Dr. Malhi is the co-founder and CEO of CultivAid, and won the prestigious award for leading agricultural projects in Africa that combine Israeli innovation, water management, vocational training, and local economic development.
Dr. Tomer Malhi, co-founder and CEO of CultivAid, has won the 2026 Charles Bronfman Prize for Jewish Leadership with Global Impact. The prize, worth $100, has been awarded since 2004 to Jewish leaders under the age of 50 who act in the spirit of values of justice, equality, and world improvement, while providing solutions to universal challenges that affect people from different backgrounds.
Dr. Malhi has an academic and professional background in the field of agriculture and water resources. He completed a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees at the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and holds a doctorate in soil and water sciences. His academic specialization deals with water resources management, agricultural systems, and the development of sustainable agricultural solutions in areas facing climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity.
In 2016, he founded CultivAid, a non-profit organization that sees agriculture as a strategic tool for creating economic and social stability. The organization operates in countries in East and Southern Africa and supports governments, farmers, and communities in developing advanced agricultural systems based on Israeli innovation, professional training, advanced water management, and connections to regional and international markets.
Dr. Malhi's activities focus not only on increasing agricultural yields, but also on building long-term economic infrastructure. In Tanzania, he led projects that transformed weak agricultural areas into a developing and prosperous wine industry, while significantly improving agricultural productivity and the income of local farmers. In Zambia, he is currently leading the establishment of a large-scale agricultural farm, intended to serve as a strategic anchor for strengthening food security and agricultural development in the East African region.
The award committee noted that Dr. Malhi's activities in Africa, his success in leading significant change in local economies, and his commitment to the values of world improvement, innovation, and helping others, reflect the vision of the award and the concept of leadership and impact that it has sought to promote for over two decades.
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