FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 14, 2026 — Germantown, MD — Today, the McNulty Foundation and Aspen Institute announced the recipients of the 2026 McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund. Among the distinguished honorees is Seanicaa Edwards Herron, Founder and CEO of Freedmen Heirs Foundation. Seanicaa’s work focuses on building generational wealth through providing market access, financial resilience, and legacy planning for small and mid-sized farmers across the United States.

In her statement, she expressed her gratitude. “It is a profound honor to be recognized by the McNulty Foundation. At Freedmen Heirs Foundation, agriculture is business — and our work has always been about equipping farmers with the market access, financial tools, and generational wealth strategies their legacy demands.”

The McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund is an annual award that highlights and supports promising ventures led by leaders in the Aspen Institute network who tackle pressing societal issues through innovative and inclusive solutions. This year, a total of $120,000 will be awarded to six recipients who are dedicated to making a positive change in the United States and globally. Other countries represented include Colombia, India, and Nigeria. Furthermore, recipients will also receive non-monetary support to help them reach the next level of impact.

Additional recipients of the 2026 McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund include:

Jordan Bowman – Executive Director of Journeymen Triangle, an organization that addresses rising isolation and harmful behavioral patterns in adolescent boys. Through its mentorship-based programming, the organization helps build emotional regulation, purpose, and healthy relationships while also providing complementary support to parents.

Dr. Ibraheem Dooba – Founder and CEO of 200MillionTrees, an organization advancing reforestation by working with farmers, community leaders, and local governments to restore degraded land while improving nutrition, livelihoods, and local stability.

Marcela Fernández Barreneche – Founder of Cumbres Blancas Colombia, an international network committed to preserving mountain ecosystems. The organization also helps with ecological restoration, scientific monitoring, wildfire prevention, and cultural and educational initiatives.

Ruchi Gupta – Executive Director of Future of India Foundation, the non-profit behind YouthPOWER, a civic-data platform defining youth opportunity in India, and making opaque national programs visible, comparable, and actionable.

Kwamane Liddell – CEO of ThriveLink, a platform that connects individuals facing health challenges and other barriers to responsive care, social resources, and services through an accessible, integrated, and technical enrollment approach.

Seanicaa, an Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellow, received the Catalyst Prize Fund due to her commitment to fostering innovation and leadership by helping repair generational harms experienced by small and mid-sized farmers. Her dedication to empowering underrepresented farmer communities and challenging the status quo reflects the core principles of the Aspen Institute and the vision of the McNulty Foundation.

“We started this organization with one clear mission, and that is to ensure small and mid-sized farmers who have been historically excluded from wealth-building opportunities finally get a seat at the table. We’re here to level the playing field because we know these farms can and should be profitable.”

For more information about the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund and the remarkable work of the recipients, please visit https://mcnultyfound.org/ideas/catalyst-fund-2026.

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About Freedmen Heirs Foundation

Freedmen Heirs Foundation, Inc. (FHF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to empowering small and mid-sized farmers to build lasting generational wealth. By bridging the gap between philanthropic and institutional resources and historically underserved producers, FHF provides farmer-centered technical assistance, expands market-building opportunities, and offers legacy planning. The Foundation advocates for more equitable agricultural financing, disrupts exclusionary policies and narratives, and strengthens the ecosystem that shapes who can participate and thrive in agriculture. Through community partnerships, a commitment to economic justice, and centering farmers’ lived expertise, FHF is repairing generational harms and unlocking long-term viability for US farmers. Learn more at www.freedmenheirs.org.