All nominees meeting the eligibility criteria will be formally invited to submit a Project Readiness Form. Two weeks after the deadline, nominees will be notified via email if their application is moving forward to the next round, which is an invitation to submit a pitch deck. The final step will be an application and 30-minute virtual interview.

How many awardees will be selected per cohort? 

We are keeping this number open as we intentionally curate a well-rounded, diverse cohort representing a mix of geographies, solution approaches, and backgrounds. As a guideline, we anticipate awarding a minimum of 10 leaders and a maximum of 15. 

How is the award money distributed? 

60% of the award money will be distributed in Summer of 2025. The remaining 40% will be distributed at the end of the program upon receipt of the organizational growth and impact plan and all necessary and requested documentation. 

What’s the difference between last year’s and this year’s cohorts?

Launched in 2023, the Young Leaders Award has resourced 24 exceptional changemakers across two diverse cohorts from the United States and Canada. Each year, we have refined and improved the program, and we are poised to launch our third cohort in fall 2025 with a new evolution.

In 2025, the Young Leaders Award will be a six-month accelerator program. Recipients will receive up to $50,000 in funding and six months of leadership development opportunities, including a unique package of executive coaching, cohort-based programming, and a leadership retreat culminating in a multi-year organizational growth plan.

We are evolving the program design to bridge the for-profit and nonprofit climate sectors, providing more tailored support for each while creating cross-sector learning and collaboration opportunities. By aiming for a balance between for-profit and non-profit leaders, peer-to-peer learning will encourage valuable cross-pollination of knowledge. 

While non-profit leaders can learn how to develop stronger business models and planning from for-profit leaders, for-profit leaders can develop a stronger understanding of the complexities of creating sustained and holistic social and environmental impact through their businesses. We will also enhance participants' readiness for go-to-market strategies, application of regenerative business principles, and systems thinking while considering their 2-3-year organizational growth and impact plans.

Stories

A series of entries from our Walking Softer community that  inform, inspire and support change on our planet.

Subscribe to the Walking Softer email newsletter

Be the Changemaker - join our email list for the latest news and opportunities.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.