Youth Power for Justice.

Impactful. Intriguing. Innovative. Troublemaker. Few musicians inspire such a variety of positive adjectives. As a nonprofit leader by day and hip-hop MC by night, Mohan is known as the “Batman of Social Impact.” He unifies changemaking initiatives with artistic efforts that galvanize the masses. It’s a unique formula that can – and has – lead to true change for our greatest social issues.

Mohan serves as the CEO of Our Turn – the nation’s leading movement of young changemakers for educational justice - and his Troublemaker music and message to disrupt the system is inspiring young leaders around the world. As a result, Mohan was awarded as a “40 Under 40 Rising Star” by New York Nonprofit Media and a “Next Generation Leader” by the Human Services Council. Above all, Mohan is the proud father of Lucian aka Space Baby, and a dedicated husband, son, brother, and friend.

Oh I’m supposed to just choke? 
Supposed to be quiet but supposed to be woke? 
Supposed to buy a home, college loans and a phone 
But I ain’t supposed to voice up, serve my people, and vote? Nope!
The stakes are high, but I’m dreamin higher 
A dire state is waitin by 
I’m takin flight n goin plyo 
I’m the type o’, light bulb…that might go 
On, like a lion, titan, I’m in my fight mode 
Are we the innovators? Are we the imitators? 
Are we the fakers, naysayers, n commentators? 
Or are we the latest, wave of the nation’s greatest 
Made to make change with a statement as Troublemakers

A status quo of inequity and suppression has persisted for too long. Through hip-hop activism, youth development, and narrative shifting, we will elevate the voices and power of young leaders. Ultimately, they will scale transformative entrepreneurial solutions and catalyze culture change.

This project uniquely affects global and United States audiences, through Our Turn and Mohan's leadership. 

Our Turn consists of over 1,265 high school and college students (aged 16-25), who identify as any or all of the following: low income, first generation, non-US born, undocumented, local public school students, impacted by equity, and students of color. Our Turn's members and leaders are either currently attending or are alumni of failing schools. They have first-hand accounts of how an inequitable education due to racism and economic oppression can cause young people and adults to remain in cycles of poverty. The low-income communities they come from have prepared them to handle any obstacle, however, the experiences they have compared to wealthy white children is unfair and immoral. Our Turn's members have delivered systems change in major cities across the United States, annually affecting hundreds of thousands of students. 

Additionally, Mohan works with international organizations that strengthen the changemaking ability of young leaders. His performances, talks, and partnerships have directly reached tens of thousands of young leaders, who are addressing global and local systemic inequities: the climate crisis, gender right, economic inequality, health, justice reform, and more.

We've been here, we've been aware
Community is changin we're breakin the cages
Been here, we've been scared
Eliminate hatred, we're raisin the nation
Peaceful protests, we've been there
You could watch from drones, or smart phones
But unless you're on, the front lines, you won’t
Understand the force, of the folks in here

Courtney E. Martin and Lisa Witter, authors of Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists and The She Spot: Why Women are the Market for Changing the World—and How to Reach Them, wrote about the critical fusion of social + cultural entrepreneurship to elevate humanity. This project implements that approach by:

1. Building a community of young leaders - with a focus on people of color - and develop their changemaking ability through best-in-class organizing training.
2. Elevating the voices of young leaders through marketing strategies that drive narrative change and increase the base of support for youth demands.
3. Expanding Mohan's reach as a hip-hop artist and activist through a wider array of domestic and global partnerships.

The project will:

• Produce measurable changes to systems of inequity, with a focus on education.
• Increase changemaking across a wider base of young leaders.
• Expand awareness of core issues and engage young leaders in solutions.

“I was nervous to give my first public testimony because I thought people wouldn't understand my accent. As I was speaking, the school board members were looking at me, and I felt they were starting to empathize. They cared about what I was saying. It was in that very moment that I realized I have power. The voice I'd been hiding for so long holds incredible power to create change. I realized that my lived experiences and struggles had been building up to that moment for me to use them to create change”

-Lizbeth Gonzalez, Our Turn Lead Organizer 

We believe in young leaders because they are bold, brash, and not beholden to any system, especially systems of oppression. They are guided by their experiences, values, and desire for change, and channel a unique mixture of audacity and humility to speak truth to power. This project is elevating two groups: young leaders ages 16-25 (focused on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and the communities they serve as change agents. 

