Each year, the MacArthur Foundation hands out awards to the nation’s most creative people in a variety of fields. Each receives a “no strings attached” $625,000 stipend to continue pursuing their creative visions. 

“Those who think creativity is dying should examine the life’s work of these extraordinary innovators,” said the Foundation’s Vice President, Cecilia Conrad.

 The fellows are nominated  by undisclosed, anonymous nominators and the nominations are assessed by  equally anonymous evaluators. There are no applications, no unsolicited nominations, no popularity contest or influence brokering — just sheer talent, dedication and creativity. 

Three of the fellowship winners are Pennsylvanians: 

• Physicist Danielle Bassett, 32, the Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation in the  Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, is recognized for her work “applying mathematical approaches to the analysis and modeling of brain connectivity.”

• Jazz composer and saxophonist Steve Coleman, 57, the founder of M-Base Concepts in Allentown, is a musician whose “technical virtuosity and engagement with musical traditions and styles from around the world” are, according to the Foundation, expanding the art of spontaneous composition.

• Poet Terrance Hayes, 42, professor of writing at the University of Pittsburgh,  is recognized as a poet who “reflects on race, gender and family in words marked by formal dexterity ... and in his subversion of canonical poetic forms.”

We are delighted to note that our Pennsylvania recipients are two African Americans and a woman. We are less delighted to note that there are no Latino recipients this year, in Pennsylvania or the nation. 

We know that there are distinguished Latinos in all fields, because we regularly highlight them in  print and on our website. But the lack of Latinos in what are commonly referred to as “genius” grants does give us pause. 

Are we — even those of us who are recognized as accomplished and successful — playing it safe?  Are we pursuing creative visions that have already been mapped out for us? Are we focused on conformity and respectability rather than innovation and creativity? 

We like to talk about our Latino entrepreneurial spirit, but if we look around, who is breaking ground? Who is — to put it bluntly — willing to risk that crucible in which the genius of excellence is forged?

In October, the Forbes Under 30 Summit will host a “$400,000 Pressure Cooker” pitch contest in Philadelphia, and we are hoping that, on the business end at least, it will be an opportunity for young Latinos to aim for genius.

 At least one of the five spots available  for the pitch contest will be accorded to a  Philadelphian, according to the Forbes release. The “Shark-Tank style competition for entrepreneurs” will be judged by investors, including Revolution’s Steve Case and Forbes Media President and CEO Mike Perlis.

We know Latino innovators and risk-takers are part of this city. One of Forbes’ “30 under 30,” for example, is Alejandro Gac-Artigas, the CEO and Founder of Springboard Collaborative. As a first grade teacher Gac-Artigas was frustrated by an existing educational system that wasn’t serving low income students’ needs, so he set out to absolutely redefine the system.

Of course, as the MacArthur fellowships show, it’s not only business that demands enterprising spirit, the desire to ask “what if?” and then chase down the answer. In addition to Bassett, Coleman and Hayes, the MacArthur winners this year include everything from cartoonists to translators; mathematicians to labor organizers; 32-year-olds to 71-year-olds. 

In our own city, people like spoken word artist Denice Frohman are exploring the interstices between art, performance and social action in ways that are risky and new. And a number of very young artists, journalists and activists in crucial formative stages have the potential to level, change and forever alter the playing field of our city.

Latino genius? It’s out there, not playing it safe. Look out, MacArthur Foundation, in the next number of years you are going to be inundated by it.