The Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative (CiTi) (and its Board Chairperson, Joshin Raghubar) have have been named as 2019 laureates for the John P. McNulty Prize, by the Aspen Institute and Anne Welsh McNulty.

Announcing the laureates, organisers behind the McNulty Prize said the accolade "celebrates the boldness and impact of individuals who are using their exceptional leadership abilities, entrepreneurial spirit and expertise to address the world's toughest challenges."

Organisers have described CiTi, established in 1999, as the continent's first and largest tech incubator "building an inclusive workforce by placing previously unemployed young people into tech jobs."

The McNulty Foundation gives the Prize annually to honour the visionary work of Fellows of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Organisers add that the 2019 laureates will be recognised on 24 July at the Resnick Aspen Action Forum and each will receive US$25,000 to further their venture.

An international jury (including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, international statesman Olara Otunnu, development expert Brizio Biondi-Morra, and Ford Foundation president Darren Walker) will select the McNulty Prize winner, whose venture will receive US$100,000, and be recognised in November in New York City.

"We live in a world of equal humanity and unequal opportunity. These leaders are creatively using their talents and resources to remove hurdles that keep communities, families and individuals from improving their circumstances." said Anne Welsh McNulty, President of the McNulty Foundation and Trustee of the Aspen Institute, "They are creating virtuous cycles of positive impact."

Raghubar said: "Myself and CiTi are honoured to receive this acknowledgment and this award, by the McNulty foundation and the Aspen Institute. We definitely wouldn't have been possible without the community of people and sponsors and partners and funders and volunteers behind CiTi, that has made this work possible over the last 20 years. We hope and we're pretty sure that this accolade and this acknowledgment will amplify our work and help us to build a platform for even greater work on an ever greater scale over the next 20 years across the African continent."