TIME 100 NEXT The World's Rising Stars - Leaders

From the halls of power to recording studios and science labs, these rising stars are remaking the world while defining the next generation of leadership

- HARRY BOOTH, LESLIE DICKSTEIN, KOH EWE, CHAD DE GUZMAN, THARIN PILLAY, AND SIMMONE SHAH

AISHA NYANDORO

45 FUNDING FAMILIES

By Laurene Powell

Jobs Meaningful change often begins with having the courage and curiosity to ask nonobvious questions. Aisha Nyandoro, the founding CEO of Springboard to Opportunities in Jackson, Miss., has become a national leader in the quest to end generational poverty by basing her work on a radically practical approach: listening to those most in need.

Nyandoro asked mothers living in poverty in Jackson what challenges they faced and learned that almost all of them could be solved simply with money. So, in 2018, she launched Magnolia Mother's Trust, a first-of-its-kind guaranteed-income program that provides participants-all Black mothers living in affordable housing-with $1,000 per month for one year, no strings attached, along with a college savings account for each of their children.

The concept is deceptively simple: give money to mothers in need and trust them with how to use it. The results have been life-altering-more than 400 women and their families have felt the lasting impact on their finances, parenting, health, and education, and the next cohort of the project will launch this fall. Aisha Nyandoro is challenging fundamental misconceptions about poverty, especially its association with race and gender. And she is helping to pioneer innovative policy changes that are making a difference.

ELIZABETH PRELOGAR

44 FORMIDABLE LITIGATOR

By Merrick B. Garland