Three Philadelphian Social Innovators Awarded Eisenhower Fellowships

Three Philadelphia social innovators — Cynthia Figueroa, Cherelle Parker, and Lucinda Holt — have been chosen to participate in the 2010 Eisenhower Fellowships program, and will travel overseas on a fellowship constructed specifically to enable them to pursue their professional interests. Eisenhower Fellowships selected these three Fellows to represent Philadelphia after an extremely competitive application and interview process. These inspirational leaders are bringing social change to the region via their guidance, innovation, and hard work.

Cynthia Figueroa is Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Health and Human Services, where she is responsible for the oversight of the Division of Community Based Prevention Services (CBPS), including $97 million in contracted services delivered by over 225 private nonprofit organizations. The mission of CBPS is to prevent the abuse, neglect, and delinquency of children and youth, and to prevent the formal involvement of families with the child welfare system. Ms. Figueroa will be traveling with Cherelle Parker to Chile and Argentina. Ms. Parker is currently State Representative of the 200th Legislative District. She represents approximately 60,000 residents in the Northwest section of the city of Philadelphia. While on fellowship, Ms. Figueroa and Ms. Parker will both examine best practices in political leadership development models, among other topics.

Lucinda Holt is CEO of ClickEquations, a venture capital–backed search marketing software company that has worked with clients including Comcast, Forbes, and YellowBook. Ms. Holt also serves as director for Monetate Inc., a venture-backed web personalization company, and Semprae Laboratories Inc., a venture-backed biotech company that provides women’s sexual health products. Ms. Holt will be traveling to China and Korea, and while on fellowship, she will examine the impact of globalization on entrepreneurs and the development of Internet models.

Fellows are selected based on their proven leadership and success in their professional field, their enthusiasm for continued learning, their active engagement in community activities, and their potential for advanced leadership and societal impact. These three women exemplify these characteristics, and will continue to bring cutting-edge social innovations to Greater Philadelphia.

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