LEADING SOCIALENTREPRENEURSIn Celebration of

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
Founder Member of Ashoka Global Academy
and Ashoka World Council
Fazle Abed is probably the greatest social entrepreneurof the last fifty years. And he is one of the earliest, best,
and most loved co-leaders of the Ashoka movement. This
book is a reflection of what he has helped to build and acelebration of who he is.
He created BRAC as newly independent Bangladesh
faced unimaginable challenges. He built it into, by far, theworld’s largest civil society organization. In one year, it
served 126 million people, disbursed $8.4 billion in microloans, and catalyzed grassroots community groups tolaunch 498,000 community projects. It works across continents and raises 80 percent of its budget from for-profit

Sir Fazle Abed, Founder and Chairperson, BRAC. (Photo:BRAC/
Shehzad Noorani)businesses wholly owned by nonprofit BRAC.

More important, every year BRAC has many new ideas to make the world a place where everyone can contribute, where
all are therefore powerful and far more equal. Then BRAC quickly tests, refines, and spreads these new openings. As theseideas spread, BRAC’s impact multiplies over and over. Even more powerful and contagious are the values and entrepreneurial quality that Fazle and his BRAC define.
When Ashoka came to Bangladesh in the mid-1980s with the then very unfamiliar idea of social entrepreneurship, Fazle
Abed immediately understood it and welcomed us. He nominated the first Fellow. He served on selection panels. Ever since,in hard times and good, he has helped guide us. Now we are working together to spread empathy and to make changemaking the norm for all young people. Ashoka will soon elect the first group of Fazle Abed Ashoka Young Changemakers in
Bangladesh.
Bill Drayton,
for the Ashoka Community

FRONT COVER

Biplab Paul
What causes forced migration and creates refugees? The
single biggest cause is environmental damage to the land—
be it fields that can’t absorb rain, creating floods andreduced yields; salinization; and waterlogging. Biplab has
developed supremely simple ways (10% of the cost of abore well) of solving all these problems —by channelingunderground water through drainage pipes. He works
through the poorest local women farmers. He has alreadyspread his model across India and to Bangladesh and Africa.

Cover Photo: Ashoka Fellow Biplab Paul with local farmer partners.

LEADING SOCIALENTREPRENEURS

1700 North Moore Street | Suite 2000 | Arlington, VA 22209 USA
Tel: (703) 527-8300 | Fax: (703) 527-8383 | www.ashoka.org

Managing Editor: Lauren Jackman
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Production Artist: Sima Designs
Contributors: Rameez Alam, Clara Altfeld, Dian Septiyana Anderson, Pak Aranyawat, Julie Auffray, Reilly Brooks, Sybil Caballero,
Maira Cabrini, Laura Catana, Amy Clark, Barbara Teo Dominguez Nagel, Katherine Doley, Mirella Domenich, Ifeyinwa Egwaoje,
Caroline Garrett, Beth Inabinett, Akanksha Khurana, Mary Alice Kukoski, Carson McBain, Alexandra Matthews, Rajesh Meher,
Josephine Nzerem, Merve Nur Okutan, Shantanu Paul, Melissa Rice, Martyna Rubinowska, Flavia Sartori, Erlijn See, Barbara Steele,
Danica Straith, Mariam Tag, Irene Wu, Haerim Yun, and Michael Zakaras.
Special Thanks: Chris Cusano, Carson McBain
ISBN-13: 978-0-9995578-2-2; Leading Social Entrepreneurs, 2019 Edition.
Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.
This publication was printed by More Vang on Eagle Offset paper—an environmentally friendly produced stock certified by the
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Ashoka: Everyone a Changemaker catalyzes a global community that is leading the everyone a changemaker movement.
We now live in an everything-changing world. This fact
requires everyone to be able to contribute to and adapt tochange, i.e., to be a changemaker. This requires mastering four
abilities: cognitive empathy; working in multiple, complex, andever morphing networks; new leadership; and changemaking.
There is a bidding war for those with these skills, certainly nojob scarcity. However, the other half who does not have theseskills can’t contribute in the new game, and faces the reality
of “Go away, we don’t need you; it’s your fault; and your kids
have no future.” This leads to depression and straight on topermanent fury and then the “us versus them” politics thathas swept across the world in barely six years. This is “the new
inequality”. It is unethical and hugely harmful.
Ashoka uses a rigorous, highly-refined, five-step process to
identify the most important emerging social change ideas andthe entrepreneurs behind them who, together, will redefine
their fields, be it human rights or the environment or any otherarea of human need. This process focuses sharply on five key
criteria:• A big, pattern-setting New Idea
• Creativity in both goal setting and problem solving• Entrepreneurial quality• The social impact of the New Idea
• Ethical fiberOnce Fellows are elected, Ashoka makes sure that they havethe support and full freedom—including the ability to work
full-time—they need to launch their visions and succeed.
This includes providing a launch stipend to the degree it isneeded for an average of three years, organizing a wide rangeof high-leverage supports, and—most importantly—engaging them in a local-to-global collaborative fellowship of theirpeers.
By continuing to develop its extensive network of Fellows,
Ashoka works to share the wisdom of these leading social
entrepreneurs with a global audience. Its Fellows’ work
exposes the world’s most urgent and critical needs. Ashoka
looks for patterns in these fields, investigates them to gain
new insights, and then mobilizes social entrepreneurs to collaborate and expand in the needed areas.
In this volume, you will find profiles introducing a sample ofthe ideas and leading social entrepreneurs recently elected by
Ashoka. They are grouped according to six broad fields: civic
engagement, environment, full economic citizenship, health,human rights, and learning/education. These sketches introduce entrepreneurs at different stages in their careers; Senior
Fellows have already had profound social impact but most are
Fellows just launching their work. However, annual Ashoka
evaluations show that five years after their election, 76 % of
Ashoka Fellows have changed the pattern in their field at thenational and/or international level. Moreover, they encourage
many others to stand up and become changemakers—both asrole models and because, to succeed, they must—and do—findlocal changemakers in community after community that adopt
and spread their models.
Ashoka invites everyone to contribute in the most powerful
way by joining with us as co-leaders in the “everyone a changemaker” movement. We are social entrepreneurs, youth entrepreneurs, and change leaders across sectors who are bringing this powerful framework to our communities, businesses,
schools, and neighborhoods.

Preface
Why is Inequality Getting Worse Everywhere?
Why is “Us versus Them” Politics Spreading Globally?
Dear Friend,
The organizations you lead need even more help. They musthire changemakers, help all their people become changemakers, and organize in fluid, open teams of teams even while
becoming more tightly focused.

Missing a turning point is a really, really bad idea—especiallywhen it is the biggest ever.
That’s what’s happening now to far too many of us.
Starting your day confident in your football skills will get you
nowhere if the world’s game is now chess.

Most of us fight for equal opportunity for all. A turning point
like this is an opportunity for any disadvantaged group to leapfrog ahead. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for such groups
instead to fall quickly further behind. This is deeply disturbing
given that so many of the world’s people still suffer from theold gender, ethnic, religious, and social inequalities.