We will employ a co-conspiring model with young leaders, entailing:

• Developing training objectives
• Selecting target issues for campaigns
• Building actionable demands for systems change
• Amplifying the voices of young leaders

Corporate, philanthropic, and government leaders recognize that young people can catalyze transformative social change. However, the voices and leadership of youth are suppressed. Young people are left out of decisions pertaining to their education, health, communities, and more. We are building power and opportunities for youth to take a seat at the decision making table, especially for BIPOC youth who are held back by institutional inequities. Our approach will build proximity to the issues faced by BIPOC young leaders, which will generate urgency and empathy - ultimately changing attitudes and behaviors to support youth leadership and their causes for justice.

“Graduates of inner cities, as resilient products from a broken system, now it is our turn to come back to our community and improve it. My hometown has one of the lowest graduation rates, highest crime rates, and highest rates of poverty; but it is my home. I refuse to wait around for someone else to take action.”

-Desiree Martinez, Our Turn Manager

Our Turn was founded with the recognition that systemic inequities can only be solved through the power of youth. We organized campaigns that are fueled by high schoolers and college students who directly experienced the broken education system. We've learned that our impact isn't solely defined by campaign wins, but also by the activation of young leaders. Our Turn alumni - now working as teachers, nonprofit+government leaders, and more - highlight their personal growth, connections to an inspiring network, and greater understanding of changemaking. 

In parallel, Mohan's social impact journey in the fields of education, justice reform, civic engagement, youth development, and community health pointed to a common theme: the most important ingredient for elevating humanity is mobilizing human capital. Through organizing, leadership development, and moving hearts and minds, we are galvanizing a generation of young leaders. 

I ain’t Malala, I ain’t a martyr, but I got armor, came from a father 
When he got started, a dollar was farther
Than a charter through stars to meet a god or a Martian
He sent me to college, and now I am Ahmen
And I’m constantly caught up, in the center of a storm
I’m feelin all the pressure from my friends and all my fam
To go and get myself a paycheck, that’s supposed to be the plan
But I wanna lead, I read the news and understand
That way too many little children never ever get that chance
So where’s my obligation should I be a rich man
Or should I go at this alone and stick around to take a stand
And build a movement
This is more than music
I rapped that years back...and I’ve still got fears
I won’t steer clear I speed into the heat and I find freedom
I’m alive and I’m breathing
For the first time, I faced the demons
And I told every single one that I ain’t leaving
Cause I’m right here

As the son of immigrants who fought to survive, I'm not supposed to be here. But Troublemakers create our own paths, and won't accept the status quo!

Our Turn and Mohan have a track record of activating young leaders to elevate humanity:

• Our Turn members have transformed unjust education systems, with recent wins including an equity-focused redesign of Minneapolis Public Schools; reforming the credit recovery program in Charlotte, NC; eliminating at-will suspensions in Richmond, CA; expanding access to mental health services in Denver, CO; and more.
• Fellows have helped to elect 14 school board members to advance student-first agendas.
• Our organizing model drives voter turnout at rates 10-20% greater than peer organizations, as validated by Murmuration. 
• Student and staff alumni of Our Turn have moved into leadership roles in the fields of civic engagement, gender equity, voter registration, and presidential campaigns.

"Mohan has been an important leader in fomenting a cultural change at Net Impact. As a 28 year, 160,000 member NextGen-centric non-profit, seeking to inspire and equip emerging leaders for a just and sustainable world, we can fail at mission to the extent we become tired, complacent, or don’t remain passionate. I had the good fortune as a new CEO, starting just months prior to Mohan joining the Board, to play off his passion, his singular focus on what is ‘right’ what is ’true’.

Mohan was a lightning-rod at our annual event, taking the MainStage and acting as MC to kick off and run NI19 attended by about 1,500 of our college/grad-school/young professional leaders. His speech was inspirational, his banter was heartfelt, and call to action was authentic to our community."

