This year’s three John P. McNulty Prize laureates, selected from dozens of Aspen Institute fellows across the Institute, include Food Leaders Fellow Tom McDougall. Tom’s 4P Foods connects local and regional farmers with households, businesses, schools, hospitals, and community partners to create reliable markets for producers while expanding access to fresh, nutritious food.
 
His mindset is clear. “The bad news is no one is coming to save us,” he says. “The good news is that no one is coming to save us, so we get to build it ourselves.” It’s why Tom created a regional food hub in pursuit of a more regenerative, equitable, and resilient food system. From the very first Food Leaders Fellowship meeting—he’s part of our first cohort of 18, which named itself Root 18—Tom has been an enthusiastic, unifying force for the entire fellowship.
 
Tom was recognized at the 2026 Resnick Aspen Action Forum. 

This is the second honor bestowed upon a Food Leaders Fellow from the McNulty Foundation. In April, Seanicaa Edwards Herron of the Freedman Heirs Foundation was selected by the 2026 McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund, an award given annually to support early-stage organizations with innovative and inclusive solutions to critical issues.
 
“Both the McNulty Prize and Catalyst Fund awardees undergo an impressively thorough and thoughtful vetting process—months-long! We’re honored that within the first four years of founding the Food Leaders Fellowship, two of our fellows have been recognized by the McNulty Foundation,” says Corby Kummer, executive director of Food & Society at the Aspen Institute. “But we can’t say we’re surprised. Tom and Seanicaa are exemplary fellows: big-hearted, creative, and collaborative.”  
 
Food & Society knows 88 more Food Leaders Fellows who are taking bold action to drive meaningful change. We invite you to learn more about them.  
 
Learn more about the McNulty Prize.