Everywhere, societies are increasingly divided. Two examples:
universally worsening income distributions and, increasingly,“us versus them” politics. The chief reason is that those whoare successful players in the new game (which requires complex changemaking skills) are doing very well indeed; but those
who don’t see it and have none of the new skills required arebeing pushed out. As the CEO of a major U.S. company thatis doing very well in the new game put it to me, “[Hiring only
those with changemaking skills] is simply bottom line.”

The new inequality is more deadly than those that went before
because the gap grows bigger every year. As the new game isaccelerating, the players help one another become even moreskilled. However, those not in the game are being left everfurther behind.

The worst thing society can do to anyone is to not want them.
To leave them useless, unable to contribute.

For a fair and healthy society, we all need to work hard toensure that this new era is an “everyone a changemaker” world.
This is, of course, Ashoka’s goal.

This is the new inequality.

This moment feels to me quite like the few years before theAmerican civil rights movement and, a bit later, the women’s
movement took off. Each went through its respective halfdozen dramatic turning point years. Decades of underlying
change and preparation had created new realities, but few
people saw the signs. The key to society’s tipping into the turning point years where everyone quickly sees the new game—and the hundred things they can and need to do—is building
broadening awareness. Here, you can surely help importantly.

It’s not just that the old game—give a person a skill (banker,
baker) and organize work (guilds, assembly lines, law firms) sothat people repeat their skill forever—is in exponentially fast
decline. It’s that the new game is not just different; it’s the
opposite of the old patterns in almost every way. One must
now organize in always-morphing teams of teams. And eachteam needs all its members to spot new patterns occurring
anywhere, see the implications, and help build and live in aconsequent new team of teams. These complex skills require
new approaches to everything, from growing up to leadership.

You and all the rest of us in the broad Ashoka movement andcommunity are uniquely well-positioned (1) to see and seize
the opportunities of this historic turning point for our family,
friends, organizations, and ourselves; and (2) to ensure thateveryone at least has equal opportunities to do so.

Is your daughter practicing changemaking? Does she confidently know that she is a changemaker? If she thus has her
power, she and you know she will be a powerful giver in life
and that the world will always want her. In other words, shewill have a happy, healthy, long life. If you can’t answer “yes”
to these questions, you have urgent work to do.

To serve this historic turning point, what are the Ashoka community’s unique strengths? The first is its over 3,600 Fellows.
(As you know, three-quarters have changed the patterns intheir field at the national and/or international level within five
years of launch.) In any field, Ashoka can therefore reliably map

The same is true for any young person about whom you care,your coworkers, and your friends.

ivwhere the world must go by seeing where our Fellows’ innovations point. So far these prescriptions fit hand-in-glove withwhat Ashoka has learned is required in an everything-changing world where each change begets yet more change. The
Fellows also bring myriad proven ways of getting there.
Second, Ashoka recognizes that this transformation must
begin by helping everyone go through a hundred changes in
how they see and understand the world. Engineering such society-wide mindset change is very different from leading othersorts of change. Ashoka approaches this challenge with thevery great advantage that it has already done this once: It set
out very consciously decades ago to introduce the constructof social entrepreneurship, a construct that now empowers
people everywhere to recognize that it is feasible, normal, andrespected to see a problem or imagine an opportunity and togo out and change the world.
Third, the Ashoka community is where the co-leaders of sucha global mindset change movement can be found. Ashoka
Fellows, partnering top-quality business entrepreneurs, staff,
and Ashoka Young (teen) Changemakers are all people whohave given themselves permission to and who know how tochange their world.

team of partners, our movement can now create news, orchestrate
events, and reach millions. There are solid beginnings of such teams
on most of the continents, all learning from Brazil and from one
another.
If we all work together, we now have the teams and the tools to end
the new inequality, to in fact give everyone the ability to give, to be
powerful, to be a changemaker!
This ability to enable everyone to have a life and thereby for all of us
to escape a bitterly-divided society both draws on and strengthens
Ashoka’s original core commitment to its Fellows and to the field ofsocial entrepreneurship it is building across the world. Indeed, it is
this unity that uniquely positions our Ashoka movement to succeedin this new, critical work.
		Bill Drayton
Ashoka: Everyone a Changemaker
October, 2019

Moreover, we are now well into the work—and learning fast.
On May 23 and 24 this year, several years of brilliant, focusedwork by Ashoka’s Brazil leadership, several fully co-leading Fellows, and a dozen “jujitsu partners” (the most ethical,
entrepreneurial, and powerful organizations in the sectors key
to redefining what constitutes success in growing up -- i.e.
education unions, publishers, education schools, and selectcities or states) joined by Brazil’s first nine Ashoka Young
Changemakers came together. These very powerful forces
captured Brazil’s attention at the national and many metroarea levels. Since then, one change has triggered the next,
be it education publishers and education schools shifting theirstrategies and offerings to “everyone a changemaker” or parents groups stepping up. (See the section on Ashoka Young
Changemakers on page 76.) Or the union of those runningthe country’s 5700 school districts helping spread the “every
young person must be a changemaker” message. With thisvLetter from Ashoka

Corruption is a major driver of inequality; not only are government funds often misused, but economic growth, business
operations, employment, and investment are all adversely
affected by corruption.

Dear Friends:
In your hands is a glimpse of the future. This latest edition of
Leading Social Entrepreneurs features a sample of recently
elected Ashoka Fellows, who have become part of the largest
global network of social entrepreneurs. In the following pages,
you will read about new innovations by people who are building an “Everyone a Changemaker” world and whose ideas arechanging the way things are done all over the planet.

Trained as an engineer and neuroscientist, Mélanie Marcel
became fascinated by the possibility of driving research awayfrom being financially-motivated and towards benefiting thegood of all. She therefore founded SoScience to create collaborations between research scientists and social entrepreneurs.

Ashoka believes the most powerful force for change in theworld is a pattern-change idea in the hands of a first-class
entrepreneur. With this conviction, we pioneered the field ofsocial entrepreneurship almost 40 years ago. Ever since, we’ve
bet on the optimists and the adventurous who see the world
not as it is, but as it should be.

