Ashoka: Innovators for the Public
Prepared for STARTup Live Athens, June 2013
What is Ashoka?
Ashoka is the global community of the world’s leading
social entrepreneurs (ASHOKA FELLOWS) — men and
women with system-changing solutions for the world’s
most urgent social problems. Ashoka sources the best
social innovations, mobilizes thousands of people to
create change, and enables businesses, the media,
policy makers and “changemakers” to work together to
create global impact.
Ashoka FELLOWS Worldwide*
204
600
226681
318
*as of 2012
679
437
378
398
75
875
North AmericaSouth America
Europe
Asia
Middle East/ East Africa
Africa
Where the needs of the world and your talents
cross, there lies your vocation. - Aristotle
- Εκεί που τα χαρισματά σου συναντούν τις
ανάγκες του κόσμου, εκεί βρίσκεται και η
αποστολή σου στη ζωή. - Αριστοτέλης
Ashoka Fellows
Ashoka Fellow Criteria
• A New Idea: new solution or approach to a social problem
• Creativity: visionary and a problem solver
• Entrepreneurial Quality: totally committed to making this idea a reality
• Social Impact of the Idea: will it change a field? Have national or regional impact?
• Ethical Fiber: is this person trusted?
SELECTED ASHOKA PARTNERS
Ashoka envisions a world where Everyone is a Changemaker™:
one that responds quickly and effectively to social challenges, and where each individual has the freedom, confidence and
societal support to address any social problem and drive change.
VIS
ION
Ashoka’s Global Impact
of Ashoka Fellows have proven their ideas to be so effective that independent groups and governments have replicated them within 5 years of election.
of Ashoka Fellows have contributed to changed national policy within 5 years of election
89%
of Ashoka Fellows have changed market dynamics at a national level.54%
57%
Ashoka is building partnerships to launch a chapter in Greece to:
Create a powerful network of Ashoka Fellows in Greece
Bring global innovations to GreeceEmpower young ChangemakersStrengthen the relationship between private
and citizen sectors to co-create solutions that empower youth and impact the social sector.
Greece: An Opportunity for Changemakers
Examples of Ashoka Fellows
Norbert Kunz, Germany
Founder of IQ Consult
Norbert Kunz supports youth employment by providing microcredit to young entrepreneurs and building collaborative networks of small entrepreneurs, corporations and public institutions to fuel nascent entrepreneurial activity. To date, Kunz has helped to create more than 3,500 jobs.
His program is now a federal program and has spread to several countries through adoption by the EU.
Ashoka Fellow: Youth Employment
Yves Lesenfants, Venezuela
Founder of Fundacion Programa Andes Tropicales
Yves helps communities utilize their market potential through a new methodology that guides communities through a process of planning and executing tourism enterprises. This gives communities in/near national parks and nature reserves complete ownership over the process of creating tourism products.
Government authorities, communities have solicited his services, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has consulted Yves and is replicating his methodology in several other countries.
Ashoka Fellow: Sustainable Tourism
Anshu Gupta, India
Founder of GOONJ - A Voice, An Effort
Anshu Gupta is facilitating an economic bridge between urban, wealthy India and impoverished, rural India by simply sharing the surplus of wealth. To assist villagers in a way that moves beyond charity, his “Cloth for Work” program links clothes to self-organized development activities in villages, including sorting, repurposing and packaging donated clothing.
$550,000 annual budget, 150 employees, hundreds of volunteers, 250 NGO partners that will help it assist about half a million people in 21 states this year.
Ashoka Fellow: Poverty Alleviation + Civic Engagement
Rebecca Onie, US
Founder of Health Leads
Rebecca Onie is building a movement to break the link between poverty and poor health by mobilizing university student volunteers to provide sustained public health interventions in partnership with urban medical centers, universities, and community organizations.
Since 2010, Health Leads has served over 23,000 patients, and 7,000 Health Leads alumni work in and around the healthcare system.
Ashoka Fellow: Healthcare + Poverty Alleviation
www.ashoka.orgchangemakers.comstartempathy.org
Everyone A Changemaker™