Philadelphia, PA– Barefoot College International, Food for All Africa and Kheyti have been named as winners of the 2026 Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize. Chosen from an applicant pool of over 300 organizations, all three winners are guaranteed an unrestricted financial award of $150,000 as well as executive training and support from both the Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania. One grand prize winner be announced at an in-person award ceremony in April.
To see all the winners, click here.
“For 15 years, the Lipman Family Prize has exemplified Wharton’s commitment to advancing organizations that combine bold leadership with measurable social impact. Each year, we are inspired by the ingenuity and resilience of these leaders, and we are proud to partner with them as they scale solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Erika James, Dean of the Wharton School.
In addition to the financial award, all three winners gain access to a growing community of change-makers and thought leaders that accelerate cutting-edge impact worldwide. The Prize connects these organizations on the cusp of great change with the resources and skills to expand the impact and influence of their work. Benefits include tuition-free executive education programs, scholarship opportunities like the Lipman Nonprofit Scholarship, peer learning events, as well as expert and student-driven research to inform and support their work.
“When Marie and I established the Prize, our goal was to stand alongside nonprofit leaders at pivotal moments in their growth. Fifteen years later, that commitment is stronger than ever. As we celebrate this milestone year, we are honored to welcome these exceptional organizations into the Lipman community and to support their continued pursuit of transformative, lasting impact,” said Barry Lipman, W’70, founder of the Lipman Family Prize.
About the 2026 Lipman Winners
Barefoot College International trains rural women worldwide as solar engineers, educators, and entrepreneurs, expanding renewable energy access while advancing economic and energy independence.
Food for All Africa combats food waste and nutrition insecurity in Ghana by operating West Africa’s first and largest food bank, rescuing surplus food and converting organic waste into valuable resources through a circular model.
Kheyti doubles smallholder incomes, protecting them from extreme weather, and makes agriculture significantly more sustainable through its low-cost, modular Greenhouse-in-a-Box, an ultra-low-cost greenhouse bundled with end-to-end services.
About the Lipman Family Prize
First awarded in 2012, the Lipman Family Prize at the University of Pennsylvania is an annual global prize that honors nonprofit organizations based on their leadership, impact, innovation, and transferability of ideas. Administered by the Wharton School on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania, the Prize is committed to resourcing and connecting change-makers to bring their leading solutions to new places and problems around the world. Previous grand prize winners include iDE, READ Global, Breakthrough, Riders for Health, Soccer Without Borders, Women Against Abuse, MyAgro, World Bicycle Relief, Sanku, EarthEnable, CDD Society, Build Up Nepal, Seacology, and Barbershops Books.
About the Wharton School
Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 100,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs, and thousands of pre-collegiate students explore business concepts through Wharton’s Global Youth Program. More than 105,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. For more information, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.