With each new leading social entrepreneur we nurture,
Ashoka creates a different kind of future: one where each of us
looks inside ourselves and sees a changemaker. We hope theideas and stories of these leading social entrepreneurs help
strengthen the changemaker in you. We invite you to support
Ashoka by sharing these stories and helping us continue to findand invest in the next systems-changing social entrepreneurs.
Warm regards,

Anamaria Schindler
Leadership Team Member

The world’s leading social entrepreneurs are not innovators working in isolation. Their success depends on creatingroles for other people to step up and lead change and further
spread solutions. Among them are people like Daniela Valdivia
of Bolivia, who works with the police and the military to stop
gender-based violence.
As inequality increases at an alarming rate in countries all over
the world, two of our Global Fellows created technical toolsthat help people monitor the government, ultimately furthering equality. Paul Radu of Romania built the Investigative
Dashboard, which connects journalists—and anyone—withopen data and support to investigate crime and corruption.

vi

leading social
entrepreneurs
A Representive Sample of New Ashoka Fellows and Ideas

2019 Edition
The Social Entrepreneurs and Their Ideas
Civic Participation......................................................................................................................................2Paul Radu .........................................................................................................................................3
Jin-Kyeong Cho ..............................................................................................................................6
Achraf Aouadi .................................................................................................................................9Growing Up............................................................................................................................................... 12
Daniela Valdivia............................................................................................................................ 13
Tanin Timtong............................................................................................................................... 16
Komal Dadlani.............................................................................................................................. 19
Environment.............................................................................................................................................. 22
Paula Daniels................................................................................................................................ 23
Pranshu Singhal............................................................................................................................ 26
Wietse van der Werf................................................................................................................... 29
Full Economic Citizenship...................................................................................................................... 32
Regi Wahyu................................................................................................................................... 33
Mélanie Marcel............................................................................................................................. 36
Jeff Cyr........................................................................................................................................... 39
Health......................................................................................................................................................... 42
Prasanna Shirol............................................................................................................................. 43
Nneka Mobisson.......................................................................................................................... 47vii

Human Rights........................................................................................................................................... 50
Jess Ladd........................................................................................................................................ 51
Sérgio Serapião............................................................................................................................ 54
Nazma Akter................................................................................................................................. 57
Senior Fellows ......................................................................................................................................... 60
Jakub Wygnański......................................................................................................................... 61
Manu Gupta.................................................................................................................................. 64
Sue Riddlestone........................................................................................................................... 67

Collaborative Entrepreneurship
Next Now: Taking on the Biggest Challenges....................................................................... 71
Youth in Charge: Ashoka Young Changemakers................................................................... 73

Organizing the Movement
World Council............................................................................................................................... 78
Board, North American Council............................................................................................... 79
Offices Worldwide....................................................................................................................... 80
Ensuring the Future: The Endowments.................................................................................. 82
In Appreciation............................................................................................................................. 88
Gifts with Special Impact........................................................................................................... 89

viii

The Social Entrepreneurs
and Their Ideas

Civic Participation..........................................................................................................................2
Growing Up................................................................................................................................... 12
Environment.................................................................................................................................. 22
Full Economic Citizenship.......................................................................................................... 32
Health............................................................................................................................................. 42
Human Rights............................................................................................................................... 50
Senior Fellows.............................................................................................................................. 60

1

CivicParticipation

2

CIVIC PARTICIPATION/GLOBAL FELLOWPaul Radu
Executive Director
Organized Crime and Corruption
Reporting ProjectPaul Radu is reinventing global investigative journalism for the
21st century to ensure that the media can fulfill its central role asdemocracy’s greatest watchdog. He has built the largest transnational investigative reporting network while providing open
source technology that citizens and journalists can use to expose
organized crime and corruption worldwide.
THE NEW IDEA
Mimicking the sophisticated, organized criminal networks
that ignore international borders, Paul is building his own
global network of investigative journalists, activists, librarians, and civic hackers who work together to shrink the reachand influence of organized crime. Through his organization,
the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project(OCCRP), Paul teaches investigative journalists how to follow
illegal flows of money while also providing citizens with thetools and free data so they can understand and expose corruption and crime.
Expanding the traditional investigative process, Paul’s idea
uses math, science, and people to expose all types of crime—from drug trafficking to money laundering and from politicalcorruption to theft and murder. Working with programmersand data scientists, he developed algorithms and built a technological infrastructure that detects and analyzes patterns ofcriminal activities—patterns that can be applied all over theworld. Paul also partners with law-enforcement institutions,banks, and intelligence agencies to increase the effectiveness of their work while also enabling intelligence data to beshared globally and open sourced.
And while everyone cannot be an investigative journalist,
everyone can contribute to an investigation by conducting
online research or using a camera. Citizen involvement candeter crime from happening and Paul is gamifying the investigative process to encourage more people to dig into data
and uncover crimes.

Romania

Having built the largest, collaborative network of 45 nonprofit investigative centers in 34 countries across Europe,
Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Paul is changing the field ofinvestigative journalism so that it is more streamlined andresponsive to the public interest.
T H E P RO B L E M
Corruption and illegal money flows remain the world’s biggest hidden tax, robbing communities of resources, publicfunding, economic opportunities, and political stability. The
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates thatbetween 2% and 5% of global gross domestic product (GDP)is laundered each year, the equivalent of $800 billion to $2
trillion.
Money is a great connector, incentivizing criminals to workin effective, strong, and sophisticated cross-border networks. Organized crime operates using the “balloon effect”: ifsqueezed in one country, criminals quickly adapt to another,
exploiting technology and seizing new opportunities. Banksand financial institutions often do not have the sophisticatedtechniques required to catch criminals. Moreover, criminals
work within public systems, obtaining protection from public
officials, influencing political decisions, and infiltrating state
structures and legitimate businesses.

“Collectively (OCCRP has) traced billionsof dollars in laundered money and bribes
across Eastern Europe and Russia. Radu
once posed as a slave buyer to infiltrate
a human trafficking ring, but these days
OCCRP reports almost entirely with
documents, mostly public records they
use to trace ownership across borders andthrough shell companies in tax havens.”

ASHOKA 2019 |3

Globally, law enforcement does not have the appropriate
tools and resources to fight the numerous, transnationalorganized crimes. Many police officers and intelligence analysts have not mastered cross-border, multi-language, opensource intelligence. In addition, the investigative process canbe slow; by the time an officer has filed intelligence requests
and received cross-border information from one country,
criminal networks have often already erased evidence andreplicated elsewhere.
For these reasons, criminals operate knowing that local
police and judiciary don’t have an international mandate,with most countries making little or no progress to end corruption. More than two-thirds of the 180 countries includedin Transparency International’s 2018 Corruption Perceptions
Index scored below 50, with an average score of 43, where 0
is highly corrupt and 100 is clean.

