Recognition
2026 Women of Vision Awards
Our founder Ashna Patel was honored as the recipient of a 2026 Women of Vision Honoree for her work with Melanin Mosaic. Alongside 2 other Gold Award Girl Scouts, Ashna represented the Girl Scouts of the USA at the 2026 Ms Foundation for Women Gala, and their effort to empower young girls across the world.
Melanin Mosaic was celebrated in a room filled with influential leaders, philanthropists, and changemakers as a global movement whose impact helps young people embrace their differences through art and storytelling.
Vitiligo being spoken about in a room filled with women whose impact spans industries and generations inspired our team to strengthen our fight as we advocate!
Featured by TAPinto
Melanin Mosaic was featured by TAPinto for our work bringing vitiligo education and advocacy into classrooms and conferences! The feature highlighted Melanin Mosaic’s efforts to transform Ashna’s personal experience with vitiligo into a platform that helps young people embrace their differences through art and storytelling.
From speaking with students in classrooms to representing the vitiligo community on larger stages, Melanin Mosaic was recognized for making conversations about visible differences accessible to audiences who may never have encountered them before. Seeing our mission shared beyond the vitiligo community was an exciting reminder that awareness begins when people are willing to listen.
TEDx
Our founder Ashna Patel took the TEDxBergen stage with a message that extends far beyond vitiligo. In “Choosing to Be Seen,” Ashna reflected on years spent letting vitiligo decide what she wore, how she behaved, and how much of herself she allowed others to see. She shared the small moment when a dance mom quietly handed her a book about a ballerina with vitiligo, and how feeling acknowledged eventually gave her the courage to create that same sense of recognition for others.
Melanin Mosaic was founded under the idea that we may not choose what makes us different, but we can choose what comes after it. Ashna traced how one decision to stop hiding grew into years of advocacy. Her TEDx talk challenged the audience to reconsider visibility not as wanting to be noticed, but as refusing to let a difference speak for you before you have the chance to speak for yourself.