Mariya Goodbrake and Star Palmer both recognized unmet needs in the Kansas City community and found ways to act.
Goodbrake and Palmer are the founders of Global FC and Our Spot KC, nonprofit organizations that support youth refugees and the LGBTQ communities, respectively, in Kansas City.
And this year, they both won The Pinnacle Prize — an annual award given to young leaders who are making a significant impact in the community. Each recipient receives a $100,000 check with no strings attached.
“They reflect individuals who have committed their lives to doing work that's really hard, that is challenging, that is controversial, that may not be, particularly at this point in time, politically favorable. In some ways they are counter-cultural,” said Maurice Watson, advisor to Ann Baum, who is one of the philanthropists behind The Pinnacle Prize.
- Maurice Watson, a principal and partner with the firm Credo Philanthropy Advisors, and advisor to Ann Baum
- Mariya Goodbrake, founder and executive director, Global FC
- Star Palmer, founder and executive director, Our Spot KC
