Kerry Kennedy, president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, has announced the winners of the 2024 Ripple of Hope Awards: Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter, actor, director, and producer; Antonio Neri, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise; John W. Rogers, Jr., chairman and co-CEO of Ariel Investments; and Tom Wilson, chair, president, and CEO of The Allstate Corporation.
The laureates will be honored on Wednesday, December 11, at a ceremony in New York City.
The RFK Ripple of Hope Award annually honors exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy, and entertainment who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to protect and advance equity, justice, and human rights. This year’s laureates have made a widespread impact, including Wilson’s work to empower youth and improve communities through the Allstate Foundation. Neri and Rogers have significantly improved their respective workplaces through enhanced employee benefits and experiences as well as thoughtful ESG strategies that advance business sustainably and responsibly, while Miranda has made significant strides to increase diversity within the arts and government.
“We created the Ripple of Hope award based on my father’s belief that each of us have the power to make a difference,” said Kerry Kennedy, president of RFK Human Rights. “Our 2024 laureates are the embodiment of that belief. True, sustainable change requires all of us working together across industries and throughout our lifetimes. I am deeply grateful for Lin-Manuel, Antonio, John, and Tom’s efforts to build a better world, and I am honored to celebrate them at our annual gala in December.”
Miranda is a Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award-winning songwriter, actor, director, and producer. He is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Hamilton and In the Heights, and the Academy Award-nominated songwriter of Disney’s Moana and Encanto. Miranda and his family are active supporters of initiatives that increase people of color’s representation throughout the arts and government, ensure access to women’s reproductive health, and promote resilience in Puerto Rico.
Neri is president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) where he is responsible for leading the development and delivery of technology solutions and services that help organizations accelerate business outcomes by unlocking value from their data. Under his leadership, HPE has been consistently recognized as a great place to work and was ranked as the #1 most just company by JUST Capital in 2024 for its commitment to the environment, social issues, and strong governance.
Rogers is chairman and co-CEO of Ariel Investments, a global value-oriented asset management firm that he founded in 1983 to focus on patient, value investing within small- and medium-sized companies. Since then, the firm has grown to include strategies across various asset classes. His investment acumen has garnered media attention and comparisons to other legendary investors such as Warren Buffett and Sir John Templeton. In 2008, Rogers was awarded Princeton University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented each year to the alumnus or alumna whose career embodies a commitment to national service.
Wilson is chair, president, and CEO of The Allstate Corporation, where he has led the company through the global financial crisis, adaptation to climate change, and post-pandemic inflation. Wilson is a public advocate for business playing a broad role in improving society and actively participates in leadership of both business and community organizations. Through the Allstate Foundation, he works to empower youth, advance racial equity, and disrupt the cycle of relationship abuse. He also co-leads the Chicago efforts of OneTen, a corporate initiative to upskill, hire, and promote one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs over the next 10 years.
The Ripple of Hope Award is inspired by Robert F. Kennedy’s renowned speech, the 1966 Day of Affirmation remarks he addressed to students in South Africa at the height of Apartheid: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Previous winners of the Ripple of Hope Award include Stacey Abrams, Amanda Gorman, former President Barack Obama, Tim Cook, Fran Drescher, Colin Kaepernick, Dolores Huerta, Desmond Tutu, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, late Congressman John Lewis, Bono, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Robert F. Smith, George Clooney, former President Bill Clinton, and then-Vice President Joe Biden.
Learn more about RFK Human Rights and its annual Ripple of Hope Award here.
