Mona Foundation hailed as a "Trailblazer" at 2022 Goalmakers Conference

Opening plenary of the 2022 Goalmakers Conference in Seattle, WA - All photos: Global WA

Mona Foundation was honored and widely applauded at the Global WA 2022 Goalmakers Conference and Women of the World breakfast, an annual two-day gathering of over 250 philanthropists from around the world all working to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This year's conference was held as a webinar on December 7th and in-person in Seattle, Washington on December 8th, the first time it had convened in-person since the pandemic. The theme for both days was "Co-Creation & Partnership".

Mona Founder and CEO Mahnaz Javid was honored as Featured Philanthropist at the Women of the World breakfast that kicked off the in-person conference. Her inspiring talk, during which she shared her own story and spoke about Mona's unique approach to philanthropy, received a standing ovation. Watch Mahnaz's talk here. It was an auspicious start to an incredible day.

All who attended received Global WA's 2023 Philanthropy Guide in which Mona was one of six featured nonprofits. The Guide included several photos from Mona partners, including on the cover, and reprinted our blog "Transforming Education to Build a Prosperous, Gender-Just Society."

During the morning breakout sessions, Mona Chief Operating Officer Laura Baerwolf participated in the panel discussion on Quality Education (SDG 4) alongside Hilda Nakabuye, Founder of Fridays for Future Uganda, and Gabriel Walder, CEO of Alliance for Children Everywhere. The session explored opportunities to work collaboratively together to improve access to quality education in the pandemic's aftermath. The audience was keenly interested in Mona's approach to partnering with grassroots initiatives.

Mona Foundation was highlighted by multiple presenters throughout the conference and hailed as a“Trailblazer” by keynote speaker Degan Ali, Executive Director of Adeso Africa, an internationally renowned humanitarian leader, champion for reforming the global aid and development ecosystem, and recent recipient of a $5M grant from MacKenzie Scott. (Learn more about Degan's work.) Watch the video below to hear Degan's comments about Mona.

We were thrilled to receive such amazing accolades from our peers! By the end of the conference it was clear that Mona Foundation's unique, efficient, and transformative approach to philanthropy, which we have been learning about and practicing for the past 23 years, is now being recognized and sought after as the leading edge in global development.

Slide title

Greeting friends at the Women of the World breakfast.

Button
Slide title

Happy to be together in-person at WoW for the first time since 2019.

Button
Slide title

Mona Account Manager Keith Gehrig at our display table.

Button
Slide title

Button
Slide title

Mahnaz introducing Laura to Michelle Frix, Seattle Foundation Chief Strategy Officer

Button
Slide title

Jenn Leff, Global Social Impact manager at Starbucks

Button
Slide title

Button
Slide title

Our dear friend and Mona supporter Marnie Jones-Koenig with Mahnaz and Laura

Button
Slide title

Christina Lowery, CEO of Girls Rising with Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, Girls Rising Fellow and Founder, Fridays for Future Uganda

Button
Slide title

Reading the GlobalWA 2023 Philanthropy Guide

Button
Slide title

Kristen Dailey, Global WA Executive Director, opens the Women of the World (WoW) breakfast

Button
Slide title

Girls Rising CEO Christina Lowery introducing WoW Keynote speaker

Button
Slide title

Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, one of Uganda's most powerful youth climate activists, gives the WoW keynote address.

Button
Slide title

Michelle Frix, Seattle Foundation Chief Strategy Officer, introduces Mahnaz Javid, Mona Founder and CEO, as the WoW Featured Philanthropist

Button
Slide title

Mahnaz takes the stage at Women of the World breakfast

Button
Slide title

Button
Slide title

Button
Slide title

Capturing Mahnaz's talk on video.

Button
Slide title

Jeanne Anyouzoa, Every Woman Treaty, listening to Mahanz's talk

Button
Slide title

Button
Slide title

Humbled at receiving a standing ovation following her talk.

Button
Slide title

Button
Slide title

Andrew Lyon, Mona's wonderful travel agent, talking with Sara Veltkamp, VP of Minerva Strategies

Button
Slide title

Goalmakers Conference opening plenary

Button
Slide title

Opening Keynote speaker, Enock Chikava, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, on his work in agricultural development.

Button
Slide title

Listening to opening keynote by Enock Chikava

Button
Slide title

Plenary panel on "Co-creation for Global Development" with Katie Young, SVP at Starbucks; Ashley Jackson, PATH; and Jennifer Butte-Dahl, APCO Worldwide

Button
Slide title

Breakout session on Peace and Justice (SDG 16) with Maura Donlan, Chandler Foundation; Reilly Martin, Open Contracting Partnership; and Serena Cosgrove, Seattle International Foundation

Button
Slide title

Breakout session on Quality Education (SDG 4) with panelists Hilda Falcia Nakabuye, Friday for Futures Uganda; Laura Baerwolf, Mona Foundation; and Gabriel Walder, Alliance for Children Everywhere.

Button
Slide title

Laura sharing Mona's experience at breakout session on Quality Education

Button
Slide title

Hilda talks about Future for Fridays Uganda at Quality Education breakout session

Button
Slide title

Gabriel Walder, CEO of Alliance for Children Everywhere, speaking at the Quality Education breakout.

Button
Slide title

Kimani Nyambura, Co-Founder of Kenya Kids Education Fund, facilitated the Quality Education breakout session

Button
Slide title

Breakout session on No Poverty (SDG 1) with representatives from Future of Fish, Open Road Alliance, Ecologists without Borders, and Dalberg

Button
Slide title

Akhtar Badshah, Founder and Chief Catalyst of Catalytic Innovators Group, introduces Degan Ali

Button
Slide title

Lunch plenary session with keynote spekar Degan Ali on stage.

Button
Slide title

Degan Ali, Founder of Adeso Africa, gives her Keynote Address at the lunch plenary.

Button
Slide title

Button
Slide title

Button
Slide title

Afternoon breakout session on Gender Equality & Reduced Inequalities

Button
Slide title

Gender Equality (SDG 5) Panelists Miyon Kautz, World Vision Intl; Emily Bancrot, President of Village Reach; and Seinne Lai Zaw, UW Fulbright Scholar

Button
Slide title

Tita Alvira, Director of Thriving Futures - Legado shares at Gender Equality breakout session

Button
Slide title

CEO/ED Roundtable session on Operating and Funding HIghly-Regulated Environments

Button
Slide title

Birger Stamberdahl, CEO of Give2Asia speaking at CEO/ED Roundtable

Button
Slide title

Breakout session on Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3) with panelists from Pronto Intl, RESULTS, PATH, and Linksbridge

Button
Slide title

Jay Seghal and Devika Batra with Sehgal Foundation

Button
Slide title

Gul Siddiqi, International Rescue Commitee

Button
Slide title

Opening the afternoon plenary session

Button
Slide title

USAID's Michelle Sumilas joins virutally to speak at afternoon plenary session on new trends in global aid

Button
Slide title

Birger Stamperdahl, CEO of Give2Asia, and Jay Sehgal, add to the plenary discussion on global aid trends, citing Mona's work.

Button
Slide title

Button
Slide title

Linda Low, APCO Worldwide, leads the afternoon Keynote on Co-Creation

Button
Slide title

Amanda Morgan, Save the Children, and Abe Diaz, Amazon Disaster Relief, share their experience with co-creating humanitarian response to the Ukraine

Button
Slide title

Kristen Dailey, Global WA Executive Director, closes out an amazing conference.

Button