2014 Grinnell Prize Winners Announced

The 2014 Grinnell Prize — a $100,000 award honoring young innovators in social justice — will be presented by Grinnell College to founders of two organizations making the world a healthier, cleaner place.

The winners were selected from among 211 nominees who represent 34 countries and serve a total of 43 nations through their work.

Winners

Lindsay Stradley and Ani Vallabhaneni, co-founders of Sanergy, which builds and franchises Fresh Life toilets that improve sanitation and public health, create jobs, and convert waste into valuable byproducts such as organic fertilizer in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kiah Williams and Adam Kircher, co-founders and directors of SIRUM (Supporting Initiatives to Redistribute Unused Medicine) , which saves lives by administering the redistribution of surplus prescription medications to California residents who cannot afford their prescriptions.

The largest prize for social justice awarded by a college, the Grinnell Prize is presented annually to leaders under 40 who make creative innovations in social justice. Half of each $100,000 prize goes to the individual winners, and the other half to their organizations.

The 2014 Grinnell Prize medals will be presented at an awards ceremony at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, in Herrick Chapel at Grinnell College and will be viewable live at www.grinnell.edu/livestream.

The ceremony will include a keynote address by Charlayne Hunter-Gault. The award-winning journalist, author and civil rights activist will discuss “My Sixties: Reflections on Coming of Age in the ‘Miracle Decade’ and Enduring Lessons.”

The award winners also will participate in the Grinnell Prize Symposium from Oct. 6–10. They will give public presentations about their work and meet with students, faculty, staff, and the wider community to discuss their approaches to social justice, sources of inspiration, and success in overcoming obstacles. All Grinnell Prize events are free and open to the public.

See the winner’s page for more information about the winners and their organizations.