Taco Bell Foundation Ambition Accelerator Look Book

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We are so excited to celebrate these 26 teams from across 14 states for their ideas for positive impact. Their work to create new spaces for connection and growth and build a more inclusive society has earned them a spot at the inaugural Ambition Accelerator Summit.

From using technology to tackle health inequality to creating new spaces for young people to lead, these 26 changemaking teams exemplify what we mean when we talk about bold ambition. They have each won $1,000 toward advancing their project. At the Ambition Accelerator Summit, they will further hone their ideas, build their leadership skills, and connect with other young leaders.

The Taco Bell Foundation Ambition Accelerator is a partnership between Taco Foundation and Ashoka to accelerate young innovators’ most ambitious social impact ideas. Together, we aim to drive a world where every young person is a changemaker because we believe that equitably accelerating young people’s ideas will feed a better future. Our ultimate goal is a society that recognizes the power of everyone to make change and transform the world.

BEING

Sophia and Eowyn

BEING celebrates young women as they are, helping them embrace their inner worth and regain control over their identities and bodies. The organization aims to overcome a social environment that places an unhealthy emphasis on how young women look and perform by hosting monthly seminars on topics such as fatphobia, toxic productivity and diet culture. Their Instagram account features daily affirmations and challenges to unrealistic societal expectations. They currently reach 24K followers on this platform and aim to reach more than 1,000 girls with their programming.

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Black Girls Talk

Black Girls Talk provides a safe space and youth development resources for Black girls ages 14-18 to connect, discuss challenges they face, receive mentorship and feel supported and empowered. They facilitate a range of activities, including a monthly speaker series featuring Black women working in STEM, business and activism. They also host workshops for educators that challenge the adultification of Black girls and offer instruction on building safe spaces for BIPOC students. They aim to offer new programming including job shadowing and tours of HBCUs to help them further achieve their success goal: increasing confidence, self-perception and access to academic and career exploration resources for Black girls.

Kayley and Ymorah

taco bell foundation Ambition Accelerator

Cepha

Cepha is a low-cost, early-intervention tool to detect Parkison's disease that is both patient and provider friendly. The application is 98 percent accurate and can be taken in under five minutes to help diagnose the disease in patients with less prominent symptoms. The application uses sensor data that tests for symptoms such as voice and hand tremors to generate a report doctors can use to validate diagnoses. The development of this tool aims to decrease misdiagnoses of this disease, especially among early-stage patients with less prominent symptoms that don’t meet diagnostic criteria. They aim to pilot the tool at 10 medical centers and are currently working to connect other aspiring changemakers in healthcare with experts in the field.

Ramya and Nitya

Duniya House

Duniya House provides free housing to refugees in Greece who are experiencing homelessness, offering them a foundation to rebuild their lives post-displacement. The organization was founded by two young women with refugee backgrounds in response to the Greek government’s eviction of thousands of refugees from UN-subsidized housing. In addition to safe and dignified housing, Duniya also offers access to in-house education, translation and resources, including a community support officer who acts as an advisor and friend. Fifty-four individuals have transitioned out of Duniya so far, and they aim to expand their housing services to 200 more people in the next three years.

Ghania and Lena

Equity Reach Healthcare

Equity Reach Healthcare (E-ReacH) is a mobile application that simulates real life, teaching users health strategies through fun and engaging virtual education modules. Users take care of avatars as they would take care of themselves, learning health behaviors, tracking their progress and taking part in a virtual support community. E-Reach aims to tackle health disparities in underserved populations, offering culturally tailored health information to give users better control over their health outcomes and inspire long-term behavior changes. Looking forward, E-ReacH is hoping to invite stakeholders in the medical field such as doctors and researchers to contribute to the app and support its distribution.

Kimberly and Daniel

taco bell foundation Ambition Accelerator

Etana

Designed by and for women, is a cost-effective device that enables women without identification, including those without internet or electricity, to create a unique digital ID to participate digitally, financially, socially and politically in public sector systems and services. Forty-five percent of women in low-income countries lack identification, barring them from formal property ownership and the ability to vote, collect money or receive government services. Etana closes this gender and poverty gap by using blockchain technology to create an online ID with a unique math-based signature that is highly protected and easily accessible.

Etana

Elizabeth

taco bell foundation Ambition Accelerator

taco

Harish and Mahi

Guardial is a discreet, personal safety app that protects users from harassment by triggering a simulated incoming call that acts as a deterrent to potential threats. Guardial aims to give atrisk groups like women the ability to take control of their safety, combat harassment crimes and more easily remove themselves from threatening situations. This app also offers quick access to 911 and the ability to record evidence of harassment. They have over 500 beta testers who provide feedback on the product and a five-star rating.

