EmpoweringaGlobalWaveofLeaders
Aspire Institute: 2024 Year in Review
Message From the Directors 2024hasbeenatransformativeyearfor AspireInstitute.Weexpandedourreachto 190+countries,received115,000+applications, andawardedover$100,000USDinfinancial awardstoouralumni-thanksto700+global partners,fourlocalFoundriesinBangalore, Istanbul,Lahore,andSãoPaulo,andasmall groupofindividualdonors.
In2025,wearelaunchingatechnology platformtoexpandourreachtomillionsof learnerswhilefosteringavibrantglobal community.Designedtoenhance engagement,peerconnections,andimpact, Aspire’splatformwillalsooffervaluable featurestokeepalumniconnectedand benefitingaspartofthisgrowingnetwork.
WeinviteyoutodiveintothisYearinReview toexploretheincrediblejourneysofAspire participantsfromaroundtheglobe—stories oftransformation,inspiration,andbigdreams comingtolife!
Our Key Impact in 2024
190+ Countries
115,000+ Applications
$100,000 AwardedtoAlumni
Karim Lakhani
Foundations of Aspire: Our Mission and Goals Talentisuniversal,butopportunityisnot.AtAspire Institute,ourmissionistoempowerfirst-generation, low-incomecollegestudentsgloballytopursuetheir createanimpactintheircommunities.Byconnecting globalnetwork,weempowerthemtomastersoftskills
Program (ELP) ELPextendstheleadershiplearningjourneyofthe alumnibyprovidingregionalmentorship,fundingfor academicandprofessionalgrowth,andin-country opportunitiestomakealocalimpactthrough volunteeringandaction-orientedprojects..
The Aspire Leaders Program (ALP) ALPparticipantshaveaccesstoexceptional personalandprofessionaldevelopment opportunities,aleadershipcoursedesignedand deliveredbyHarvardfaculty,andlivemasterclasses
“Together, we are creating ripples that transform lives, communities, and the world.” -RizreenSiraj,ExtendedLeadership ProgramLead
ALPAlumnigatheredforaChai+ChateventinNairobi, Kenya,withCarrieElkinsandIngridMonson.
ALPalumnigatheredinPakistanduringavisit fromCEO,MeenaSonea.
AspireInstitute’sPakistan Foundryco-hostedan eventwiththeCenterfor EconomicResearchin Pakistan(CERP)to connectprogramalumni withresearch,analytics, andhumancapital developmentexperts.
July Aspire’s'BuildingOnline Communities'eventdrewa globalaudienceof700, exploringhowonline platformsandprogramslike theAspireLeadersProgram canfostermeaningful networksforpersonaland professionalgrowth.
AspireInstitutegatheredover 200youngleaderstoguide themincraftingtheirelevator pitchestoshowcasetheirskills andexperiencesinnetworking andjobinterviews.
August AspireInstitute’sCEO,Meena Sonea,traveledtoPakistan, India,andTürkiyetoconnect withpast,present,andfuture AspireLeadersProgram participants.Hervisitfocused onforginglasting partnershipsandcreating newopportunitiesto empowerfirst-generation universitystudentsinthese keyregions.
OurMarchMentorshipSeries sessiongathered269alumni fromdifferentcountriestohear fromJonathanKempner, PresidentEmeritusofTIGER21 andCounselortotheHarvard LawSchoolProjectonDisability. Alumnigainedinsightsonthe powerofnetworkingand maintainingconnections.
September BostonUniversitystudentsHailee Helfrick’25andMasonYates ’25,bothfirst-generationcollege students,sharedinsightsfrom theirAspireInstitutesummer internship.Theyreflectedontheir experiencesthroughthelensof “Trust:CreatingtheFoundation forEntrepreneurshipin DevelopingCountries”byAspire co-founderandHBSprofessor TarunKhanna,connectingits lessonstotheirworkandfuture goals.
April AspireLeadersProgram
alumnafromBrazil,Linda Fraga,visitedtheAspire Instituteoffice,sharingher journeyandhernewrole asBrandLead&SocialMedia ManageratAspire’sGlobal PartnerOrganization, OneLeague.
Santos,alongwithalumna Jennifferandateamof10 volunteers,havebuilt partnershipswithover50 organizationsacrossBrazil. Theireffortshavedrivena significantincreasein applications,risingfrom200 in2022toover2,600in2024.
October AspireInstitutemovedtoour newheadquartersin Cambridge,MA,TheLink, allowingustoworkina wonderfulcollaborativespace. Intheverysamemonth,we heldalaunchpartyonlinewith 350peopletocommemorate theopeningofour2025Aspire LeadersProgramapplication.
