Oct 2026
2026 IgnitED Award Winners
Inaugural Beacon Award Winner: Tysha Hardy-Sellers, Program Director, Education and Youth Programs, Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Beacon Award recognizes leaders who activate their investments and relationships in the field to illuminate and fill critical gaps in the learning ecosystem, guiding the rest of the field with innovative, scalable models.
Tysha Hardy-Sellers is honored for her steadfast leadership, generosity, and unwavering commitment to strengthening the youth-serving sector. Through bold, trust-based philanthropy, she has championed transformative investments in youth programs, worker well-being, and organizational capacity, creating more equitable opportunities for young people and the adults who support them. A respected mentor, collaborator, and field leader, Tysha's influence continues to guide organizations, uplift communities, and illuminate new possibilities for the future of education philanthropy.
Torchbearer Award Winner: Laurie Dien, Vice President and Executive Director for Programs, The Pinkerton Foundation
The Torchbearer Award honors visionary leaders who are committed to equitable education systems where all learners thrive.
Laurie Dien is honored for her visionary leadership and lasting contributions to expanding opportunity for young people. Over nearly three decades, she has helped shape workforce development and career-connected learning through initiatives that provide mentorship, paid internships, and research opportunities to thousands of learners. Through her collaborative approach to philanthropy and commitment to equity, Laurie has strengthened organizations, developed leaders, and built systems that continue to create pathways to success for young people across New York City and beyond.
Kindle Award Winner: Doris Juarez, Project Manager, Postsecondary Education, Strada Education Foundation
The Kindle Award honors emerging grantmakers with fewer than five years of experience in philanthropy making insightful or innovative contributions to the field.
Doris Juarez is recognized for bringing fresh perspectives, innovation, and a deep commitment to equity to education philanthropy. Combining experience in educational research, student support, and philanthropy, she has helped strengthen grantmaking strategy, streamline partner engagement, and develop new tools to expand collaboration across the field. Through her data-informed and people-centered approach, Doris is helping shape more equitable pathways to postsecondary success and opportunity for learners nationwide.
Fusion Award Winner: Fund IRL Coalition
The Fusion Award honors collaborative efforts that creatively address challenges and advance learner opportunities.
The Fund IRL Coalition is recognized for its innovative and collaborative effort to secure new investments in young people's well-being and opportunity. Launched through the partnership of philanthropic leaders and the Children's Funding Project, the coalition has built a nationwide network of advocates working to ensure that potential social media litigation settlements support youth-serving programs, mental health services, and community-based opportunities. Their bold approach has strengthened field capacity, advanced cross-sector collaboration, and created new pathways to invest in the healthy development of young people.
Catalyst Award Winner: Ron Ottinger, Executive Director, STEM Next Opportunity Fund
The Catalyst Award honors leaders or organizations that go beyond their grantmaking to spur position change in education spaces and systems and increase access and opportunity for learners.
Ron Ottinger is recognized for transforming access to STEM learning through visionary leadership, coalition building, and a commitment to opportunity for all learners. Over more than two decades, he has helped shape a national movement around out-of-school-time STEM education, leading initiatives such as the Million Girls Moonshot, which engaged millions of young people and expanded access to high-quality STEM experiences in all 50 states. Through strategic partnerships, thought leadership, and field-building efforts, Ron has elevated STEM learning as essential to learners' futures and strengthened the systems and networks that support their success.