New research shows what we have long known—finding a purpose and contributing to society leads to a happier, more fulfilling life. #Changemakers https://wapo.st/4nlKw7c
About us
Ashoka is the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs and a global leader in social innovation. We champion social entrepreneurs who are shifting systems and creating new frameworks for society.
- Website
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http://www.ashoka.org
External link for Ashoka
- Industry
- Civic and Social Organizations
- Company size
- 501-1,000 employees
- Headquarters
- Arlington, Virginia
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Specialties
- social entrepreneurship, social change, venture philanthropy, fellowship, changemaking, system change, framework change, and empathy
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
1000 Wilson Blvd
Suite 1900
Arlington, Virginia 22209, US
Employees at Ashoka
Updates
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After flash floods displaced families in her hometown in Nigeria, Amara Nwuneli started Preserve Our Roots to inspire young people everywhere to restore our connection with nature and help protect our planet. Thank you Amara and Brief But Spectacular for this message! Amara is an Ashoka Young Changemaker and a 2025 awardee of The Earth Prize. For more stories, you can follow Ashoka People & Planet.
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Warmest welcome to our newest Ashoka Fellows in the United States!
We're delighted to welcome and introduce six new Ashoka Fellows who are shaping the future of the U.S.! Meet them and explore their ideas here: https://lnkd.in/gksA9Df7 Anasa Troutman (Memphis) | The BIG We Transforming stories and cultural heritage into engines of community wisdom and economic revival. David Kemper (Boston) | Trust Neighborhoods Pioneering a new housing model where legal trusts preserve affordability in perpetuity. Diya Abdo (Greensboro, NC) | Every Campus A Refuge Reimagining colleges as refugee welcome hubs, leveraging existing university resources and infrastructure. Ethan Ashley (New Orleans) | School Board Partners Supporting representative school boards to lead with courage and impact. idris brewster (New York City) | Kinfolk Tech Building collective memory through stories, design, and technology. Julia Olson (Eugene, OR) | Our Children's Trust Elevating the voices of young people to secure the legal right to a livable climate. Join us in welcoming these innovators for the public and their teams and collaborators who lead with long-term vision, creativity, care, entrepreneurial skill, and community trust. In the U.S. and worldwide, Ashoka Fellows are role models, yes. Yet as important, they are role-makers, creating ways for everyone to contribute as changemakers for the good of all. Welcome (left to right below) Diya, idris, Anasa, Julia, David, and Ethan!
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Just a few years ago, Ashoka launched the Carry4Good Pledge — a bold initiative to mobilize investors as changemakers, supporting the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. We believe that investors are uniquely positioned to fund systems change as they understand the power of backing people and ideas to drive long-term transformation, rather than isolated programs. Today, we’re celebrating a milestone as the 55th investor joins the pledge committing future profits to Ashoka's network of social innovators. One by one, they are joining a community of visionary funders unlocking capital for impact. Want to find out more? Visit https://lnkd.in/dbp693y6
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5 learnings from analyzing the work of Ashoka Fellows in the field of disabilities. In our new #AshokaFellows Disability report, we identified the gaps and opportunities for scaling existing solutions and introducing innovations in the field of #disability. Here are five calls to action for allies across sectors: 1️⃣ Create funding pools – long-term and unrestricted – to enable grassroots innovations 2️⃣ Support multi-sectoral collaborations 3️⃣ Provide hands-on assistance to social innovators through pro-bono and/or volunteering 4️⃣ Implement laws and policies that assist social innovators, and cover accessibility costs 5️⃣ Support exposure to social issues to change public perceptions 💬 Would you like to contribute to any of these? Nominate an Ashoka Fellow in the comments below or visit our website for more. https://lnkd.in/emSrtscG
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The Ashoka Support Network are individuals committed to supporting Ashoka Fellows in scaling transformative solutions. Discover some of the faces behind this global community of +300 members through The ASN Interviews. Through candid conversations and personal reflections, the series celebrates the diverse paths, bold collaborations, and systems-changing impact of ASN members around the world. Meet some of the voices featured in this interview series: 🔷 Nikunj Jhaveri, India: self-made entrepreneur and founder of a major IT group, Nikunj reflects on his path of return and reinvention, leading a new chapter of ASN India grounded in humility, collaboration, and social innovation. 🔷 Piet Colruyt, Belgium: as an impact investor himself, Piet explores how finance can be a force for good, investing in solutions that blend profit with purpose to drive climate action and social transformation across Europe. 🔷 Adeolu Adewumi-Zer, Nigeria: founder of Zer Consulting Africa, Adeolu shares her journey from a global corporate career to building sustainable African enterprises, offering deep insights into leadership, purpose, and systems change. Ashoka #systemschange Ashoka Switzerland Ashoka India Ashoka Africa Perrine de le Court Shared Value Nigeria ZER Consulting Africa Systems Plus BE.IMPACT Impact House Impact Finance Belgium
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How can school communities ensure that all learners thrive? And what role does school governance play? In the U.S., critical decisions about education are shifting to the local level, with school boards (made up of some 90,000 elected community leaders nationwide) playing an increasingly important role. During our last Welcome Change conversation, Ashoka Fellow Ethan Ashley, founder of School Board Partners talked about the opportunity to transform education by recruiting and supporting next-generation school board members who truly represent students—changemakers who will lead with skill, courage, heart, and an unwavering commitment to safe, supportive environments for every learner.
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Next up in our news series, we'll hear from Ashoka Fellow Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder of Conservation Through Public Health and author of "Walking with Gorillas: The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet" on human kinship with animals, lessons from the wild, as well as reflections on Jane Goodall's pioneering insights, legacy, and lifelong changemaking. Speaking with Alexandra Mitjans who co-leads Ashoka People & Planet collective. Tune in Oct. 15th! https://lnkd.in/gCHJJbXJ
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Social entrepreneurs wake up each day amidst the uncertainty and turmoil take another few steps forward in the collective project of making things better here on Earth. More from Michael Zakaras of Ashoka U.S. #mustread
Amidst a relentless news cycle, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed — or even powerless. When's the last time you shared a story about what's *working*? This piece highlights changemakers like Byron Kominek, who turned his family farm in Colorado into a living example of how clean energy and agriculture can thrive together. But it’s also about a broader truth: there's an alternate national story that's being written by individuals who are looking out for all of us. We're just not hearing about it. It’s time we recognize and support them — not just with funding, but with attention, appreciation, and a seat at the table. Byron Kominek Alison Lingane Bree Jones Ashoka