AtAspireInstitute’sannual staffretreat,theteam focusedon'scaling agency,'collaboratingon waystoenhanceimpact in2025. Keypriorities includedstrengthening technology,expanding globalpartnerships,and pilotinganAIpowered advancedleadership programtoequipalumni
November Over500peoplejoinedour onlineeventopentoallto hearfromthreetalented professionals,Sabahat Bokhari,AldahirCaballero, andZarekMartinez,ALP‘22 aboutfindingpurposeintheir endeavorsandsettingtheir whyandintentionsasthey progressintheirnextsteps.
December Aspireclosed2024byspotlighting theworkofourthreeSTEAMFellows, NisaTurgut,PrajjwalDhungana, andTheophilusBarasa. Duringthe year,theydevelopedinnovative researchprojects,enactingpositive changeintheircommunities.
4
Program Impact Overallpre-andpost-programscoreswerecalculatedforeachattribute,andtheaveragechangeacross allrespondentswasanalyzed,revealingstatisticallysignificantimprovementsacrossallattributes. Communicationskillsshowedthehighestmeanincrease(11.44%),followedbyinterculturalcompetency (8.84%)andleadershippropensity(8.06%).
Percentage of Participants Showing Positive vs. No Impact in Core Aributes (N=7,554) Average Percentage Improvement in Core Aributes (2024 ALP) InterculturalcompetencyLeadershippropensityRisk-takingpropensitySocialimpactinclinationCriticalthinkingskills Self-confidence Growthmindset
Foreachcoreattribute,apositivechangewasrecordedifaparticipant’spost-testscoreincreasedonat leastonequestion.Ifallresponseswithinacategoryremainedunchangedorshowedanetdecrease,the resultwasclassifiedas“noimpact.”
Acrossallattributes,themajorityofparticipantsreportednetpositiveimprovement.Thehighestwas self-confidence(81%),followedcloselybyrisk-takingpropensity(80%).Additionally,75%reportedanenhanced abilitytocreatesocialimpact,while74%showedimprovedcommunicationskillsandleadershippropensity. Growthmindset(67%)alsosawstrongimprovements.Criticalthinkingandinterculturalcompetency experiencednotablepositiveshifts,withoverhalfofparticipantsreportingimprovement.
Transformative Stories of Aspire Alumni AspireInstitute’salumniaretruechangemakers,sparkingtransformationintheircommunitiesandbeyond. Thisyear,wespotlightteninspiringAspirealumswhoaremakingwaves.Armedwiththeleadership, confidence,andglobalconnectionsgainedthroughAspire,theseyoungvisionariesaretakingonsomeofthe world’smostpressingsocialandeconomicchallenges—andmakingarealdifference.
Eden Amajo, Ethiopia
Preventive Healthcare Advocacy
Aspire Seed Fund Winner
Mobilizing communities to combat non-communicable diseases.
Impact: 671 individuals screened 30+ professionals mobilized
"Leadership is about action, not position. Empower others to lead, and the ripples of impact will grow exponentially."
Baran Örnek, Türkiye Co-Founder Climate Pioneers
Aspire Alumni Volunteer
Empowering youth to tackle climate change with actionable solutions.
Impact: 12 projects implemented 10,000+ people reached
"[ALP was] really helpful to make me learn about new approaches on leadership. I’ve used these to lead more eectively."
Kamal ul Din, Pakistan Environmental Action in Rural Communities
Aspire Alumni Volunteer
Turning plastic waste into creative solutions and planting sustainable futures.
Impact: 300 recycled products
100 trees planted 2,000+ lives touched
"Challenges are inevitable, but they are also opportunities to learn, adapt, and grow."
Feda Mohammadi, Afghanistan Improving Access to Education
2024 Diana Award Winner
Empowering marginalized Afghan youth to break barriers and access global education through the Afghan Scholars Academy.
Impact: 3,000 students empowered 86% female participation
"Helping even one person can lead to a chain reaction of positive change"
Menia Kaputa, Malawi Urban Sustainability Advocate
Aspire Seed Fund winner
Driving environmental awareness and economic empowerment in urban spaces.
Impact: 2,800 families impacted through the Climate Shield Initiative
"Aspire taught me that leaders are made, not born."
Lily Tang, USA Advocating for Indigenous Voices in Taiwan
Aspire Seed Fund winner
Using storytelling to preserve cultural heritage and inspire action.
Impact: 100 individuals
"Passion, purpose, and persistence are the keys to inspiring transformative change."
Roshan Panigrahi, India Inclusive Education for Visually Impaired Students
Aspire Seed Fund Winner
Creating accessible learning materials for underserved communities.
