Adriana Preda, CEO The Social Incubator – the first Romanian selected as 2023-2024 Obama Scholar in New York

The Social Incubator Association is pleased to announce that Adriana Preda, the organization’s CEO, is the first Romanian selected in the prestigious Obama Scholars Program. Adriana will be part of the sixth cohort of Obama Scholars, participating in an immersive program at Columbia University in the City of New York for the 2023-2024 academic year, made up of 12 emerging leaders from all around the world.

Empowering disadvantaged youth in Romania to achieve social and professional integration, Adriana Preda is since 2017 the CEO of The Social Incubator, an organization that supports the social, educational, and professional development of vulnerable and orphaned youth across Romania. Working with children and teenagers as they prepare to transition out of institutional care, the organization supports over 30,000 youth in 30 counties.

Under Adriana’ leadership, the organization has grown from five to 54 full-time staff and expanded its corporate partnership portfolio to include renowned national and international companies. The Social Incubator has implemented over 50 projects for vulnerable youth on critical topics such as human trafficking and domestic violence prevention, professional development and employability skills, and psycho-social resilience.

“The Obama Scholars program enables rising changemakers to gain insights into the work of fellow leaders, across issues and geographies, while collaborating to address complex challenges. We are eager to welcome the new cohort of Scholars to the Foundation family, where they will join a network of changemakers striving for a stronger, more sustainable, and more inclusive world,” said Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett.

Read more about

Adrian Tuluca (Propaganda): We’re navigating towards a new territory in marketing and sales, where both sales and brand evolution happen simultaneously

read more

The Obama Scholars program, a cornerstone of the Obama Foundation’s work to develop the next generation of leaders, provides Scholars with exposure to real-world skills, tools, and experiences that will expand the impact of their work. The Scholars will participate in academic, skills-based and experiential learning, designed by Columbia University and the University of Chicago, in partnership with the Obama Foundation. Their experience will be further enriched by participating in Foundation-led leadership development programming that includes training, networking opportunities, and personalized support as they extend their efforts post-graduation. The Foundation-led program will kick-off September 7, with all Scholars attending an orientation in Chicago.

“I’m very proud and honored to be an Obama Foundation Scholar, and equally excited for this amazing new opportunity! Undoubtedly, the Scholars Program will be extremely helpful to develop furthermore the association I am representing, addressing the needs of hundreds of thousands of children and teenagers in institutional care across Romania,” stated Adriana Preda, CEO The Social Incubator.

The Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University will welcome 12 Scholars from 12 countries for a nine-month residency at Columbia World Projects. Scholars will engage with the institution’s multifaceted program to deepen their knowledge and skills and build new capacities and networks that will accelerate their impact on the world. The cohort will partake in weekly seminars, personal and professional development workshops, audited coursework, and other tailored programming developed in close partnership with the Foundation.

The Obama Foundation Scholars program is designed to inspire, empower, and connect emerging leaders with the tools they need to make their efforts more effective and impactful across their global communities. Since its inception in 2018, the Obama Foundation Scholars program has supported 132 leaders from 59 countries, all actively working to address today’s pressing issues. To learn more about the 2023-2024 cohort, please visit obama.org/programs/scholars.