OFFSHORE COMPANYFOLLOW THE MONEYORGANIZED CRIMECORRUPTION CASEST H E S T R AT EG Y
Paul’s impact can be traced to OCCRP’s wide-ranging collaborations and partnerships. Paul learned early on that in order
to track, expose, and stop criminal activities, he needed tofight criminals with their own weapons. He built the largest
decentralized and collaborative global network of 400 local
investigative journalists across four continents.
To counter the diverse journalistic standards in different
parts of the world, Paul invested in developing local talentand building a more collaborative, professional, multicultural,and cross-sectorial work culture, which is now pollinating
the investigative journalism sector. In addition to providing
journalists with financial resources to undertake cross-border investigations, he offers them: a free support platform to
make their work more efficient and faster; access to OCCRP
editors, translators, programmers, researchers, commercial
databases, and safe online spaces; and tailored technological solutions. Moreover, journalists are provided with professional training, including for physical safety and in cybersecurity.
From his own experience, Paul knew that public data is notalways easily accessible or inexpensive, even though it is a
crucial part of any investigation. Accordingly, he collaborates with hundreds of professionals with complementaryskills—such as programmers, researchers, lawyers, and data

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ASHOKA 2019

PROXY PERSONPaul and his team built the Visual Investigative Scenarios (VIS) datavisualization platform to assist investigative journalists, activists,and others in mapping complex business and crime networks. VIS
helps investigators explain corruption, organized crime, and otherwrongdoings so the public can understand and access the data
quickly and easily.

scientists—to gather and connect open databases, and todevelop open global infrastructure with the needed techsupport. Paul has worked with more than 50 librarians fromthe American Library Association to help analyze enormous
amounts of information.
Knowing that the effectiveness of Paul’s solution lies in making tools and data available for everyone to conduct their own
investigations, the OCCRP tech team is also creating new
ways to do this. For example, the Investigative Dashboard(ID) is a global research website which allows anyone to look
for publicly available data about companies and court trials.
ID has 65 million database records including over six million
searchable text documents, such as land and asset records,
as well as litigation in national and international courts. ID isuseful for the initial phase of the investigative process. Heredata becomes valuable in the hands of trained investigators.

To analyze and connect cross-border information faster, Paulalso created Visual Investigative Scenarios (VIS), an online
data visualization platform where investigators, activists,
law enforcement officers and citizens can easily map complex business or crime networks and translate them into
simple, universal visual language for the public. To analyze
the increasing information available and hundreds of tips
received every day, Paul developed automated processes
that surface networks of people and patterns of criminal
activities more easily.
To further its impact, OCCRP partners with key media outlets
such as the BBC, The Guardian, and Financial Times; theirinvestigations are typically read by more than 200 million
people. OCCRP’s coordinated efforts led to the release of
the “Panama Papers,” an unprecedented investigation thatrevealed the offshore links of some of the globe’s most prominent figures, for which they shared a Pulitzer Prize.
Moreover, OCCRP’s investigations have led to: the freezingor seizing of assets amounting to US$5.7 billion; the launch ofmore than 90 criminal investigations and government inquiries; and more than 147 arrest warrants. The investigations
also resulted in 20 major firings and resignations—including
the President of South Africa and CEOs of companies suchas Danske Bank—and over 1,400 company closures, indictments, and court decisions.
Going forward, to scale its impact, Paul aims to mainstream
these tools and practices across law enforcement institutions
so that they can work faster by distilling organized crime patterns and neutralize situations to prevent business as usualfrom repeating. OCCRP has provided over a hundred workshops to police, prosecutors, and bank compliance officers,
sharing their expertise and information to support them andimprove the impact of their work. In the coming years, byproviding data, infrastructure, gamified investigations, a network of specialists, and do-it-yourself toolkits, Paul wants toenable all readers and citizens across the world to investigate
the causes they care about.

THE PERSON
Growing up in Deva, a small and industrial city in Transylvania,
Paul was a nonstop reader. While studying journalism andEnglish at West University of Timisoara, he began his firstinvestigation and uncovered a corrupt student housing
system.
After college, Paul apprenticed at a newspaper in Bucharest.
While overseeing the investigations unit, he discovered corruption inside the newsroom, as his editor would sell his
stories to the subjects of the investigation before publishing them. Fellowships in London, the U.S. and Vienna deepened his understanding of criminal networks and how they
operate and solidified his role as an investigative journalist
combating transnational crime syndicates. After uncoveringcriminal networks in the field of child adoptions in the U.S.,
he realized the impact his work could have on businesses byruining reputations and exposing suspect activities. He also
discovered that key assets, such as major global databases,
were not sufficiently used by journalists, often because of alack of awareness and skills. He started using the power ofthese assets to expose global corruption and organized crime
across the world and understood that information from one
geography can be used in others.
Ulitmately, he created the Romanian Center for Investigative
Journalism and later, a platform for investigative reporters
and hackers to collaborate while avoiding political pressure
and interests. After meeting his OCCRP co-founder Andrew
Sullivan, they developed their first cross-border investigation
to uncover how electricity traders in the Balkans abused theirpower by charging the region’s poorest people high prices for
low-quality electricity. Encouraged by the positive impact ofthat investigation, Paul further refined his vision and methodology and is now building out globally.

ASHOKA 2019 |5

CIVIC PARTICIPATION

Jin-Kyeong Cho
Founder and Executive Director
10 Up

South Korea

is collaborating with the media for creative storytelling andinvestigations, especially targeting civic-minded millennials.
T H E P RO B L E M

Among those caught up in South Korea’s vast commercial sex
industry are numerous underage girls. Exploited by pimps andtraffickers they are often punished by the legal system as well.
Jin-Kyeong Cho makes it possible for police, judges, and citizens
to protect, rather than prosecute, these young women and support their rehabilitation.
THE NEW IDEA
After learning that many adults in South Korea’s sex tradestarted as runaway teenagers with few options or family
support, Jin-Kyeong started her organization to stop sex
exploitation at the root. Outraged at the harsh treatment ofthese young girls by seemingly every person they meet fromthe pimps and solicitors to police and judges, Jin-Kyeong isequipping Korean society with a new principle when it comesto minors involved in the sex trade: “protect, don’t punish.”Instead of treating them as criminals, they should be understood as exploited persons. This shift in perspective has several implications: Laws need to change; institutions, attitudes
and practices must be updated; and new services to identify
and help victims need to be implemented.
Jin-Kyeong’s organization, Stand Up Against Sex-Traffickingof Minors, which also goes by the shorter name 10 Up, isleading this national campaign. While advocating for legal
and institutional reform, working closely with judges, police,
and prosecutors, 10 Up also provides and models needed
services to trafficking victims. In particular, it has focused on
the online world where recruitment takes place and illicit liaisons are arranged and paid for. 10 Up also gives underage
victims legal, medical, and psychological support for recovery. Jin-Kyeong helps victims find housing, restart their education, and find safe employment.
Jin-Kyeong understands that lasting systemic change also
requires changing public mindsets. Sexual exploitation ofunderage girls is a rapidly growing problem and societal
issue. Yet discussing the problem is taboo for most Koreans,
who consider the situation a personal failure of the victims.
In order to help people understand the reality, Jin-Kyeong

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ASHOKA 2019

While it is impossible to know for sure how many underage
girls are being exploited in the illegal South Korean sex trade,the number is increasing as smartphones are being used tolure girls. This also has the alarming effect of lowering the
average age of sexual exploitation victims. Once a danger
for runaway teenagers, underage sex trafficking has now
reached girls attending school and living with their families
through mobile chatting apps. Some students start to chatwith random people out of curiosity and become close tothem, talking about school and family pressures. Jin-Kyeong
explains: “When the other person asks them to send illicit pictures of their bodies, some students actually comply with therequest because they are afraid to lose the person. Once they
send it, they can easily be threatened by the adults who say
they will distribute the photo if the kid does not get involvedin the sex trade. Such actions, which are called grooming,
can be found all too commonly online.” According to a 2018
study by the Korean National Police Agency, over 95% of thesexual exploitation of minors starts online, via chatting apps.

