Romanian Adriana Preda selected to join the Obama Scholars program at Columbia University

Adriana Preda, chief executive officer (CEO) of The Social Incubator, has been selected to participate in the Obama Foundation Scholars Program. According to the press release, she is the first Romanian to join this program.

Adriana Preda is part of the sixth cohort of Obama Scholars. She will participate in the 2023-2024 academic year in an integrated program at Columbia University in New York, which will welcome 12 rising social leaders from around the world.

"I am very proud and honoured to be a participant in this program developed by the Obama Foundation and equally excited about this amazing new opportunity! Undoubtedly, this program will be extremely useful to further develop the association I represent and respond to the needs of hundreds of thousands of children and adolescents in institutional care in Romania," Preda said.

Contributing to the social and professional integration of young Romanians from vulnerable backgrounds, Adriana Preda has been the CEO of The Social Incubator since 2017, an organization that supports the social, educational and professional development of young people at risk. Working with children and teenagers preparing to leave the foster care system, the association supports over 30,000 youth in 30 counties.

Under Adriana's 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 exposed to major risks, such as human trafficking and domestic violence, targeting themes such as professional development, labour market integration and psycho-social resilience.

Obama Scholars is a flagship program for the Obama Foundation's work to develop the next generation of leaders, giving participants access to real-world skills, tools and experiences that will help them amplify the impact of their work globally. The scholars will participate in an integrated academic program designed by Columbia University and the University of Chicago, in partnership with the Obama Foundation.

The program kicked off on September 7, with all scholars attending an orientation in Chicago.

The Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University will welcome 12 scholars from 12 countries for a nine-month residency at Columbia World Projects.

Since its inception in 2018, the Obama Foundation Scholars program has supported 132 leaders from 59 countries.