to foster hope, dignity, and prosperity for the next generation. For more than 20 years we’ve been working to harness the best tools of media, technology, research, social investment, and moral persuasion to equip and engage young people.

We were founded by Rick Little, who was then Founder and CEO of the International Youth Foundation (IYF). His ideas grew out of his work building IYF across many countries - and seeing close up what’s possible in changing the odds for young people and their communities. At its core, his idea was to actively engage young people as problem solvers vs ‘the problem to be solved’. As active partners vs beneficiaries. Time and time again, across many cultures, he had witnessed the power of engaging young people as a central part of the solution to many problems. These were among the foundational ideas that birthed our work.

ImagineNations Group began its work in 2002 as the world was convulsing with anger, fear, mistrust and anxiety following the attacks of 9/11 in the United States. Since then, polarization, disparities, and division have only increased in many countries. More than ever, we remain convinced that engaging young people - alongside adults - is vitally important to bridging these deep divides.

Early Investors

Early investors and donors in our work included the International Yuth Foundation, Nike Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Omidyar Network, along with family foundations and individual donors. With their support, we created a nimble and entrepreneurial social enterprise designed to address difficult issues with bold and creative approaches.

We would call it:

“ImagineNations Group.”