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™