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Habikit

aims to protect and restore bee habitat in Southern Appalachia through planter kits filled with bee-friendly flowers that thrive in the region. Thirty to fifty percent of native bees are highly specialized, meaning that when plants disappear, they do too. And this year, there was a 45.5 percent decrease in honeybee populations nationally. Habikit is tackling this alarming decline through the provision of their low-maintenance habitat restoration kits, which are suitable for use in rural and urban spaces and easy to transport. Habikit aims to install 100 kits in the region next year, ultimately scaling to other parts of the country and creating a bee-friendly habitat certification program to hold businesses, schools and cities accountable for their bee populations.

Emily and Gowri

taco bell foundation Ambition Accelerator

Instruments Inspire

George and Kyle

Instruments Inspire is dedicated to removing barriers to music access and closing the inequality gap in music education. They are working to make music more inclusive, diverse and accessible by donating instruments to under-resourced areas and hosting music education events in partnership with other initiatives in their community. In the last six months this has included a partnership with a local culture festival to teach kids about percussion and work with a community theater to organize an instrument drive. In August, they are launching a summer program in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension to enrich the music education of elementary school children and teach them music fundamentals.

KidAction

is an educational app that trains young people, especially those in rural communities, to make change in their communities while building skills, increasing college readiness and sharpening their public policy knowledge. The app will encourage youth to start their own action-based research projects, guiding them through the process of identifying problems in their community, conducting research and taking their first steps. Down the road, they aim for KidAction to be incorporated into classrooms and afterschool programs across the country.

Ahmya

Lydia

taco bell foundation Ambition Accelerator

Leaders Across the World

Lucia and Jean

Leaders Across the World is a free virtual initiative to democratize exchange experiences, giving international participants ages 11-18 the opportunity to connect with peers and explore global issues. Beyond offering a space for cross-cultural learning and skills-building, their six-week curriculum prepares participants to develop communitybased projects, exploring themes such as mental health, poverty and discrimination. The program has already connected more than 500 students from 52 countries through six exchange programs.

LookUpp

Lookupp is a community-powered app that improves the mental health of teenage and older students by encouraging them to engage in more offline social interactions. Since the 1980s, offline social activities have decreased by half among teens and college students. Lookupp encourages social connection by nudging users to put down their phones when chosen loved ones are around. It is the first community-owned screentime app, and they are currently exploring incentives to offer participants, such as hosting special events for those who have reached a certain number of screen-free hours.

Samin and Vaishnab

Magical Motors

Rohan and Aanand

Magical Motors helps children ages 3-8 with developmental and motor disabilities regain autonomy and mobility through toy cars that are rewired to be hand-controlled instead of foot-powered. Most pediatric power wheelchairs are prohibitively expensive, while these toy cars are inexpensive and only take three hours to build. They can also be customized to the recipient’s liking. The organization teaches soldering and drilling to the young people remaking these cars, also preparing a new generation for careers in STEM. They are currently introducing the vehicles as rehabilitative technology in occupational clinics and pediatric hospitals while bringing their training program to schools across the country.

Mentalligence

Mentalligence is a free mental health program that brings together students from across New York City virtually to learn and try out a variety of therapy and self-care methods. The program expands access to psychological literacy and mental health counseling, providing youth with a safe space to grow socially and emotionally. The program overcomes barriers such as stigma or financial burdens that often bar youth from receiving mental health support. So far, they have worked with nearly 200 students from 18 high schools, and they are looking to expand their services and create an app with different therapies available for easy access.

Radiah

Abigail

taco bell foundation Ambition Accelerator moMUNtum

Mikhal and Patrick

moMUNtum works to make Model United Nations (MUN) more accessible, equitable and impactful by training conference organizers and students in facilitating conferences that are welcoming and inclusive. Students from well-resourced schools are overrepresented in MUN, and MUN spaces often are not inclusive of women and other minorities. moMUNtum’s network of young leaders across the country discusses, designs and delivers frameworks for equitable change in the MUN world. To date, they have designed trainings for over 1,000 students in the US and India, provided services and expertise to four national conferences and provided a platform for more than 50 contributors.

One World for STEAM

One World for STEAM is dedicated to increasing access to science, engineering, math and technology (STEAM) education in underresourced communities worldwide. They offer STEAM programming through camps, mentorship during the college application period and community resources. Core to their mission is bringing a passion for STEAM to all communities, not just engaging young people, but also educators, parents and community leaders.

Zahra and Shan

taco bell foundation Ambition Accelerator

Oystilter

is a small, scalable device that filters molecules harmful to water systems by mimicking the processes oysters use to clean water. The Oystilter team aims to conserve and revive ocean wildlife, filling a gap caused by the decline of the eastern oyster in the Chesapeake Bay water systems. Like an oyster, Oystilter cleans water of nutrients that cause degradation. The devices will be able to communicate with each other and sensors on land, allowing them to form scalable reefs that can filter water as a connected system. The team has developed a physical model and algorithm, and in the coming months, they will develop the wireless connection and sensor systems needed to create a prototype.

Jessica and Pranav

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Pandion Institute

Devin and Clark

Pandion Institute is built around the conviction that Indigenous, Landbased ways of knowing and being are critical to the construction of a livable future for us all. They facilitate transformative and educational outdoor experiences that center Indigenous values, vision and voices and create a space for homecoming and Land-based cultural revitalization. They ran three Land-based programs in the summer of 2022, and they provide workforce development opportunities for Indigenous youth in outdoor recreation and natural resources work.

