Social Entrepreneurship

Ashoka has pioneered the field of social entrepreneurship, identifying and supporting the world’s leading social entrepreneurs since 1980. Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social, cultural, and environmental challenges.

Social entrepreneurs are ambitious and persistent — tackling major issues and offering new ideas for systems-level change. They model changemaking behavior, and catalyze organizations and movements where everyone can be changemaker.

2018 Global Study Finds Ashoka Fellows Change Policy, Market Dynamics, and How People Think

In 2018, Ashoka led one of the largest and most diverse studies of system changing social entrepreneurs ever conducted. And we found that Ashoka Fellows are having systems-level impact — 74 percent...

A Neoliberal Takeover of Social Entrepreneurship?

Promoting hybrid models

Leading Social Entrepreneurs

The newest edition features a sampling of the Ashoka Fellows recently brought into the largest global network of social entrepreneurs.

“Social entrepreneurs are the essential corrective force. They are system-changing entrepreneurs. And from deep within they, and therefore their work, are committed to the good of all.”

- Ashoka founder Bill Drayton

Ashoka Fellows directly impact the lives of millions of people across the globe. They also provide examples, ideas, and insights that can serve as a roadmap in the new “everyone a changemaker” world.

Ashoka Fellows

By continuing to develop our expansive network of Fellows — providing financial, knowledge, and logistical support to more than 3,500 change leaders in 93 countries — Ashoka works to share the wisdom of leading social entrepreneurs with a global audience. Ashoka social entrepreneurs serve as role models and provide the how-tos that enable individuals, organizations, and whole societies to flourish in a world of rapid change.

Ashoka Social Entrepreneurship Programs

Ashoka Venture and Fellowship

For more than 35 years, Ashoka has built and nurtured the largest network of leading social entrepreneurs in the world. After a rigorous selection process, they are introduced to a life-long fellowship, where every member is committed to championing new patterns of social good. We encourage Ashoka...

Ashoka Support Network

The Ashoka Support Network is a global community of committed leaders who share, support, and advocate for Ashoka’s values and vision, while unleashing their own potential as changemakers.

Ashoka Executive in Residence

The Ashoka Executive in Residence program fosters high-impact collaborations between companies and leading social entrepreneurs (Ashoka Fellows) that have the potential to change the dynamics of traditional markets, enhance competitiveness, and create systemic social impact.

Ashoka Changemakers

Ashoka Changemakers is building a global movement where anyone, anywhere, can take action to solve a social problem in in their community. We work to build this movement by supporting social entrepreneurs, innovators, business leaders, policy makers, and activists who are changemaking, by delivering...

Collaborative Entrepreneurship: How Social Entrepreneurs Have Learned to Tip the World by Working in Global Teams

The Guide to the Seven Key Questions That All Social Entrepreneurs Should Ask Themselves to have a clearer idea, develop their project and maximize their impact!