Ford Foundation

Ford Global Fellows: Big Juicy Question

The Ford Global Fellowship introduces the “Big Juicy Question” as a personal compass for emerging leaders committed to ending inequality and strengthening democracy. The program rests on a deliberately developmental framework that pushes participants to the “edge of knowing,” confront uncomfortable truths, and replace “what is” with forward‑looking “what if” inquiries. By disrupting hidden biases and strengthening self‑authorship, fellows move from reactive to proactive solution design. Participants describe the experience as a shift from fear to curiosity that rewires their brain, allowing them to see problems as design opportunities. One fellow notes, “When leaders ask questions they don’t already know the answer to, they signal willingness to be changed,” highlighting vulnerability and co‑design as core differentiators. For businesses and NGOs, this question‑driven leadership cultivates adaptable teams, accelerates cross‑sector collaboration, and creates a pipeline of change‑makers capable of tackling systemic barriers, making the fellowship a strategic asset for social impact initiatives.