-Peter Lupoff, CEO, Net Impact

When 2020 started, nobody anticipated the impact of a pandemic. In March, before the spread of stay-at-home orders, we recognized a moment that called for urgency, not a pause. Students told us about the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. Our call to action: we cannot return to the old normal, an old normal of injustice and youth suppression. 

As we confronted the realities of moving virtual, we recognized three opportunities: rapid response to emerging needs, developing youth leadership capabilities, and changing culture through strategic communications. 

In the past 3+ months, we've proved that our work is vital in this moment:

• We released a groundbreaking report on the impact of COVID-19 on education.
• We've gathered hundreds of young leaders for organizing training and network building (e.g. a one-of-a-kind graduation celebration). 
• We co-founded a coalition of youth-serving organizations that developed 10 principles for the future of education, with over 20 signatories.
• Our Turn led the charge to compel Minneapolis Public Schools to end their contract with the police department, in response to the murder of George Floyd.
• Mohan was the keynote speaker and performer for Extravaganza, a record breaking live conference that reached 300,000 youth across the world. 

Far Rockaway, NY was left behind. Surrounded by wealthy areas and  populated by Black and Latinx residents, Far Rockaway suffered generational poverty, marked by failing education, limited healthcare access, stagnated economics, and the city's highest crime rates. In 2015, Mohan's former organization - Sheltering Arms - was asked to pilot Cure Violence, a health-centered program from Chicago designed to reduce gun violence. 

Many within Sheltering Arms were apprehensive, citing risk and fear of mission creep. Mohan saw an opportunity to finally address Far Rockaway's longstanding needs, through a community-based approach. Sheltering Arms accepted the project, and designed an innovative model that engaged community members as equal stakeholders. Together, they transformed culture through youth mentoring, a violence interrupter program (via "credible messengers"), mental health services, and peace-building events. In three years, Far Rockaway improved school attendance rates, reduced policing, sparked downtown revitalization investments, and reduced gun violence by 90%. 

In 2017, Mohan delivered a keynote to the NY City Council as Sheltering Arms received a proclamation in commemoration of MLK Jr Day. Mohan spoke to the "fierce urgency of now," a call to action for communities to rise up and create a new future, even in the face of daunting odds. 

One month ago, nobody expected that the United States would be on course to end racist policing in schools. Six months ago, nobody expected that a pandemic could bring about a new wave of action for social justice. One year ago, nobody expected that Fast Company would recognize a campaign for educational justice as a World Changing Idea. And nobody ever expected that the son of poor immigrants from Sri Lanka would spark change through hip-hop music and leadership from LA to Amsterdam, NYC to New Delhi. Yet, all of those impossibilities are now true. 

This project creates stages for change that are traditionally reserved for institutional power players and elevates ideas that some considered too audacious. 

"Too often the education reform movement does 'to,' rather than 'with,' the students we seek  to impact – those students whose lives are most impacted by the decisions made in boardrooms and state legislatures. Our Turn is unique as an organization that has as its core aim to do 'with' the students who are most impacted by education policy. Our Turn puts students’ experiences, desires, and wisdom at the center of the education reform conversation. We don’t see this as ancillary or a ‘nice-to-have’ in the work of reforming education in America, but instead as absolutely critical to progress over the next decade, where we must win new allies, speak authentically to communities with the most at stake, source new ideas, and rise above the politics of polarization." 

-Joe Daly, Bloomberg Philanthropies

Our Turn is pursuing three Big Bets on the future, which would translate to a fundamental transformation of humanity:

1. We need to invest in young people as the changemakers of today and the system changers of tomorrow. 
2. Young people deserve decision-making authority to shape education and the communities in which they exist.  
3. Young people can lead an education movement that transcends divisions and polarization of the past. 

We are moving toward this audacious vision of the future by:

• Bringing power to young people through leadership development.
• Forging collaboration between young people, organizations, and leaders. 
• Shifting culture and narratives to focus on youth changemaking and issues of inequity. 

Young people are spotlighted as vital change agents, yet our society systematically disenfranchises them. A 2018 report by Ashoka stated, "The stories of young people are often paradoxical. They are praised as tomorrow’s promise, but incarcerated and legislated as a threat. They represent an opportunity for progress but are lamented as lazy, uninvolved, and entitled." 

