“The one thing I've learned is: you don't have to sit in a certain seat to make a power move. You can look and dig deep inside—if you have it in you, all you have to do is bring it out.” —Crystal Feliciano
The impact of the year we just experienced—and its ongoing role in shaping our daily lives and collective future—is still unfolding. There is much we don’t know. But there is one thing we do know, and that we can say with certainty really, really matters. There’s one thing that can turn a bad situation worse, or spark hope in the midst of chaos: leadership.
Leadership isn't always visible or recognized, but it's happening all the time. Often coming from people who we won't read about, or who will never show up on the nightly news. Leaders aren't just people in well-known positions; leaders are the people in our lives who make a difference. The people who step up. Who say yes when it really counts.
Amidst the tumult and loss of this unfathomable year, countless people—friends, family members, neighbors, loved ones, and total strangers—have helped us get through. They’ve helped us begin to heal. And they’ve helped us imagine the future we want to build together.
From Beirut to Istanbul, Kenya to Indonesia, New York to North Carolina, and thousands of communities in between, leaders have stepped up to protect vulnerable groups, to coordinate disaster relief and emergency response, and to provide essential services. They’ve equipped citizens to exercise their democratic rights. They’ve raised millions (and sometimes billions) of dollars for causes they care about, given support to those in isolation, provided meals to their neighbors, and recruited thousands of volunteers—medical and otherwise. They’ve fought, and are continuing to fight, racism and xenophobia. They are organizing everyday for humanity and inclusion.
And they’ve done it all while going fully digital—creating online hubs for organizations, schools, and families. They’ve transformed historic events like Earth Day’s 50th anniversary into a 12-hour virtual experience, and worked to tackle digital exclusion.
We are honored to work with such extraordinary leaders. In our 2020 Year in Review, we do our best to shine a light on what they’ve built and what they continue to build. Please join us in celebrating them.
