New York | July 24, 2026 – Global Citizen and PayPal created the Small Business Impact Awards to support entrepreneurs addressing social and environmental challenges by giving them the resources to grow their impact further.
Now entering its second year, the program is increasing the number of winners from five to fifteen. Winners will be celebrated at Global Citizen events around the world. PayPal will award each winner with a $20,000 cash price to fuel their next stage of growth. In addition, PayPal and Global Citizen will support the winners with technical training and marketing support, giving them direct access to the expertise small businesses find most useful as they grow.
"Small businesses are often the first to see a problem in their community, and the first to act on it,” says Amy Bonitatibus, PayPal’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. “Through the Small Business Impact Awards, we're proud to help these entrepreneurs turn that instinct into lasting change, giving them not just capital, but the tools and support to scale their impact even further."
Apply for the 2026 Small Business Impact Awards
Applications for the 2026 Global Citizen and PayPal Small Business Impact Awards are open now, and small business owners around the world are encouraged to apply before the July 31 deadline.
To be eligible, applicants must be the business owner, CEO, or founder. The business must primarily operate in and serve its local community, been in operation for at least three years, and demonstrate proven local impact through community support or partnerships, sustainability initiatives, or job creation and training programs. Businesses must also have fewer than 50 full-time employees or annual revenue under $1 million.
Apply now and see terms and conditions for the Global Citizen and PayPal Small Business Impact Awards.
Meet the 2025 Winners
Together, these five entrepreneurs show the range of impact small businesses can have.
Somnath Ray, CEO & Cofounder, CLIP: A design technologist and serial entrepreneur recognized by MIT Technology Review as a top innovator, Som has spent more than two decades building consumer hardware and software, founded India's first EV auto rickshaw startup, and won the TR35 award for a low-cost wheelchair. Today, his Brooklyn-based startup CLIP is rethinking urban mobility with the world's first Plug & Play device that turns any bike into an e-bike, no tools or installation required. Four times cheaper than the average e-bike and patented in 47 countries, CLIP is already making waves, and its newest product, BOLT, aims to go even further. Retailing at just $100 and twenty times less expensive than a typical e-bike, BOLT is designed to motorize the two billion bikes already in circulation worldwide, with the potential to eliminate up to 5% of global CO2 emissions.
Kunjpreet Arora, CEO, Angirus: A civil engineer and IIM Indore alumna, Kunjpreet co-founded Angirus to solve a problem hiding in plain sight: construction waste and plastic pollution. Her company transforms these materials into Wricks, high-strength bricks made without cement, burning, or excess water. The result is durable, waterproof, thermally efficient building material that cuts CO2 emissions and landfill waste, produced through decentralized micro-manufacturing units that create green jobs for local entrepreneurs. With more than 100,000 Wricks® deployed, Kunjpreet's work has earned recognition from Forbes Asia, TiE Global, Netflix, the Government of India, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the World Economic Forum.
Franco Rodríguez Viau, CEO & Cofounder, Satellites on Fire: Franco built his first game promoting inclusion for wheelchair users at age 15. By 16, he had co-founded Satellites on Fire, an AI-powered wildfire early alert system born out of witnessing Argentina's devastating fires firsthand. By combining satellite imagery refreshed every five minutes, tower cameras, forecasting data, and proprietary AI, the system detects fires 35 minutes faster than NASA. Operating across 19 countries and protecting more than 56 million hectares, Satellites on Fire has prevented over 400 wildfires in recent months alone. Franco's work has drawn backing from MIT, Techstars, the UN Green Climate Fund's top climate-tech accelerator, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and earned him a spot among MIT's Top Innovators Under 35.
Zizipho Ntobongwana, CEO, Sheba Feminine: Since founding Sheba Feminine in South Africa in 2017, Zizipho has been reshaping the conversation around menstrual health. Her company produces organic, biodegradable pads, tampons, panty liners, menstrual cups, period underwear, and bamboo wipes designed to protect people and the planet alike. Beyond products, Sheba Feminine tackles period poverty directly through initiatives like "Pay for a Pal's Pads," along with education and distribution partnerships with schools and NGOs. Two new ventures, Blud, a youth-focused brand, and Bluddy, a data-light, multilingual period-tracking app, are set to extend that impact even further across Africa.
Filip Lundin, CEO & Founder, Sopköket AB: A serial entrepreneur since age 16, Filip founded Sopköket ("the waste kitchen") in Stockholm in 2015 to fight food waste, hunger, and social exclusion through a model that is both socially driven and financially self-sustaining. The company rescues surplus food to create catering and frozen meals, donating thousands each month through partners like the Red Cross. To date, Sopköket has rescued more than 120 tons of food, donated 80,000 meals, and built a team where half its members come from marginalized backgrounds. Its client roster includes Spotify, Marshall, PayPal, ICA, Coop, and Fotografiska, and the company has earned four of Sweden's top sustainability awards. Filip now lectures globally with Wharton and the European Union on food waste reduction and is preparing Sopköket's international expansion.
About Global Citizen
Global Citizen is the world’s leading international advocacy organisation on a mission to end extreme poverty NOW. Powered by a worldwide community of everyday activists raising their voices and taking action, the movement is amplified by campaigns and events that convene leaders in music, entertainment, public policy, media, philanthropy and the corporate sector. Since the movement began, $49 billion in commitments announced on Global Citizen platforms has been deployed, impacting 1.3 billion lives. Established in Australia in 2008, Global Citizen’s team operates from New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Geneva, Melbourne, Toronto, Johannesburg, Lagos and beyond. Join the movement at globalcitizen.org, download the Global Citizen app, and follow Global Citizen on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
Media contact: mediarelations@paypal.com
About PayPal
PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. For more information, visit https://www.paypal.com, https://about.pypl.com/ and https://investor.pypl.com/.