“No kid is born for sex trafficking. Every
victim has the first moment (when the
person gets involved in the sex trade), andthe moment is always exploitative in allcases. At every step of the sex trade, there
is no one to take care of them.”

The current Korean legal system considers underage victims of sexual exploitation to be criminals. The 2009 Act on
the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse
allows investigators to determine whether an underage
person willingly participated in a sexual act in exchange forunderage victims under the pretext of acrackdown.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
Jin-Kyeong is bringing to fundamental change
to the system, from being one of punishment
to one that protects underage victims of sexual exploitation. To change the current practice of belittling the problem and blaming thevictims, she is first tackling reforming the relevant laws. She has brought together a coalition of over 35 key players, including civicorganizations, the Korean Women Lawyers
Association, publicly funded research centers, and National Assembly members to create a shared sense of urgency and to push fora solution. Through the coalition, she developed a powerful, united force pressing to
Jin-Kyeong Cho, Executive Director of Stand Up Against Sex Trafficking of Minors,
amend the Act on the Protection of Children
stands in front of a wall in her office full of messages of support for all victims ofand Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, which
underage prostitution. Photo credit: Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald.
has been one of the greatest obstacles toprogress. Jin-Kyeong and her coalition introduced a new billmoney or other favors. The minor is not considered a victim,
mandating that all metropolitan city governments establish
but is instead brought before a juvenile court for possible
support centers for sexually exploited minors, which passed
criminal charges and a possible custodial sentence.
in the Gender Equality and Family Committee and is awaiting
the decision of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
Once in the juvenile court system, victims are not eligible forrestitution, support services, or representation by a publicdefender. Knowing that such unforgiving treatment awaits,
few young women will approach the authorities for help. By
contrast, recruiters, traffickers, and pimps routinely evadearrest and prosecution. Only 10% of those swept up in raids
are ever charged with a crime. Those who control the sex
trade are therefore emboldened and can even maintain theiradvantage by blackmailing their victims with threats of handing them over to the police.
There is currently no specialized training for police officers,
attorneys, prosecutors, judges, or other relevant professionals in the criminal justice system who work with underage
victims. This often means that the judicial system inflicts
a secondary trauma on trafficking victims. A survey by the
National Human Rights Commission of Korea even revealed
incidents where law enforcement officers sexually assaulted

Jin-Kyeong sees that changing the law is only the beginning.
She is creating a highly replicable, comprehensive systemthat supports sexually exploited girls through 10 Up, which
is one of the few organizations in Korea providing specialized
support for underage victims of sexual exploitation. 10 Up’sholistic approach addresses victim identification, emergency
intervention, recovery, and support for independent living.
One of 10 Up’s unique approaches is to train and hire pastat-risk youth as peer counselors to identify potential victims, especially via messaging apps. They join chat rooms
and online forums that are anonymous and use disguised
language. The peer counselors can quickly spot and relate topotential victims based on their own personal experiences.
They private message potential victims to offer supportand invite them to visit 10 Up. They also report apps that

ASHOKA 2019 |7

knowingly enable sexual solicitation to the authorities. By
helping other underage girls, peer counselors regain a senseof dignity and self-esteem and develop meaningful career
experience that can help them gain economic independence.
The peer counselors are also part of the larger professionalcounseling team, which handles more than 100,000 online
counseling cases each year.
In addition to these prevention efforts, 10 Up also provides
victims with a wide range of professional supports to enable
and speed recovery. A group of doctors, psychologists, andlawyers provides support for roughly 5,000 cases every year.
The girls are also helped on their way followed by additional
help for housing, career counseling and placement, education, and other practical building blocks that are needed tolead healthy, productive lives.
Jin-Kyeong has worked hard to build the society-wide moral
consensus that is essential if this evil is to end. To help the
public recognize the reality of the problem and act, JinKyeong has led creative media and art campaigns. For example, she partnered with a new media company for millennials
to reframe how the media industry portrays sexual exploitation. Instead of focusing on victims and their personal circumstances, she focused on making the offenders visible. In
a series of videos, adult men who lure underage girls weretracked down and questioned for the first time on camera.
The videos went viral (more than 2,500,000 views to date),
resulting in a mass petition supported by 295 organizations
urging the revision of the law. She also launched a major
Seoul museum exhibition, sharing a journal of a girl who
survived sexual exploitation and relevant art. The exhibition
built awareness across a vast range of visitors from university
students to European Union diplomats in Korea.
THE PERSON
Jin-Kyeong attended college in the height of Korea’s democracy movement in the 1980s. She was a student activist witha keen interest in the intersection of faith and social justice.
She was particularly drawn to women’s rights, as she felt thissubject did not get the attention and resources it deserves,
even within mainstream civil society. While working at ahuman rights organization, Jin-Kyeong witnessed her colleagues discounting the issue of sexual exploitation. She

8|ASHOKA 2019

realized people were ignorant about the systemic causes
and consequences of this problem, even at a mission-driven
organization.
In 2000 and 2002, large fires broke out in Gunsan, a northern city known for its sex industry. The fires swept throughthe city, killing many sex workers locked up in brothels.
Witnessing this tragedy and gross disregard for human life,
Jin-Kyeong realized that the women’s rights movement
needed to start with fighting against sexual exploitation. She
served as the executive director of the United Voice for theEradication of Prostitution and helped influence getting theanti-prostitution act, the Special Law on Sex Trade, passed
in 2004. Through more than a decade fighting for women’s
rights and working directly with victims of the sex trade, JinKyeong learned that many prostitutes began as teenagers.
When it became clear that few in this country of 51 million
were focused on stopping the flow of teenagers into thesex trade, she launched 10 Up, determined to stop sexual
exploitation at its root.

CIVIC PARTICIPATION

Achraf Aouadi
Founder and President
I WATCH

Achraf Aouadi is building a decentralized, national anti-corruption movement, planted in the experience and leadership ofyoung citizens in Tunisia’s underserved regions.
THE NEW IDEA
Achraf founded I WATCH to build a robust citizen sector tocounter the persistent corruption that still impedes good
governance and transparency. The organization and movement are founded on principles of inclusiveness, local action,and youth leadership, and is open to all, regardless of location
or social status. Achraf also wants to avoid a movement thatis overly academic or monopolized by professional experts
but is based on local efforts and on real cases and stories ofordinary Tunisians, rather than on large-issue campaigns. By
working with young people, Achraf is not only looking toward
the future but preserving the lessons and momentum ofTunisia’s 2010 “Jasmine Revolution,” which not only demonstrated Tunisians’ commitment to democracy but deposed an
autocrat and brought about significant government reforms.
Achraf envisions a movement with minimal central leadership structures, but that is more a distributed networkof like-minded citizen groups sharing tools and resources.
Leaders and centralized organizations can be all too easily harassed, followed, censored, threatened, attacked, andexiled. However, I WATCH does maintain staff and offices. It
works with 40 local watchdog organizations across the country. I WATCH also translates the facts of real-world corruption into proposals for better policy or legislation.
Throughout the years, Achraf has heavily influenced four
corruption-related policy changes and one new law. He has
directly served 10,000 victims. He has created an army ofyoung people and citizens across the region actively fighting
corruption.

