Veronika Scott

Veronika Scott, founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan, has built an organization that originated from a novel idea: to design a coat specifically for the homeless. The coat is self-heated, waterproof, and can be transformed into a sleeping bag at night. From this initial concept, The Empowerment Plan has evolved into a platform of support where formerly homeless women are employed to manufacture these coats, providing them with a sustainable income, housing, and a path to regain their independence.

Scott is the youngest recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award from the JFK Library Foundation and Harvard University. Her accolades also include an IDEA Gold Award from the Industrial Design Society of America and an honorary PhD in Humane Letters from Johnson State College. Recognized globally for her innovative contributions to social entrepreneurship, Scott has been honored as one of CNN’s Ten Visionary Women in the World and received the 2014 DVF People’s Voice Award. She was also acknowledged in the 2015 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Social Entrepreneurs. The impactful narrative of The Empowerment Plan has reached international audiences, being featured at prestigious forums including the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit alongside notable figures such as Oprah, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett.