GLORIA UMANAH
Gloria Umanah is the Founder and Executive Director of Hope Booth, an evidence-based mental health nonprofit making hope and help free and accessible 24/7. Through interactive, immersive experiences housed in remodeled telephone booths, Hope Booth installations are placed in prisons, schools, street corners, and public spaces around the world.
Moved by her experience of surviving suicide, homelessness, fatherlessness and the sobering truth that mental health support should be as accessible as picking up a payphone once was; Gloria launched Hope Booth with a mission to pioneer a movement where no one goes unseen, whether living on the streets or leading a Fortune 500.
Since its inception, Hope Booth has installed over 35 booths across 3 continents and impacted more than 350,000 lives, with a reported 78% increase in hope among user communities. The organization has partnered with leading brands and institutions to further its mission and impact.
In 2024, Gloria was named Innovator of the Year in the Technology Sector by Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures for building systems that interrupt isolation with connection. For Gloria, this work is deeply personal: because hope isn’t a buzzword; it’s a lifeline.
