Rishan Patel named 2023 Prudential Emerging Visionary

Rishan Patel, 16, of Atherton was recently named a 2023 Prudential Emerging Visionary for his inspiring commitment to improving the lives of others.

As one of 25 Prudential Emerging Visionary winners, Rishan will  receive a $5,000 award to help take his innovations to the next level. He is also invited to attend an all-expenses-paid trip with. his parent or guardian to Prudential’s Newark, New Jersey, headquarters for a three-day summit in April where he will receive coaching, skills development and networking opportunities with Prudential employees and other young leaders.

Prudential Emerging Visionaries recognizes young people ages 14-18 whose fresh perspectives and innovative solutions address pressing financial and societal challenges in their communities.

Rishan leads “The Lending Locker,” which increases youth access to sports by providing free athletic gear year-round to underserved schools. The cost of athletic equipment is often prohibitive, making sports programs inaccessible to many young people. Rishan’s initiative aims to change this while reducing landfill by pairing a student “captain” with a participating school to install a storage unit and maintain the equipment in the locker through sports gear donation drives.

So far, “The Lending Locker” has piloted their program with five lockers, including one in India, and they have 10 new partner schools and captains ready to install lockers. Rishan envisions 100 more Lending Lockers worldwide by the end of 2024.