Some of Milwaukee’s most transformative work happens without applause. These awards honor leaders who foster connection and strengthen our community. Meet this year’s Unity Awards cohort.
There’s one thing that unifies this year’s six Unity Awardees: They all believe in starting at home. That the best way to make change is to begin on your own block. One of our awardees was about to leave his neighborhood when he changed course and planted permanent, ever-growing roots. Another says the best way to build unity is to invite someone to dinner. And another wants you (yes, YOU) to disrupt exclusionary status quos in whatever spaces you walk into, to be the start of a tidal wave of unity in Milwaukee.
Read the profiles linked below to learn more about the honorees’ remarkable work.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Owens was considering leaving his Old North Milwaukee neighborhood but instead doubled down and founded Bridge Builders MKE and Uflourish Church to help remake, block by block, the Northwest Side. Read more here.
The 26-year-old Bolog has led the implementation of a new way of thinking about food security at People’s Table, a nonprofit that serves more than 6,000 families on the South Side. Read more here.
Everest-Blanks uses her various platforms – founder, DJ and program director at Radio Milwaukee’s HYFIN station; Amplifier in Residence at Marcus Performing Arts Center; advocate for independent music venues and many other roles – to elevate Milwaukee’s diverse communities in music and culture spaces that historically have often excluded people of color. Read more here.
Ginlack overcame his own troubled past of crime and substance abuse to create Serenity Inns, growing in just a few years from a single recovery home into a comprehensive continuum of care for men battling substance abuse and mental health challenges. Read more here.
Cummings had a vision for a professional theater organization to amplify the voices of people with disabilities – and she founded Pink Umbrella Theater Company in 2018 to do just that. It’s one of only six theater companies in the country to focus on hiring paid performers with disabilities. Read more here.
As executive director of Friendship Circle of Wisconsin, Stein creates opportunities for adults with disabilities through the Friendship Circle Cafe and Bakery in Fox Point. But since the pandemic, the rabbi has also directed the organization into mental health issues, leading dozens of SafeTALK suicide-prevention trainings. Read more here.
About These Awards
For six years, Milwaukee Magazine’s Unity Awards have saluted outstanding people and organizations promoting unity in our city. Winners are selected by a panel of magazine staff and past Unity honorees from community and staff nominations. We asked Deanna Singh, a 2023 honoree and the host of this year’s Unity event, what the recognition meant to her. “A bridge builder – that is what I strive to be. And being acknowledged as a Unity Award recipient is an incredible affirmation of that aspiration,” she responded. “But what truly matters is hearing the stories of others using their heads, hearts and hands to do good in our city. In a world where division gets the most attention, it’s powerful to celebrate this truth.”
Each year, Milwaukee Magazine hosts a public event to toast the new cohort of Unity Award honorees. Join us for this special celebration on the evening of Feb. 24 at Jan Serr Studio, 2155 N. Prospect Ave. Tickets are available at milwaukeemag.com/milwaukee-magazine-unity-awards.
This story is part of Milwaukee Magazine’s February 2026 issue.
Adam is a journalist who recently returned to his Wisconsin home after graduating from Drake University in December 2017. He interned with MilMag in the summer of 2015 and has been a continual contributor ever since. Follow him on social media @Could_Be_Rogan
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