Presented by: Bernard Brown, National and Community Service
1st Place: Hon. Lori A. Dumas, Judge, Court of Common Pleas. Judge Dumas created a diversionary court for juvenile victims of human trafficking. Judge Dumas goes above and beyond to put the broken pieces of the lives of these juvenile victims back together.
The Honorable Lori Dumas contributes “Receiving this award will be both an honor and privilege and I am further motivated to continue to seek out creative ways to serve those who are in need”.
2nd Place: Alex Epstein, Urban Creators. Alex co-created Urban Creators (UC), a nonprofit that focuses on youth violence prevention and community equity, through the lenses of urban farming, food justice, community resiliency, and art. Innovation is not just the newest tech or app that's saving the world's problems; Alex is an on-the-ground innovator. He and UC take very old issues and ancient practices to create a new way of solving these issues in solidarity with and to create equity for frontline organizers and communities.
Mr. Epstein states “Receiving the 2017 Social Innovation award affirms the impact of our organization on the peace and equity of North Philadelphia. We look forward to connecting with other social innovators, entrepreneurs, change makers, and urban creators so that we can all increase our collective impact on Philadelphia.”
3rd Place: Charlotte DiBartolomeo, Red Kite Project. Charlotte is a woman of integrity who is uncommonly kind. She is a successful businesswoman, and an exceptional leader and mentor to her staff. She leads by example and works hard to maintain relationships both professionally and personally. Charlotte's creation of Red Kite Project and the work she does with the company help organizations by approaching conflict as an opportunity for transformation, which builds community and creates resilience for clients on individual and organizational levels.
Ms. DiBartolomeo states, “Red Kite Project’s mission is to facilitate initiatives that foster compassion, healing, and sustainable peace. To be acknowledged by the Philadelphia Social Innovations community is a great honor and a reminder that our work is only sustainable if we collaborate with others who share that commitment. Thank you!”