Ashoka
To date, Ashoka has selected more than 3,700 social entrepreneurs in more than 90 countries, whose systems-changing innovations solve deep-rooted social problems. In 2018, we surveyed our Fellows on the impact that Ashoka has had on them.
Distribution of Ashoka Fellows in 2018
Survey Findings
First Significant Funding
92% of Fellows report the Ashoka stipend helped them focus full time on their idea. Identifying and supporting these individuals often gives them their first significant source of funding.
Partnerships Between Fellows
Fellows report collaborating or partnering with 4 other Ashoka Fellows after being elected. Ashoka gives Fellows access to a powerful global network, and helps them conceive their work in a systemic way.
Systems Change
86% of Fellows report that Ashoka helped them see their work at a systems change level. Of those Fellows, 92% made changes to their strategy
Riccarda Zezza
Riccarda, Ashoka Fellow 2016, is redefining work-life balance through Maternity as a Master(s)
"When you have such a dream, as I think we [social entrepreneurs] all have, it’s so strong. It really gives you a lot of energy. But everyday you also ask yourself, 'Am I crazy? What am I doing?' And you need to keep you vision very high. You need to look very far, because if you look too close, you’re going to stop: you’re going to feel like you can’t do it.
"And if someone like Ashoka selects you and they decide you are an Ashoka Fellow, somehow you feel a lot of energy added to you. On a personal level, it makes a huge difference. It gives you a lot of strength. The normal market, the normal economy is all the time doubting what you’re doing. All the time telling you why it won’t work. When someone like Ashoka comes in and says, ‘What you are doing is really important and it can really change the world’ - they tell you that you can really do it.”
Creating the Everyone A Changemaker World
Through our network of students, schools, universities, corporations, and citizen sector organizations, we’re building a movement towards an Everyone a Changemaker World where every person is powerful and can take creative action for social change in their communities.
2,000 parents
reached through our workshop on parenting changemakers, Your Kids
30 online Changemaker Challenges
to encourage youth social innovation
150+ young changemakers
selected for their social innovations through Youth Venture
70 senior leaders
engaged across 23 countries in our Executive in Residence program
230 participants
representing 33 countries participated in Changemaker Bootcamps
500+ higher education institutions
engaged in 50+ countries, with approximately 5,000 individuals engaged directly in AshokaU
Anju
Selected by the Youth Venture program, this young changemaker is making her village child labor free
"Ashoka helped me immensely. It is not only the way that I talk that has changed, it is also the way I think. Earlier, I thought that it was only me who was preoccupied with social problems. It was when I joined Youth Venture that I realized that there are other people who are also working towards solving such problems. There was a time when my plans were confined to my village. After Youth Venture, it is my dream to make the entire state of Haryana child labor free.”
