Congratulations to the Forbes Impact 30

For the first time in the magazine’s 94-year history, Forbes has assembled a list of the top 30 social entrepreneurs tackling the world’s most intractable problems — and 10 Ashoka Fellows made the list.

The unwavering innovators recognized as members of the Forbes Impact 30 are an impressive bunch, and we’re pleased to congratulate them. Honorees include Unreasonable Institute CEO and co-founder Dean Epstein, charity:water’s Scott Harrison, and Jacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO of Acumen Fund.

A special cheer goes out to the 10 Ashoka Fellows recognized:

• Rafael Alvarez, Genesys Works
   
• William Foote, Root Capital
   
• Sam Goldman, d.light design
   
• Darell Hammond, KaBoom
   
• Jordan Kassalow, VisionSpring
   
• Wendy Kopp, Teach for America
   
• Josh Nesbit, Medic Mobile
   
• Rebecca Onie, Health Leads
   
• J.B. Schramm, College Summit
   
• Jill Vialet, Playworks

The Impact 30 were selected by a blue-ribbon panel of experts featuring Antony Bugg-Levine, the chief executive of the Nonprofit Finance Fund; Jed Emerson, the executive vice president of ImpactAssets; Yale economics professor and MIT Poverty Action Lab research Fellow Dean Karlan; Deb Nelson, executive director of the Social Venture Network; and our very own Bill Drayton, founder and chief executive of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public.

Fellows Jill Vialet and Darrel Hammond are also key contributors to Ashoka’s Empathy Initiative, a new movement to activate empathy worldwide, and ensuring that all children master the social, teamwork, and leadership skills required to contribute successfully to society.

We’re pleased to support these exemplary leaders — and the thousands of others like them — as they continue to create a global community able to respond quickly and effectively to pressing social challenges.