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

A large room filled with people sitting in chairs watching a presentation.

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". 

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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."  
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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.

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    Greeting friends at the Women of the World breakfast.

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

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    Mona Account Manager Keith Gehrig at our display table.

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

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    Jenn Leff, Global Social Impact manager at Starbucks

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

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

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    Reading the GlobalWA 2023 Philanthropy Guide

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

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    Girls Rising CEO Christina Lowery introducing WoW Keynote speaker 

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

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

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    Mahnaz takes the stage at Women of the World breakfast

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    Capturing Mahnaz's talk on video.

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

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    Humbled at receiving a standing ovation following her talk.

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

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    Goalmakers Conference opening plenary

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

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    Listening to opening keynote by Enock Chikava

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

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

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    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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    Lunch plenary session with keynote spekar Degan Ali on stage.

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

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    Afternoon breakout session on Gender Equality & Reduced Inequalities

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

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

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

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

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

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    Jay Seghal and Devika Batra with Sehgal Foundation

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    Gul Siddiqi, International Rescue Commitee

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    Opening the afternoon plenary session

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

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

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

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

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

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