We are countering this paradox by investing in young people. Our organizing model was evaluated by Murmuration, finding that we drive voter turnout at least 10-15% better than peer organizations. Staff and student alumni have moved into roles on presidential campaigns, national advocacy groups, elected officials' offices, and more. 

Our members highlight the power of forging collaboration as a driver of success. As stated by Alan Antonio, a Lead Organizer, "In my community...at times of uncertainty we united and helped each other. From this, I learned the importance of unity, building relationships, and bridging. These are values I hold to this day and try to incorporate in my work with Our Turn. From spearheading campaigns, canvassing at universities, coalition building with students, to giving presentations at ED Trust West. Those values will never go away."

The stories of leaders like Alan are not in the mainstream. Typical narratives are dominated by division, as opposed to the hopefulness carried by young leaders. We aim to spark a culture that is conducive to change through storytelling across new platforms, which will build proximity to young leaders and their vision.

Campaign supporters (including youth, partners, and general public)

Current: 25,284

1 year: 40,000

5 years: 500,000

Youth leaders (deepest engagement in campaign work)

Current: 118

1 year: 180

5 years: 500

Campaign actions (examples include petitions, op-eds, meeting with officials, etc)

Current: 91

1 year: 150

5 years: 500

Social media engagement

Current: 4,500

1 year: 6,000

5 years: 20,000

Our three Big Bets represent our "North Star," for the next year, the next five years, and beyond. We'll know the Big Bets are coming to life if:

1. Young people - across geographies - participate in differentiated leadership development programs.
2. There is a strong community of young leaders who offer support to one another, build and elevate demands, and advance campaigns for change.
3. We are running campaigns that position young people "at the table" to shape decisions for their schools and communities.
4. We are running national and local narrative shifting campaigns that elevate the power of young people.
5. Young people are consistently shaping the structure of our work and the work of peer organizations/institutions.
6. We are building coalitions that harmonize varying areas of social justice and demographics.
7. We are elevating messages about the re-imagination of education that fuse insights from young people and the general public.

Select impact metrics include:

• # of young leaders trained
• # of youth as trainers
• Alumni pathways 
• # of partners
• "At the table" scorecard for campaigns
• # of campaign actions
• # of winning campaigns
• Public opinion polling
• Thought leadership activities (e.g. conferences, media)
• Earned media
• Social media engagement
• Influencer engagement

Education is frequently cited as the key driver of mobility, yet it is rarely discussed in presidential elections and it received less than 7% of the recent stimulus bill. Brands focus on Gen Z and Millennials as culture shapers, but a 2019 report by DoSomething showed that only 12% of Gen Z has "top of mind associations between brands they were familiar with and a social cause or platform." We know that we elevate humanity when we elevate the voices of disenfranchised people, but a 2020 report by Bridgespan and Echoing Green discovered that white-led organizations have budgets that are 24% larger than those led by people of color. 

These facts point to systems and cultures of inequity that reinforce generational problems. However, they are not insurmountable. Through an unapologetic focus on youth leadership and equity, driven by system-changing campaigns and efforts to move hearts and minds, we will turn the tide. Overcoming barriers will require:

• Access to young leaders across geographies, through partnerships, so they can engage in local changemaking efforts.
• Media and communications vehicles to build proximity to young people and elevate their impact.
• Research to surface insights about young people and the general public, so we can advance targeted messages for change.
• National and local funding to build capacity, offer stipends to participants, and create platforms for change and communications.
• Participation in forums outside of the echo chamber to engage more people in the work. 

Our Turn and Mohan have an array of partners to advance transformative change. We work with partners to advance campaigns for educational justice and train & develop young leaders.

