About The Heinz Awards
Established by Teresa Heinz in 1993 to honor the memory of her late husband, U.S. Senator John Heinz, the Heinz Awards celebrate the accomplishments and spirit of the Senator by recognizing the extraordinary achievements of individuals in the areas of greatest importance to him.
The Awards, administered by the Heinz Family Foundation, currently recognize individuals for their contributions in the areas of the Arts, the Environment, and the Economy. Nominations are submitted by invited experts, who serve anonymously, and are reviewed by jurors appointed by the Heinz Family Foundation. The jurors make recommendations to the Board of Directors, which subsequently selects the Award recipients.
Amira Diamond and Melinda Kramer, WEA's Co-Founders and Co-Executive Directors, have been awarded the 29th Heinz Award for the Environment.
Amira Diamond
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Women’s Earth Alliance
Amira Diamond is a social entrepreneur with over two decades of experience driving climate solutions, gender equity, and economic development. As Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA), she has helped catalyze the environmental initiatives of more than 52,000 grassroots women leaders to impact more than 24 million people, capture millions of pounds of carbon, protect forests, and create sustainable livelihoods. Amira’s career began in Washington, D.C., working in the press office of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. She later led democratic reform efforts with students across the United States with Democracy Matters, and directed environmental justice campaigns with Julia Butterfly Hill's Circle of Life. A classically trained violinist and vocalist, she founded the Social Prophet Choir to inspire collective action through music. Amira holds a degree in Women’s Studies from Colgate University, studied international development at the University of the West Indies, and has served on various boards, including the Forbes Executive Women’s Board. She lives with her husband and two sons in Sebastopol, California, on the traditional, unceded land of the Graton Rancheria and Southern Pomo nations.
![MK headshot[1]](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_glossy+ret_img+to_auto/womensearthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/MK-headshot1-scaled-portrait-00b1d6d47d9d294b943cadea68682a7d-beo9xqc3gwzp.jpg "MK headshot[1]")
Melinda Kramer
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Women’s Earth Alliance
Melinda Kramer is a social entrepreneur with more than twenty years of experience at the intersection of climate action, women’s economic empowerment, and gender justice. As Co-Founder of Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA), she has built a global network that empowers over 52,000 grassroots women in more than 30 countries to lead environmental solutions, impact millions of lives, and protect the planet. Melinda’s career was shaped by her encounters with Dr. Wangari Maathai, which inspired her work addressing environmental and social challenges around the world—from tackling lead poisoning in the Midwest to supporting indigenous communities in the Arctic facing climate change. Prior to founding WEA, she led environmental and health projects with CARE International in Kenya and with Pacific Environment in Russia, China, and Alaska. Melinda has degrees in anthropology and environmental policy from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Nairobi. She serves as an ambassador for Oxfam America’s Sisters on the Planet and sits on several boards, including Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environment, Energy, and Sustainability. She lives with her husband and two sons in Berkeley, California, on the ancestral and unceded land of the Ohlone people.
Our Work
CLIMATE CHANGE
Empowering women’s leadership is one of the most important and effective solutions for tackling the climate crisis. WEA equips women leaders around the world with skills and resources to lead local climate adaptation and mitigation efforts in their communities.
FOOD SECURITY
Women produce most of the world’s food yet own less than 10% of titled land. WEA supports women farmers to gain land rights and improved access to resources, leading to increased production and reduced hunger.
WATER ACCESS
Women and girls around the world spend 200 million hours collecting water every day putting them at increased risk of violence and using valuable time that could otherwise be spent working or in school. WEA empowers women to design and lead their own water projects — rather than treating them as beneficiaries — turning traditional aid approaches in this sector on their head, while improving access to clean water.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Women face disproportionate health burdens resulting from toxic pollution, extractive industry activities, and climate change. WEA catalyzes women-led eco-enterprises and environmental protection initiatives that promote safer, healthier communities.
Since 2006
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