Impact: 150+ students supported with braille resources
"Even the smallest act of leadership can set o ripples that create waves of change."
Rafael Borba, Brazil Dementia Awareness and Prevention
Aspire Seed Fund Winner
Introducing innovative healthcare solutions to improve Dementia care for the elderly within the Brazil Healthcare system
Impact: 70+ elderly individuals supported "Change often begins with small, consistent eorts that build momentum."
Telassim Tammy Valentina Lazaro Quispe, Bolivia Tackling Unemployment
Aspire Seed Fund Award Winner
Launched ‘Atygua’, a digital platform to tackle unemployment among low-income individuals
Impact: 500 users in pilot phase
" Aspire oered me the chance to learn from diverse perspectives beyond my country
Behind the Scenes Aspire'simpactwouldn’tbepossiblewithoutthededicatedindividualsworkingbehindthescenes.Ourglobal networkofstaff,faculty,mentors,andvolunteersworktirelesslytoempowerthenextgenerationofleaders. Meetthepeoplewhobringourmissiontolife.
STAFF AND INTERNS DrivingAspire’smissionday-to-day,ourteamof11fullandpart-timestaffand4internsensureseamless operationsandparticipantengagementacross195countries.
ASPIRE VOLUNTEERS AsavitalpartoftheAspirecommunity,our83alumnivolunteersenhancetheparticipantexperience, strengthenin-countryconnections,andfostermeaningfulnetworking.
Moderators Alumnimoderatorsplaya crucialroleinretentionand engagement,facilitating peerdiscussionsand providingsupport.
Faculty & Content Experts 50+facultymembersdeliver world-classMasterclassesequipping participantswithcriticalleadership andprofessionalskills.
College. Community Leaders Spreadacross10 top-sourcingcountries, theseleadersstrengthen Aspire’slocalpresenceby organizingoutreachand networkingevents.
Domain Leaders Theseleadersengage industryexpertstohost specializedonlinesessions, offeringinsightstoalumni acrossdiversesectors.
Mentors Our12mentorsprovidedvaluableprofessional adviceinthemonthlymentorshipseries,helping Aspirealumscontinuetheirleadership developmentjourneys.
“To connect with students who are going to be in the decision-making chair in their own career, I find this my unique opportunity to help young people think beyond themselves and about society as a whole.” –Can Erbil, Masterclass Faculty, Boston College CanErbil,Professor,Boston
Financials
1. Annual Budget Growth
Leadership Council ($500K-$2M)
● ChrisTorto
● MarceloClaure
● StéphaneandBrendaBancel
● ThierryPorte
Foundry Champions ● Brazil:ChrisTorto
● India:AlokKshirsagarandSwatiApte,Naveen Tewari,NeerajBharadwaj
● Pakistan:MohammedKhaishgi,FaheenAllibhoy, OmarChughtai,OsmanWaheed
● Turkey:OnursalKocatepe,OrhunKartal,Ozlem Denizmen,SinaAfra,NejatTurkmen,andSemihEmin Akbulut.
$8,000,000
$6,000,000
$4,000,000
$2,000,000
$0
2. Fundraising Progress and Goals
$8,000,000
"Our ambitious fundraising goals will enable us to scale Aspire’s impact to reach 1 million students by 2027." – Professor Tarun Khanna, Co-founder, Aspire Institute. TarunKhanna,MarceloClaure,MeenaSonea,KarimLakhani.
Withincreasedparticipationandprogramefficiencies,Aspire’scostperstudentcontinuestodecrease, maximizingthevalueofeverydonorcontribution
$40,00
RelationshipManagement(CRM)systemstodeliveraseamlessuserexperience,automatemanualprocesses, andpreparetheplatformforscalablegrowthandglobaladoption.
• ExpansionoflocalFoundriesintop-sourcingcountrieslikeBolivia,Chile,Mexico,Nigeria,andtheUS.
Cost Per Enrollee
CEOMeenaSoneainteractswithALPAlumniinPakistan.
Ways to Give: Be a Part of the Ripple Eect Join the wave and support Aspire’s mission to empower the leaders of tomorrow!
Donate Fund a Foundry
Make a one-time or recurring contribution to sustain our impact.
Support leadership initiatives in India, Pakistan, Brazil, and Turkey. Opportunity to fund future Foundries in other countries. "
Volunteer Partner Share your expertise as a mentor or program supporter. Collaborate with us to drive meaningful change.
"Join us in shaping the future of global leadership. To learn more about supporting Aspire, visit www.aspireleaders.org or scan the QR code below."
255 Main Street, 8th Floor, Cambridge MA 02142 www.aspireleaders.org