TunisiaT H E P RO B L E M
Following independence from France in 1956, Tunisia evolved
into a centralized political system, where the national government appointed authorities nationwide that had little or
no local roots. Since most public officials work in the capital,
Tunis, the remaining 23 governorates get barely any attention. This has led to a lack of accountability and invites systemic corruption. Just outside Tunis as there are few officials,
so too there were few citizen watchdog organizations orother resources to fight corruption.

“I Watch is one of the most prominent
Tunisian nongovernmental organizations
founded in the new atmosphere of freedomof association and freedom of speech thatblossomed after the 2011 revolution.”

Since 2011, Tunisia has been moving from a tightly-controlled, one party regime to an electoral democracy.
Following the Jasmine Revolution’s stunning victory, ousting
longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia has experienced major improvements in terms of electoral freedoms,
civil rights, and freedom of the press. Even though ubiquitous corruption was one of the main reasons people took to
the streets in 2010, Tunisia’s rank slipped twenty points from2010 to 2017 (from 74 to 54) in Transparency International’s
Corruption Perception Index. People feel that corruption has
increased along with democratization. According to the headof the National Anti-Corruption Authority, Tunisia loses on
average $700 million per year due to kleptocracy, corrupt
transactions, and poor control over public procurements.
While the Jasmine Revolution brought major reform, it also
raised questions. How can young people continue to stay
involved in building democracy? What tools do they needbeyond protests and demonstrations? Tunisian youth facehuge challenges, including widespread unemployment and

ASHOKA 2019 |9

Achraf speaks at the 2017 Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders, a biennial event in which human rights
defenders from almost every country in the world gather in Dublin to share strategies for advocacy and protection,build solidarity with colleagues around the world, and network with high-level decision makers from governmental
and intergovernmental bodies.

few economic opportunities. Yet only their participation
today can secure progress for tomorrow. While Tunisia’s citizen sector has been growing steadily, young people have notbeen invited to step up to battle corruption.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
First, Achraf investigates cases and pursues justice in the
courts in order to fight economic, business, political, andmedia corruption. I WATCH’s primary goal is to hold people
accountable regardless of geographic location. Sometimes it
pursues cases to other countries, for example Lebanon and
the Seychelles. Since its founding, I WATCH has published
10 major investigations against prominent political and business figures and 42 smaller cases. Achraf is currently suing
the prime minister for malfeasance in office, a first for Tunisia.
Second, to create a transparent ecosystem, I WATCH monitors parliamentary, municipal, and presidential elections.
Prior to the 2014 presidential elections, I WATCH recruited,trained and deployed hundreds of observers nationwide. By

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Election Day, 1,318 citizens from all 24 Tunisian governorates were mobilized to monitor the elections. I WATCH uses
the same approach to police local, parliamentary, and student
union elections.
By allying with several members of parliament, Achraf conceived “Parliamentarians against Corruption”- a politicalbloc through which I WATCH can influence policies. Alongwith other CSOs, Achraf successfully made decentralization
central to the new Tunisian Constitution. Decentralization
gives local authorities more power and more resources forthe basic work of governance. Further, Achraf introduced avery new policy protecting whistleblowers and guaranteeing
their financial compensation. In addition, I WATCH heavily
lobbied for the “access to information” law in parliament,
and 90% of their recommendations were incorporated in the
newly-introduced or passed law. As for the remaining threelaws he proposed (asset declaration, illicit enrichment, conflict of interest); despite Achraf’s strong lobbying, these weresteadily countered by the government and never saw thelight of day.

To further raise awareness and counter the “normalization ofcorruption,” I WATCH launched a “crowd-map” for reportingcases of corruption. The interactive website is designed toenable people adversely affected by corruption immediately
to report what happened to them whether corruption was
financial, administrative, or in the form of favoritism. Just
48 hours after the site went live, it had attracted 7,000 supporters. Achraf also created a self-generating blog, iblog.tn,
so everyone can freely and independently blog about corruption. Recently, Achraf introduced a guided tour for young
children to visit important sites and monuments in the historyof corruption. Some of his anti-corruption cases have been
integrated as case-studies in university curricula to educate
youth on breaking corrupt cultural habits that have, hitherto,
been normalized by the public. He also created a competition
inviting rappers to create rap songs about corruption, which
he dubbed “Beat the Corrupt,” and “Slam the Corrupt.”
Facing reprisals for his work, Achraf decided long ago to
decentralize the movement through I WATCH Campus andIAssist. Through I WATCH Campus, he empowers university
students by raising awareness about corruption and encourages them to create local anti-corruption initiatives within or
outside their universities. It has been introduced to five local
universities across Tunisia, especially in the interior.
I ASSIST supports local civil sector organizations in 20 ofTunisia’s 24 governorates, (Achraf deliberately avoids the
big four: Tunis, Sfax, Sousse, and Ettadhamen). The program starts by mapping small, youth-led organizations, thensupports them with incubation, training, and coaching forlong-term work. To implement their ideas, they are granted
from ten to twenty thousand dollars. Currently, I WATCH
has successfully partnered with 40 grassroots organizations
that it supports through capacity building and funds and hasreadied at least 20 organizations to fight corruption and holdpolitical players accountable within their regions. I ASSIST’s
theory of change requires learning from real needs and realcases. If they are coached on devising their long-term visions
and missions; if they take the time to build core values; iffunding is gradually injected into these organizations taking
into account their growth pace, internal governance structures and capacities to absorb funding, then these organizations will grow organically.

to fight corruption on behalf of any other nation. However,
he believes every nation should be afforded the tools to fighttheir own battles because “no one would know the Lebanese
ecosystem better than the Lebanese themselves.” Already amember of the Transparency International coalition, he helps
others. The success of I WATCH’s pilot permitted Achraf
to secure a number of strategic partnerships that help withsecurity and resources.

THE PERSON
Achraf grew up in Kef, a small city in northwest Tunisia, where
both his parents were schoolteachers. Achraf’s parents moved
to the capital, Tunis, when he was 15. In high school, he supported himself by selling second-hand clothes and starting aninternet café. During college, besides AISEC, Achraf launcheda club called Student-to-Student (S2S), which later expanded
to four universities. Through S2S, Achraf wanted to “makeuniversities a place to live, not just to study.” Still, Achraf felt
the urge to do more.
When Achraf’s father wasn’t teaching, he was an activist andwas once exiled for three years. Though he chose to adopt
an apolitical approach to raising his children, Achraf did notexactly adhere. After the 2011 revolution, one of Achraf’s
former professors emailed him, saying, “Achraf, the euphoria will only last a short time, but it will fade; make sure you
have a plan when it does.” While abroad, Achraf felt the true
meaning of freedom and was determined to continue thelong journey the revolution had paved the way for, and helaunched I WATCH, Tunisia’s first watchdog organization.
His passion for transparency has come at personal cost;
Achraf currently has 150 cases against him in court and was
summoned to defend himself on 30 different occasions in2018 alone. He has also faced significant defamation claims
and intimidation, but he continues to fight. In 2017, he wasrecognized as one of the top human rights defenders at risk
by Frontline Defenders.

