Global Citizen Prize

Celebrating Action. Accelerating Impact.

The Global Citizen Prize celebrates remarkable changemakers who are taking exceptional actions to end extreme poverty NOW.

These extraordinary activists keep the world’s poor at the forefront of their life’s work, take exceptional actions to end extreme poverty in their own communities, and foster social change across the globe.

INTRODUCING THE 2026 WINNERS

Cisco Youth Leadership

Diana Virgovicova

📍 Slovakia; Canada
📣 Founder & CEO | Xatoms

Diana Virgovicova is the Founder and CEO of Xatoms, a water technology company using AI and quantum chemistry to develop new materials that purify polluted water. Originally from a small village in Slovakia, she made her first scientific discovery at 17, designing a molecule for water purification. A University of Toronto scholar, she now leads global pilot projects across multiple continents. Virgovicova has been recognized by the World Economic Forum and is a passionate mentor supporting young, especially women, entrepreneurs in science and climate.

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EDUCATION

Anoushka Sinha

📍 India
📣 Social Entrepreneur & Human Rights Activist | Anupam Foundation

Anoushka Sinha is an award-winning social entrepreneur and human rights activist who has impacted over one million lives since starting her advocacy at age 10. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, she focuses on gender equality and education. Her work has been recognized by institutions including the World Bank, UNICEF, and UN Women, and she serves as one of the youngest advisors to the World Bank’s S4YE initiative.

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Health

Krystal Mwesiga Birungi

📍 Uganda
📣 Research & Outreach Associate | Uganda Virus Research Institute / Target Malaria

Krystal Mwesiga Birungi is an entomologist and malaria advocate with over a decade of experience in malaria research and community engagement. She works with Target Malaria Uganda, advancing research on mosquito populations while building public understanding of scientific innovations. A global health advocate, she has represented Uganda at major international forums and is recognized as a Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Champion and Obama Foundation Africa Leader.

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Food Security

Tawonga Nyirenda

📍 Malawi
📣 Founder & CEO | SeedBiz

Tawonga Nyirenda is a sustainability entrepreneur and founder of SeedBiz, an agri-tech company transforming organic waste into animal feed and fertilizer using insect-based technology. Her work supports smallholder farmers, reduces waste, and strengthens food systems. Through SeedBiz, she has supported hundreds of farmers and advanced climate-smart, circular agriculture solutions in Malawi.

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Clean Energy

Dysmus Kisilu

📍 Kenya
📣 Co-Founder & CEO | Solar Freeze

Dysmus Kisilu is a climate-tech entrepreneur and Co-Founder & CEO of Solar Freeze, which provides solar-powered cold storage and AI tools to help farmers reduce post-harvest losses and increase income. His work combines renewable energy and inclusive business models to strengthen food security across East Africa. He has received global recognition, including awards from Duke University and UCLA, for scaling climate impact.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Global Citizen Prize?

Global Citizen Prize is an awards program that shines a light on activists around the world who keep these world’s poor at the forefront of their life’s work. We bring together the winners from around the world to kick off a year of celebrating their incredible work at an awards reception and dinner in NYC.

Successful candidates will benefit from the Prize program of support, including a year-long schedule of activities to champion and progress their campaigns; Prize winners will also receive a USD $10,000 unrestricted grant in support of their work.

Unlike other awards, we do not garner nominations via the public. Instead open up the nomination process to Global Citizen partners across the sector to help us identify individuals.

What is the Cisco Youth Leadership Award?

The Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award was established by Cisco and Global Citizen to recognize and lift up a young person positively impacting the world, demonstrate the impact that young people are having on achieving the United Nations’ Global Goals, and accelerate global problem solving.

The Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award honors an individual aged 18-30 who has contributed meaningfully towards the goal of ending extreme poverty. The award includes a US $250,000 prize paid to the organization to which the individual contributes.

What is Global Citizen?

Global Citizen is the world's largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty NOW. The voices of millions of Global Citizens around the world are driving lasting change towards sustainability, equality, and humanity by taking action every day.

We post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen to act — government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens — together improving lives.

By downloading our app, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards with tickets to events, products, subscriptions, and more.

Global Citizens have taken over 30.4 million actions since 2009. Today, these actions, in combination with high-level advocacy work, have led to over $41.4 billion being distributed to our partners around the world, impacting 1.15 billion lives in the fight to end extreme poverty.

You can learn more about our impact here: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/impact/

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