Each year, the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award honors exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy, and entertainment who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to protect and advance equity, justice, and human rights.

This year’s laureates will be honored in New York City on Wednesday, December 11:

  • Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter, actor, director, and producer
  • Antonio Neri, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise
  • John W. Rogers, Jr., chairman and co-CEO of Ariel Investments
  • Tom Wilson, chair, president, and CEO of The Allstate Corporation

The ceremony will feature emcee Alec Baldwin.


Lin-Manuel Miranda is a Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award-winning songwriter, actor, director, and producer. He is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Hamilton and In the Heights, and the Academy Award-nominated songwriter of Disney’s Moana and Encanto. Miranda and his family are active supporters of initiatives that increase people of color’s representation throughout the arts and government, ensure access to women’s reproductive health, and promote resilience in Puerto Rico.

Antonio Neri is president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) where he is responsible for leading the development and delivery of technology solutions and services that help organizations accelerate business outcomes by unlocking value from their data. Under his leadership, HPE has been consistently recognized as a great place to work and was ranked as the #1 most just company by JUST Capital in 2024 for its commitment to the environment, social issues, and strong governance.

John W. Rogers, Jr. is chairman and co-CEO of Ariel Investments, a global value-oriented asset management firm that he founded in 1983 to focus on patient, value investing within small- and medium-sized companies. Since then, the firm has grown to include strategies across various asset classes. His investment acumen has garnered media attention and comparisons to other legendary investors such as Warren Buffett and Sir John Templeton. In 2008, Rogers was awarded Princeton University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented each year to the alumnus or alumna whose career embodies a commitment to national service.

Tom Wilson is chair, president, and CEO of The Allstate Corporation, where he has led the company through the global financial crisis, adaptation to climate change, and post-pandemic inflation. Wilson is a public advocate for business playing a broad role in improving society and actively participates in leadership of both business and community organizations. Through the Allstate Foundation, he works to empower youth, advance racial equity, and disrupt the cycle of relationship abuse. He also co-leads the Chicago efforts of OneTen, a corporate initiative to upskill, hire, and promote one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs over the next 10 years.

— Robert Kennedy

From the 2023 Ripple of Hope Gala

On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, we honored our newest cohort of Ripple of Hope Award laureates: The Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust, a donor-advised fund of the Arizona Community Foundation advised by Peter and Pamela Barbey and their son Matt; Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA President, actor, writer, producer, best-selling author and activist; and The January 6th Select Committee, including Representatives Aguilar, Cheney, Kinzinger, Lofgren, Luria, Murphy, Raskin, Thompson, and Schiff. The ceremony featured emcee Alec Baldwin.