Select local social justice partners:

• Stand For Children
• Transform Education Now
• A+ Colorado
• Colorado Children's Campaign
• Colorado Youth Congress
• Parent Revolution
• Speak Up
• Adelante Coalition
• Golden Door Scholars
• Integrated Schools-Minneapolis
• Minnesota Literacy Council
• Parents Radically Organizing
• Voices for Racial Justice

National leadership development and campaign partners:

• Student Voice
• Prichard Committee
• GenUp
• Houston ISD Student Congress
• Iowa Student Learning Institute
• Oregon Student Voice
• Students Toward Equitable Public Schools
• Students for Education Equity
• Teens Take Charge
• UnifiEd Student Voice Team
• UrbEd Advocates
• Young Organizers United
• Youth Activism Project

International/national youth leadership partners:

• Peace First
• Generation Citizen
• Get Schooled
• Educators for Excellence
• Strive Together
• Net Impact
• Synergos Institute
• World Economic Forum Global Shapers

The educational system was not designed to meet the needs of all students. An opportunity gap oppresses students of color and students growing up in low-income areas, and their voices have been absent from debates and decision-making. In many cases, they have been silenced or ignored.

We need a new wave of civic engagement because values and democracy are at stake - and the engagement needs to start with young people. Issues we see are solvable if we can mobilize, amplify, and elevate student voices and focus on the issues we’ve experienced and the recommendations we have for improvement. 

We develop advocacy, organizing, and leadership skills to win issue and electoral campaigns, while affirming our identity, speaking our truth, and activating our power to impact an issue that we are passionate about when engaging with elected officials and decision-makers. We can transform the conversation in communities - nationally and locally - by creating proximity to young people through sharing our experiences, and our beliefs to reshape the education narrative and have student voices at the forefront. We mobilize diverse groups of people to support issues, and scale our work through partnerships that inspire new people to participate. 

We’ve developed a new generation of diverse civic leaders who know how to make a difference, are motivated by being a part of an affirming community, know how to activate voice and agency, and know what’s possible because we’ve experienced success. It's Our Turn to build long-term power in underserved communities. 

$100,000 + 

Bloomberg Philanthropies 

Carnegie Corporation of New York

McKnight Foundation

Walton Family Foundation

$20,000 - 99,999

Adam Cioth

Barr Foundation 

Belk Foundation

Brian Spector 

Carlson Family Foundation

Climb Higher Colorado 

Dan Loeb

Diana Nelson

Foundation of the Carolinas 

Graves Foundation 

Mortenson Family Foundation

Root Ed 

Sidney Garguilo

Steve and Sue Mandel

Stuart Cobert

Z. Smith Reynolds

Our Turn is embarking on a three year, $3M campaign to elevate humanity through the power of young people. We plan to engage individuals, corporations, and foundations in this ambitious plan. Budget components include:

• Leadership Development Programming
• Issue and Electoral Campaigns 
• Messaging Campaigns  
• Student Activation Events  
• Ambassador and Alumni Programming
• Thought Leadership & Knowledge Building

“We believe Mohan aka Ahmen is at the forefront of a global awakening to the collective responsibility we have as citizens, businesses, and institutions to use our voices and resources to address the urgent issues and injustices threatening our world. Our future will in large part be determined by our ability to cross lines of difference with compassion, stand up for others with courage and work collaboratively with allies - familiar and unexpected - to imagine and implement solutions for all. Ahmen has proven to be an exemplary model for the type of world-changer we need right now.” 

–Bobby Jones and Afdhel Aziz, co-authors of Good is the New Cool

If the generational inequities were easy to solve, it would've been done already. We cannot embark on elevating humanity alone; it requires an ecosystem. We're at a tipping point, with the greatest awareness and urgency to address injustice in our generation. 

Previously, the movement was held back by isolated change efforts, the suppression of youth voices, and mainstream narratives that turned a blind eye to inequities. With the Elevate Prize, we would bring more young leaders and influencers into the movement for justice, fundamentally transform the landscape of media and culture, and scale supports and capabilities for a new generation of heroes. In the words of 2pac, “I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.”

Funding and revenue model: Building capacity so that platforms + models for changemaking can be scaled for free.

Talent recruitment: Growing a team of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to drive the work.

Mentorship and/or coaching: Focused on scale and ensuring self-care throughout the work.

Board members or advisors: Ensuring BIPOC representation, similar to talent recruitment.

Monitoring and evaluation: Building proof of concept to support reapplication of the model by other organizations.

Marketing, media, and exposure: Catalyzing the culture shifting approach of the project.

Other: Creating and strengthening a network of youth-led organizations who are addressing all of the SDGs.