Ashoka Wellbeing

Awareness, support, community. Sometimes it just helps to connect with others in a similar position feeling the same way. Ashoka places an importance on personal development and community/peer support for our Fellows so they can thrive in their lives and in their work.

Social entrepreneurs are special people with the drive and the courage to change the world. This mindset can be accompanied by the inaccurate conviction that in order to do that, one must never stop working because the work will never be done and that launching and operating an organization rests on their shoulders alone.

Working with leading social entrepreneurs over the last several decades, Ashoka knows that the ability to lead transformational change is directly proportional to the ability to enable more individuals and institutions to contribute to and lead change. A closer look at the mindsets, skills and qualities of social entrepreneurs who have achieved systemic impact—in a sustainable way personally and professionally—shows common patterns. Such leaders continuously step back to reflect and reframe the inner space from which they root their leadership. They reevaluate the way they see others and their roles and work with their community and partners. They undertake inner work to overcome personal and organizational egos to listen, trust and share leadership. They shift their roles from being heroic decision makers to enablers who create an environment for changemakers to emerge. In a fast-changing world, we believe this mindset and approach to leadership and wellbeing is crucial for success.

Ashoka focuses on wellbeing for our community by creating opportunities for Ashoka Fellows and young changemakers to practice self-awareness and empathy and build communities of trust and support around them. Some examples include:

• Wellbeing retreats: Ashoka local offices support Wellbeing groups that co-organize and co-lead with Fellows.


• “Wellbeing Huddles”: Ashoka organizes online convenings of Fellows to explore different aspects of wellbeing and social change, such as: self-awareness and leadership, Fellow security, “Humanizing” organizations and the social sector. These online convenings are rich opportunities for Fellows to support and share best practices with each other.


• Reframing Journeys: Ashoka India pioneered a program that integrates new leadership skills and wellbeing to help Fellows reflect and reframe the way they lead in an Everyone a Changemaker ecosystem.


• The Wellbeing Project: Ashoka is a co-creator of the Wellbeing Project, which aims to shift the culture of the social change field to one that encompasses inner wellbeing, catalyzing an infrastructure of support for everyone in the field.

Contact: [email protected]