When considering regional expansion, Achraf is not planning

ASHOKA 2019 |11

Growing Up

12

GROWING UP

Daniela Valdivia
Founder and CEO
Huellas y Futuro

In a country with one of the highest rates of brutality against
women in Latin America, attorney Daniela Valdivia is reducing
gender-based violence by helping boys and men across society—from school children to the military—redefine masculinity
in Bolivia.
THE NEW IDEA
Daniela is leading a cultural shift in the way that Bolivian society treats women, with the goal of ending the gender-based
violence epidemic. Through her organization, Huellas y
Futuro, or Footprints and Future, Daniela is using creative
strategies to recruit key target groups to reduce violence.
She has started with young boys, the police, and the military.
Huellas y Futuro’s work in schools focuses on intervening
and changing boys’ attitudes before they get into relationships. This is important because violence is natural to them.
For example, one young man had no problem telling Daniela
that he couldn’t attend a workshop because his dad broke
his mother’s arm and she couldn’t get him to school. Daniela
explains why that’s not natural. She encourages the boys
to post on social media what they think of violence against
women and what they would say to men who are killing
women and also asks them to express their views using a creative outlet. Students have come up with murals, sculptures,radio programs, costumes and flash mobs.
Daniela also partners with the police force and military academies. They have traditionally promoted outdated gender
attitudes such as normalizing a husband abusing his wife. Thispartnership works on both the personal and the professional
levels. The police force and military academies are staffed by
men who are trained to respond with violence, which often
carries over into their personal interactions. When a police
officer does not respond to a report of a husband abusing his
wife, he is showing that he does not believe this is a crime
worthy of investigation.
Using her experience as a lawyer, Daniela works to strengthen
the legal rights for women and especially victims of gender

Bolivia

violence. Huellas y Futuro also provides free legal and psychological assistance to victims of domestic violence—indefense of their physical integrity, fundamental rights, andwell-being.
T H E P RO B L E M
Nearly six in ten women in Bolivia have suffered physicaland/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at somepoint in their lives, according to data gathered in 2018 by the
Pan American Health Organization. Violence against womenand girls in Latin America remains one of the most concerning issues in the region, despite policies and laws meant toprovide protection.
National institutions, such as the police force and military,
typically do not prioritize protecting women and usually do
not respond to reports of abuse against women. Instead ofsupporting victims, they contribute to the epidemic of violence against women rooted in old ways of thinking about
women’s and men’s roles in society. Another problem is thatthe citizen sector organizations (CSOs) tackling gender violence typically focus on supporting women after encounters,
instead of helping men change and grow.
A 2018 Oxfam report confirmed that the majority of young
people ages 15-25 in Bolivia and seven other Latin Americancountries consider male violence against women “normal.”Believing that love is expressed as control, not companionship, leads young people to replicate these dangerous patterns of violence and perpetuate attitudes that make it possible for these conditions to persist.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
Daniela believes that to bring about true change, attitudes
about how men and women interact must be addressed onfour levels: societal, cultural, political, and economic. She
began her work and demonstrated her model in Cochabamba,
the most violent municipality in Bolivia with a population ofalmost two million people.
Huellas y Futuro runs after-school workshops for both parents and children to raise awareness of the problem, working especially with families that have experienced violence.
These workshops offer free psychological assistance and

ASHOKA 2019 |13

Young men hold signs that state their beliefs against gender violence, including: “Enough Violence Against Women - Protect Them!” and“Women are the Future - Do Not Mistreat Them.”

rehabilitation for both victims and aggressors. During thetraining, participants learn ways to identify and prevent violence and create activities to spread the message of nonviolence towards women. Daniela also works with teachers,
helping to reshape the school curriculum to incorporate
key elements of her message. She has succeeded in getting
anti-violence messages incorporated into the curricula andeducational plans of all schools in Cochabamba, and she
has already begun to expand into other regions of Bolivia.
Daniela has already directly impacted over 6,300 people,
including 1,200 children (ages 5-12), 1,900 adolescents (ages13-18), 3,000 parents, 130 teachers, and 40 directors andadministrative staff.
Partnering with the military, Daniela teaches soldiers to control their emotions and prevent violent episodes at home.
She persuaded a general—and father of three girls—to let her
train his men. She also saw an opportunity for trained military
members to spread her message, as the military are stationed
widely across the country, even in rural areas. Huellos y
Futuro signed an agreement with the military that stipulates
training men in anti-violence strategies in all areas where themilitary is stationed. So far, she has reached over 3,000 members of the military, training them on how to respond to andprevent violence against women in domestic environments.

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ASHOKA 2019

In the political sphere, Daniela is also influencing the lawsin Bolivia. Huellas y Futuro was the only CSO to participate
in drafting Law 348, to “Guarantee Women a Life Free ofViolence,” which was adopted in 2017. However, implementation of the law has been challenging and ineffective. At the
local level, Daniela works with vice-mayors in Cochabamba
who are connected to community leaders with representation in every neighborhood. These leaders attend Huellasy Futuro activities and spread its anti-violence message totheir communities.
Daniela knows women’s economic empowerment isextremely important because without a way to make money
women cannot leave violent situations. Earlier this year,
Huellos y Futuro began a pilot program issuing microloans
to women to start small businesses. The program requires
repayment within six months and teaches women how to run
a business, including how to open a bank account, so thatlack of money or resources are not obstacles to leaving a badsituation.
Moreover, she uses social media as a tool to openly speak
about misogyny and to bring a new perspective in addressing gender-based violence. Media campaigns spread picturesand videos focused on eradicating gender-based violenceand publicizing new ways to treat women through visibledisplays of action from men and women alike. For instance,
people participated in Facebook contests using poetry, drawings, and graffiti promoting the no-gender-violence message.
THE PERSON
Daniela grew up in a loving and traditional family, and yet
since childhood she felt undervalued simply because she
was female. At her Catholic school, she succeeded in making
sure girls had the same rights as boys. She was interested
in soccer, but could only play if she pretended to be a boy.
This prompted her to become a student representative andchange the rules so that anyone, regardless of gender, could
play every sport. She also became president of the marching
band and changed the policy so that anyone could play whatever instruments they wanted (Previously, girls had to playlighter-sounding instruments, such as the flute, and only boys
could play percussion.)
Later, Daniela moved to Europe to study law. At the end ofher studies, Daniela was in a three-month relationship that
ended in violence. She decided to flee despite having nomoney and no place to go. Her own situation opened hereyes to the circumstances that disempower so many women,leaving them trapped in abusive relationships. She moved
back to Bolivia and began working for a violence prevention
CSO, where she saw how gender-based violence was a hugeproblem that needed to be stopped. She realized she had todo something and pledged to end gender-based violence in
Bolivia by protecting and empowering women and both holding men accountable and helping them grow and change.