Robust Adaptive Network

Soumil and Ibraheem

Robust Adaptive Network (RAN) is a collection of robots that operate as a rescue network that can be deployed in disaster areas to provide internet access, distribute supplies and support rescue missions in allocating resources. Each robot will be equipped with a wifi router, cargo capacity and a live camera and can travel across land, water and air. The goal of RAN is to save lives and mitigate damage in disaster areas by providing essential services to those within the disaster zone.

ServUS

ServUS aims to connect passionate university student volunteers with socially innovative projects at nonprofits, empowering youth to lead the way towards a sustainable future while serving as a hub for changemaking. ServUS will be offered to students for free and will recruit volunteers through incentives such as career development and networking opportunities, along with food vouchers and discounts. They also aim to offer grants to local nonprofits down the line and are currently working with The Ohio State University to pilot their platform in the fall.

Yasmeen and Tabitha

She Shall Speak

Denia and

She Shall Speak is a podcast and global empowerment community working to amplify the intersectional narratives of Gen-Z Black girls. Their global community is a platform for Black girls to have their voices amplified, connect and collaborate on social projects – impacting over 300 girls across 22 states and 15 countries. This year, they’re highlighted the advocacy journeys of 15 changemakers, and moving forward, they will provide free leadership development workshops for girls in NJ and DC, along with mentorship opportunities, to support Black girls in leading the way for positive social change.

Terraclu

Terraclu is a mobile app and sensor that uses machine learning to identify the ideal temperature and humidity to maintain the freshness of fruits and vegetables as they ripen, using this data to recommend nearby locations where the produce can be stored. Thirty percent of food is wasted during storage and shipping – the organization aims to reduce this problem by offering a shipping solution that addresses food waste at the source. They are currently in the prototyping phase, building their app with large-scale farms, climate-controlled transporters and storage facilities in mind.

Sparkle and Amya

The OnyxIncubator

The Onyx Incubator is a creative and intensive free three-year program that supports youth who have experienced incarceration or qualify for an alternative to secure detention centers in building their creative and social skills in preparation for life after high school. Participating young people are able to stay in school and live at home as needed while building their skills with mentors and peers in preparation for their future. The program aims to reduce recidivism, offer access to top-tier mentorship and creative training and help those taking part reach their goals and dreams.

ThriftFest

ThriftFest is a sustainable fashion festival that promotes local artists, community groups and businesses creating sustainable fashion and art under the brand All That Vintage. The two to three-day event aims to move towards a more eco-friendly fashion future, promoting vintage clothing, upcycled cloth and eco-friendly garments, with a fourth of their proceeds going to support local homeless shelters. Their first event had over 500 attendees, 12 vendors and 10 artists attending. They are hoping to host ThiftFests across the United States, creating a new culture around buying sustainable fashion nationwide.

Tints Street wear

Simmi and Samir

Tints Streetwear is an educational initiative that teaches young people experiencing poverty in Bangladesh entrepreneurship skills through designing hand-embroidered streetwear. By offering classes in topics such as Adobe Creative Suite and creating design mockups, Tints generates income for the relief organization Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI). Their apparel features hand embroidery and generates revenue to support other children experiencing poverty through sales in Portland and Los Angeles stores. The brand has been promoted by ambassadors including A$AP ANT and ChaseTheMoney.

Youth International Leadership Initiative

(YILI) seeks to increase the involvement of diverse students and recent graduates in international affairs opportunities and careers. Through an online community, YILI provides mentorship, professional development, competitive job and scholarship application assistance and resume-building opportunities for underrepresented students. They are working to bring diverse voices to decision-making tables and make international affairs careers more accessible. They aim to reach more than 300 youth from Middle America with their programming and have already launched a flagship career development program with 15 students.

Kyla

Ciera

THE Taco Bell Foundation Ambition Accelerator!

Powered by the Taco Bell Foundation in partnership with changemaking organization Ashoka, the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs, and funded by Yum!’s Unlocking Opportunity Initiative, the Taco Bell Foundation Ambition Accelerator challenges young people to submit their venture ideas for the opportunity to participate in a program where they will grow their changemaking abilities, access funding, receive mentorship, and join a community of like-minded individuals.

For three decades, the Taco Bell Foundation has activated the potential of its Live Más scholars and has awarded $130 million in grants and scholarships focused on education and career readiness. The Taco Bell Foundation works to expand student access to education and fuels the bold ambitions of young people who want to create change in their communities and beyond.

For the last 40 years, Ashoka has supported social entrepreneurs and young changemakers as they bring new ideas to systemically address the world’s biggest challenges and build a world where we all realize our power to create change. Together, we aim to activate young people working to challenge the norm and disrupt existing systems and mindsets within their communities. For more information, reach out to us at ambition@ashoka.org