GWI announces recipients of first ever Susie Ellis scholarship

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has awarded its first-ever Susie Ellis Scholarship for Equity in Wellness. 

Launched at last year’s Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the scholarship programme aims to promote diversity and inclusion in the wellness industry by providing financial assistance to wellness professionals who might otherwise by unable to afford to attend the GWS. 

The scholarship was made possible due to initial donations from Katrine and Bill Formby, Rick Stollmeyer, Lynne and Victor Brick and the Szekely Family Foundation.

“This scholarship lets us offer those who have perhaps dreamt of attending the Summit an opportunity to participate in conversations with global wellness leaders, exposing them to the topics and issues that are shaping the business of wellness now and into the future,” said Nancy Davis, chief creative officer and executive director of the GWI.

Commitment to wellness 

Recipients Esther Ajari and Demetria McNeal, PhD, were selected from almost 100 applicants from 36 countries – for their passion and commitment to the wellness industry – by a panel of GWI and GWS board members. 

Their prize will include travel, accommodation and registration costs for this year’s Global Wellness Summit in Tel Aviv, Israel. 

“Both of this year’s very worthy recipients are already wellness leaders in their communities and it’s my sincere hope that this scholarship will accelerate and amplify the impact they are already maling in their own communities,” Davis added. 

Deserving winners 

Esther Ajari is the founder and director of the TriHealthon, a multi-award-winning non-profit based in Nigeria. The organisation promotes health and wellness equity in Africa through research and community projects. 

Born in rural Nigeria, where she says “opportunities to thrive are limited”, Ajari has succeeded nonetheless. In 2019, her dedication was recognised by the Dalai Lama Fellowship, an organisation for emerging social innovators and future leaders making a positive impact in the world. In 2021, she was named a Covid-19 Hero by the Nigerian vice-presidency.

Commenting on her win, Ajari said she was looking forward to bringing a Nigerian perspective to the GWS, and learning how to improve her non-profit’s financial standing so she can generate the revenue needed to “attain our vision of achieving wellness equity among vulnerable Nigerian women and children.”

Integrative wellness

Demetria McNeal, PhD,  serves as assistant professor of medicine and associate director of Health Equity at the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus’s School of Medicine. 

Describing herself as a “black American scientist, who is thirsty for expanding her wellness knowledge”, McNeal is particularly interested in the integration of wellness and the healthcare system and how new mental wellness discoveries can be applied in clinical settings. 

Other areas of interest include how emerging wellness innovations can be leveraged to promote better access to wellness in her local community.

Fostering inclusion and equity

“I believe that the wellness industry can do much more when it comes to fostering inclusion and equity; this is a simple but incredibly powerful step,” said scholarship namesake, GWS CEO and chair Susie Ellis. 

“I thank all the donors who made it possible for us to put our mission statement of ‘Joining Together. Shaping the Future’ into a tangible action. My hope is that next year we will be able to provide a greater number of scholarships.”