Four Professionals Selected As Provoke Media's 2026 Young Changemakers

(MENAFN- PRovoke) CHICAGO-Four young professionals from around the world have been selected as the winners of our 2026 Young Changemakers awards, which were developed by PRovoke Media in partnership with We. Communications to celebrate young communicators from traditionally underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds.

The four winners will be featured in upcoming podcasts and invited to join the PRovoke Global Summit in Chicago on October 26 and 27, where they will participate in a panel discussion and share their views on the future of the profession, and the steps needed to achieve greater diversity and more meaningful inclusion.

They will be presented with their awards at the Global SABRE ceremony on October 26.

The four winners of this year's Young Changemaker awards are:

Amira Williams, an account director at FleishmanHillard London who also serves as chair of the Taylor Bennett Foundation inaugural Alumni Advisory Board. Jesslyn Laiyenes, an influence manager at Ogilvy Singapore who has worked on award-winning work such as the Vaseline Verified campaign. Madison Vanstone, an account coordinator at GCI Canada whose work spans pharmaceutical communications, patient advocacy and health policy. Valiant Freeman, a senior creative at Weber Shandwick who has worked with clients such as Anheuser-Busch as well as other leading consumer and health brands.

Freeman will be the first male recipient of a Young Changemakers award, after it was decided-in consultation with last year's recipients -to expand the competition to include young people of all genders who come from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.

The awards have taken on even greater significance over the past two years, as the idea of equal opportunity has come under attack in the United States, but PRovoke Media and We Communications maintain their commitment to celebrating those who have overcome significant structural and cultural obstacles to achieve success in their profession and bring critically-important underrepresented perspectives to both their business and their clients.

Photo: From top left, clockwise: Madison Vanstone, Amira Williams, Valiant Freeman, and Jesslyn Laiyenes

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