Ashoka

Ashoka is a global network of social entrepreneurs, founded in 1981 by Bill Drayton. It identifies and supports innovative thinkers with new ideas for addressing systemic social problems and the entrepreneurial ability to turn them into national, regional and global impact. Over four decades it has helped pioneer the field of social entrepreneurship.

The organisation runs the Ashoka Fellowship, a programme that selects social entrepreneurs and provides funding, mentorship and access to an international network to help scale their solutions. Nearly 4,000 fellows have been supported across more than 90 countries. Alongside the fellowship sits the Global Changemaker Network, a community of practitioners working across countries and sectors to transform systems and create lasting impact.

Its work spans education, healthcare, environmental sustainability and civic engagement, with presence and impact across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. The operating philosophy rests on a vision of "Everyone is a Changemaker" - a society that responds quickly and effectively to challenges - and on the belief that people need the freedom, confidence and societal support to address social problems themselves.