THE IDEA BEHIND THE PRIZE
As someone who built his own successful businesses and collaborative communities over the last 40 years, Joseph Deitch has always been drawn to giving back and the concept of entrepreneurial philanthropy. He wanted to do more than simply write a check – he wanted to leverage his resources to empower other passionate and purpose-driven leaders, innovators, and activists, … and in doing so, dramatically amplify their impact.
But then, while researching philanthropic models and exploring his own and others’ deepest yearnings, he saw a much bigger and bolder dream… and a much more exciting opportunity.
What most of us really want is to make the whole world a much better, safer, and more nurturing home for all of us. We live in an interconnected global society – an extended family and community – and share both the positive and the negative energy we generate. This reality manifests in our hearts and souls as well as our economies and physical well-being.
The ultimate objective of The Elevate Prize Foundation is to elevate humanity at all levels. By sharing the stories of the Elevate Prize winners, as well as other global heroes, we will create a powerful fanbase for each winner as well as for social entrepreneurship in general. We believe this will ignite a chain reaction of problem-solving, giving, and goodness on a global scale… and ultimately awaken the hero in all of us.
The world is looking for heroes. We need them now more than ever. This is our story, and we all have our role to play.
OUR TEAM
Joseph Deitch
FOUNDER
Joe is the chairman of Commonwealth Financial Network, which he founded in 1979 and which currently has $200B in assets under management. He is also chairman of Southworth Development, a golf and resort real estate company with award-winning properties in the United States, Scotland and The Bahamas.
In 2011, he helped to form Commonwealth Cares to maximize the impact of Commonwealth Financial Network’s charitable efforts. Since its inception in 2010, Commonwealth Cares has supported more than 360 different organizations that relieve human suffering, promote social and economic growth, and protect our planet’s resources.
READ MOREIn 2012, Joe founded the Deitch Leadership Institute at the Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in the United States. The institute provides leadership training and focuses on the individual growth of students as well as on community improvement.
He also serves on the board of Sanku: Project Healthy Children, an organization working to eradicate malnutrition in Africa. In 2019, Sanku received the Zayed Sustainability Prize, was named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and was one of eight organizations named in Give Well’s “Standout Charities.” Time also named the organization’s proprietary Sanku Dolsifier machine as one of the “Top Inventions of 2019.”
Joe is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer of The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and the author of the bestselling book, > Elevate: An Essential Guide to Life.
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Carolina García Jayaram
Founding Executive Director
Carolina has more than two decades of experience in leading national institutions and initiatives dedicated to enriching and shaping social-impact, philanthropic and cultural communities across the United States.
She most recently served as CEO & President of the National YoungArts Foundation and, prior to that, as President & CEO of United States Artists, where she helped manage $25M in unrestricted awards to this country’s most accomplished artists and spearheaded a $20M operating endowment campaign.
READ MORECarolina was also Executive Director of the Chicago Artists Coalition (CAC). While there, she was a member of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Cultural Advisory Council and was named “Chicagoan of the Year in the Arts” by the Chicago Tribune.
Her philanthropic work extends to serving on the Board of Directors for Guitars Over Guns, the Advisory Council for Ruth’s List Florida (which aims to elect progressive women to public office in Florida) and on the Latin American and Latinx Committee for the Perez Art Museum.
Carolina received her JD (with honors) from the University of Miami School of Law, where she is now an Adjunct Professor as well as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Law School’s Art + Sports Law LLM program. She has also studied not-for-profit management at Harvard Business School.
In 2019, she delivered the commencement speech at Broward College and received an honorary degree for her commitment to community service and leadership.
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Ruth Gaviria
Chief Marketing Officer
Ruth brings more than 25 years of diverse experience to her role as CMO of The Elevate Prize, as well as a number of awards and accolades that highlight her results-driven leadership in the world of marketing and communications.
Most recently, she was recognized as the “Maverick of the Year” by the Women in Business Awards and was named to The Holmes Report’s “Innovator 25.” Ruth has also been named to Fast Company’s “Top 100 Most Creative People in Business” and Ad Age’s “Top Women to Watch” among many other industry honors.
READ MORERuth is the Founder of Kite-String Branding, a brand identity leadership design consultancy helping innovative start-ups and nonprofit organizations build brand from the inside out.
Prior to that, Ruth was the first-ever marketing chief for Entercom, a broadcasting company and radio network. She is credited for leading the company’s most high-profile and award-winning campaigns, including their rebrand after merging with CBS Radio in 2017.
Ruth has also been Executive Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Univision Communications as well as the Vice President of Hispanic Ventures at Meredith Corporation, where she was the founding editor and publisher of Siempre Mujer magazine.
Currently, Ruth serves on the board of ALSAC and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University.
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