There were originally supposed to be five finalists, but a strong class of candidates led the executive committee to include an extra contestant. On November 8, one of the them will get $100,000 to take their work further. The Pritzker Award aims to recognize an environmental leader, under the age of 40, who is on the verge of making lasting change in the field of environmental sustainability.

The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, philanthropists Wendy Schmidt and Nicolas Berggruen, and Kathryn Sullivan, former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the first American woman to walk in space.

Although there will only be one winner, the Pritzker Genius Award goes beyond spotlighting one individual. It also brings together a community of diverse experts to nurture unique and holistic approaches that address shared environmental concerns. This event marks the first occasion members of this community will share a room together. 

Finalists

Susana De Anda 
Clean water for ALL Californians
Co-Executive Director & Founder, Community Water Center

Danfung Dennis
Virtual reality artists sharing environmental narratives
CEO & Founder, Condition One

Dan Hammer
Democratizing satellite imagery for environmental monitoring
Co-Founder, Earth Genome

Mark Huerta
Engineer providing sustainable water business models
Co-Founder & CEO, 33 Buckets

Lesley Marincola
Entrepreneur making electricity affordable in the sub-Sahara
Founder & CEO, Angaza

Katie Rowe
Elephant sanctuary founder fostering peace in Samburu communities
Founder & Manager, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary