LOS ANGELES, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Team One today announced the recipient of its seventh annual Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship, recognizing an emerging leader whose leadership, innovation, and commitment to cultural impact is already driving meaningful change.
Driven by The Legacy Lab, Team One’s award-winning think tank and strategic consultancy, the $15,000 scholarship spotlights a student whose vision extends beyond academic excellence to transformational, real-world change. The award is designed to enable them to focus on building solutions that expand opportunity, transform industries, and uplift communities.
More than a scholarship, The Legacy Lab Foundation program has become a growing platform for identifying leaders who are actively translating ideas into real-world change. Each year’s recipient is selected for their ability not only to imagine a better future, but to take tangible steps toward creating it.
“What continues to inspire us is how forward-thinking these students already are,” said Julie Michael, CEO, Team One. “They aren’t waiting to lead; they’re actively creating change in their communities right now. The Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship exists to recognize that caliber of talent and to support leaders who are translating education into action. We’re proud to help remove barriers and invest in young people whose work today is shaping a more prosperous future.”
This year’s Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship was awarded to Victoria Okonkwo, a second-year Finance and Information Systems major at the Stevens Institute of Technology whose work centers on community service, youth leadership, and financial literacy. Through her advocacy and entrepreneurial efforts, she uses storytelling to shift perspectives and build empathy.
At 17, she founded the Bayonne Student Leadership Council in New Jersey, at the Bayonne Youth Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since its founding, the council has served as a student-led platform for community service, youth advocacy, and civic engagement, impacting thousands of individuals, and growing to 60+ student volunteers. The organization supports initiatives including the Give Thanks Initiative, a community uniform drive, a Black History Month oratorical contest, and a free tutoring initiative focused on academic equity. The council’s impact has been formally recognized by the 31st Legislative District of New Jersey, and Victoria is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the White House.
Alongside her community work, Victoria launched a financial literacy platform from her freshman-year dorm room, amassing 5.4 million views, reaching millions of individuals, and helping thousands of students access college resources. She also launched the same initiative on her campus, creating a dedicated platform to share opportunities and financial resources directly with students.
“Receiving The Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship profoundly impacted me. It lifted a significant financial burden, and for that, I am deeply and eternally grateful,” said Okonkwo. “This support allows me to focus fully on my studies, my initiatives, and the communities I serve without distraction. I am committed to carrying forward the values of The Legacy Lab Foundation and creating meaningful impact, just as this scholarship has done for me.”
In addition to Okonkwo, The Legacy Lab Foundation and its judging panel recognized five Rising Star honorees, each representing a distinct pathway to impact:
- Feyisayo Aluko is a writer, oral historian, and multidisciplinary artist who believes deeply in the power of stories to change the world. She is the co-founder of Kokonut Head Media, a literary organization committed to publishing and amplifying African narratives. Her storytelling has earned multiple honors, including an Independent Audio Fiction Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, a Gold Signal Award, and a Gold Anthem Award for Human & Civil Rights, among others. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Pratt Institute and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Oral History at Columbia University.
- Thaniya Shankar is a dual-degree MBA/MPH candidate at Yale University and a social impact founder dedicated to redesigning systems for neurodivergent individuals. Drawing on lived experience and years of program-building, she founded Project LEAD during the COVID-19 pandemic, a mentorship initiative for autistic youth that delivered measurable gains in academic achievement, confidence, and belonging. She is now building Star Spectrum, an integrated care venture providing therapy, vocational training, and supportive living for autistic adults. Shankar aspires to build scalable, community-centered systems that empower neurodivergent individuals to achieve independence, dignity, and meaningful opportunity.
- Raven Smith is a Chicago-based creative entrepreneur and a graduate student in Textile & Apparel Management at the University of Missouri. She earned her two bachelor’s degrees in Athletic Training and Product Development in the Fashion Industry, combining her background in health, design, and creative strategy. Raven is the founder of Straight From The GO, a purpose-driven fashion brand rooted in community impact, storytelling, and legacy, as well as Raeted R Creative Co., a creative platform that curates immersive fashion experiences for emerging designers. Through her work, Raven is committed to creating access, fostering collaboration, and building spaces that empower young creatives to grow professionally while honoring their individual stories.
- Ozioma Ozigbo is a master’s student in Climate & Sustainability Engineering at Duke University. She holds a bachelor’s in Mechanical and Energy Engineering from the University of North Texas (UNT) and began her career in the semiconductor industry, advancing R&D in power electronics for efficient technologies such as electric vehicles. After several years in technical innovation, she shifted her focus toward applying her skills more directly to the just-energy transition. At Duke, she is working on a geothermal energy startup through a university design group and contributes to a range of applied energy projects from city-scale projects to partnerships with energy-focused nonprofits. Ozioma has been recognized for her excellence with awards including the Golden Eagle Award from UNT and the Distinguished New Engineer Award from the Society of Women Engineers. Guided by her belief that “innovation is engineered in the lab, but impact is created in communities,” she is dedicated to scaling sustainable energy technologies that drive meaningful change.
- Andrew Qi is a first-year medical student at Case Western Reserve University. Andrew co-founded premedprofiles.com, a platform dedicated to bridging the gap and providing access to knowledge to help build the next generation of physicians. He also has worked on building other consumer apps and web apps. In between coursework and entrepreneurial ventures, he is active in medical research and president of Case Western Reserve University’s startup incubator, Hypercase.
The Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship is powered by The Giving Back Fund, a Los Angeles––based nonprofit that facilitates charitable giving.
ABOUT TEAM ONE
Team One is Publicis Groupe’s fully integrated media, digital, and communications agency dedicated to helping premium brands achieve their highest aspirations in the modern media landscape. With more than 400 employees, Team One has six North American offices, including its Los Angeles headquarters, Dallas, New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Boise. Team One clients include Lexus and the Lexus Dealer Association, Marriott International, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Barclays Investment Bank, The RealReal, HKS Architects, Metabo HPT, KB Home, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc., Moët Hennessy, and Cathay Pacific Airways Limited. Team One continues to be recognized for its industry-leading work and unique culture, which encourages innovation at all levels. To learn more about the agency’s work, team, and innovation ethos, visit TeamOne-USA.com.
ABOUT THE LEGACY LAB
Launched by Team One in 2012, The Legacy Lab is a Los Angeles–based think tank exploring the dynamics of long-term brand building in a short-term world. It focuses on ambitious leaders: remarkable individuals who have succeeded in making their brands enduringly unique, inspiring, and influential—even as the times, technology, and competition change around them. The Legacy Lab includes The Legacy Lab Consultancy, which helps brands build legacies with the understanding that aspirational brands endure over time and have lasting value, as well as The Legacy Lab Foundation—a nonprofit created to invest in leaders and organizations aiming to make a durable difference in the world. The Legacy Lab is an enterprise of Team One. For more information, visit The Legacy Lab and follow all the latest learnings on LinkedIn.
ABOUT THE LEGACY LAB FOUNDATION
The Legacy Lab Foundation is a nonprofit part of Team One’s Legacy Lab, created to invest in leaders and organizations aiming to make a lasting difference in the world. Since 2019, it has been presenting a scholarship to students who represent the next generation of legacy makers. The scholarship is powered by The Giving Back Fund, a Los Angeles–based nonprofit that facilitates charitable giving. To learn more about The Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship, visit Givingback.org/legacy-lab-scholarship.
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