Ashoka

Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with nearly 3,000 Ashoka Fellows in 70 countries putting their system changing ideas into practice on a global scale. Founded by Bill Drayton in 1980, Ashoka has provided start-up financing, professional support services, and connections to a global network across the business and social sectors, and a platform for people dedicated to changing the world. Ashoka launched the field of social entrepreneurship and has activated multi-sector partners across the world who increasingly look to entrepreneurial talent and new ideas to solve social problems. Ashoka Fellows remain the core of our community, and their insights show us how the world is moving and what is needed next. Ashoka's mission has evolved beyond catalyzing individual entrepreneurs to enabling an "everyone a changemaker" world. This means equipping more people – including young people - with the skillset and a connection to purpose so that they can contribute ideas and effectively solve problems at whatever scale is needed in their family, community, city, workplace, field, industry, country. This evolution comes from the urgent realization that the pace of change is accelerating in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Our strategic initiatives focus on setting in motion the people, resources and ecosystems that will bring about a social revolution where everyone contributes to change for the good of all. Working in partnership with private, philanthropic and citizen sector players we are achieving large-scale social innovation that is grounded in decades of entrepreneurial experience.