ASHOKA 2019 |15

GROWING UP

Tanin Timtong
Founder and CEO
Learn Education

Tanin Timtong is changing how math and science are taught inThai schools through a flexible, new balance between teachers,
technology, and students. The measurable results of his “Learn
Education” are building momentum that promises country-wide
education reform.
THE NEW IDEA
Tanin is charting a new future for Thailand by mapping out,
implementing, and rapidly spreading a series of changes toteaching and learning, starting with high school classrooms.
Students using Tanin’s tools are learning better and doingmeasurably better on standard tests; teachers are not only
teaching differently, but co-designing and improving shared
tools, while themselves learning new subjects and improving
their skill; and entire schools are walking in step with Tanin toleap from pilot projects to systemic reform.
Tanin provides schools with a “blended learning platform,”
which combines the advantages of traditional classroom
learning, like contact with a teacher, with technology andsystems that resolve many of the disadvantages, such as
unfavorable student-to-teacher ratios. In Tanin’s system, students learn at their own pace, while teachers rebalance theirapproach to include less time spent lecturing and more individual coaching.
Adopting the system is a commitment worked out between
Learn Education and an individual school—usually led by aforward-thinking director and a team of energized teachers. Tanin has designed his systems to be customized andadapted easily, which makes it easier for teams of teachersand software developers to co-create. Each school and eachteacher decides how much or how little of the system to use
and how to introduce it. Schools that can pay are charged aper-student fee, while those that can’t are served througha cross-subsidy structure. Public, private, and alternative
schools use Tanin’s systems.
Learn Education is making a real impact. Participating
schools have seen their national standardized test scores rise

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Thailand15%-20%, prompting more demand. While he already works
with 35,000 students in 150 schools, Tanin has his eye on atipping point of one million students and 20,000 teachers, amilestone at which he believes the demand for tech-enablededucation solutions will create unstoppable momentum forbroader education reform.
T H E P RO B L E M
For decades, Thailand has experienced structural problems
with both the quality and accessibility of education. In 2011,
the country recorded a shortage of 400,000 qualified teachers in mathematics, science, and English. At many schools,
the student-to-teacher ratio reaches 50:1. Because headmasters are judged by how many students they can seat,schools commonly operate beyond capacity. This means
more work for teachers. Occasionally, primary school teachers end up teaching secondary school classes, which significantly deteriorates classroom and teaching quality. The
annual turnover rate of teachers can be as high as 20% inmany schools. Without enough well-equipped teachers,
schools are overwhelmed.

“In three years, Learn Education has
helped deliver improvement in the exam
scores of students using their platform,and has won the endorsement of the Thaigovernment…Their approach could be
replicated across Thailand and Southeast
Asia.”

Not all schools suffer equally. A centralized, top-down education system allocates resources to schools by size. While
first-tier schools in Bangkok and provincial capitals receive
more government funding, middle-tier schools are often
neglected. Lower-tier schools, often in underserved communities, get the least support and have the most communal
challenges, like drugs and incarceration, that place additional

obstacles between students and a better future. Thus, thegaps among different tiers of schools are enlarged by thecentralized budget structure. The situation becomes a downward spiral where the smaller, more rural schools are struggling to provide good education.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
Tanin’s model offers teachers three benefits right away: first,
a drastic reduction in tedious paperwork; next, participation and a chance to solve problems and have their voices
heard; and third, opportunities to learn about technology orother subjects. To students, the system offers even more: thechance to learn at their own pace and perform better.
His target group is the 60% of students who enter lower secondary school at age 12-13 with only elementary skills; they
can add and subtract, but struggle to multiply and divide, andare unprepared for the algebra, geometry, chemistry, physics,
and calculus classes that lie ahead. Tanin feels that the first
three years of lower secondary school—comparable to grades
7-9 are the U.S.—is the crucial time to help students catch up.
Tanin developed methods and systems he uses today during
an intense several years of testing and refinement, startingin 2011. His first idea, to share great classroom lectures byvideo, failed to catch on with students, and the lesson helearned was that even the best lectures can’t substitute forindividual attention. Tanin then met a private high school
director in the rural province of Suphan Buri, who agreed tolet him create an experimental pilot using teachers, computers, and students at the school. After two years, the school’s
average high-school graduation exam scores had gone from10 points below average to 20 points above.
One piece of the platform is instant feedback. Students areassessed automatically, privately, on their classroom computer, and given customized lessons. Rather than waiting
a day or two for quiz results, students are informed immediately. The student’s individual curriculum adapts to theresults, offering further review of old material or starting thenext lesson. Students also give rating to lessons and teachers, creating a new channel for student feedback. Meanwhile,
teachers are relieved of the tedium of marking test and quiz
papers by hand—a ritual that consumes their days and nights

and defines the drudgery of the overworked teacher’s career.
After that first pilot, five more schools signed up, and Tanin
began building his entire service: outreach to schools,
research and development, and teacher support. As he took
on new clients and began working with public schools, hediscovered new challenges and opportunities. He foundthat public schools evaluate students almost entirely by testscores and that the enthusiasm of the school director was themost important factor in success. Remote schools struggledwith absenteeism during agricultural or monsoon seasons.
The weakest 20-30% of students require specialized support.
He received subsidies and sponsorships to reach the farthest,
least-served schools.
Learn Education now serves 150 schools in 45 provinces,half public, half private or alternative, and about 20% arefully subsidized by Learn Education or other sponsors. The
cost per student is about $40 per year. Tanin expects that as
the organization grows, the portion of very needy schools it
serves through alternate financing will also increase.
Tanin feels that to reach his goal of 1 million students and100,000 teachers requires more than spreading the use of
his learning platform. He wants to focus substantially on creating opportunities for teachers to produce and share solutions. TrainKru.net, which Tanin launched to enable teachers
to connect, share resources, and foster collaboration, now
has 10,000 members. Teachers can also take online classes
related to developing technology for their classrooms in subjects such as coding and design.

ASHOKA 2019 |17

THE PERSON
Tanin was born in 1977 in Nonthaburi Province, outside of
Bangkok, to a family of modest means. His father, a school
janitor with little education, encouraged his oldest son to
study hard, and Tanin became a top student. The family’s
prospects brightened briefly when Tanin’s father took a job
climbing poles for the electric utility, but then were dashedwhen he suffered a catastrophic workplace accident. Tanin
spent his teenage years studying and working, helping hisfather recover and his mother pay bills. He changed hiscourse of study from history and archaeology to engineering,in order to earn a practical degree.
After graduation, Tanin was hired by a Japanese manufacturer hoping to start operations in Thailand. Tanin gained
experience in not only the technical side of his trade—setting
up a factory from scratch and managing production—but also
in sales, finance, management, and marketing.
Once a successful young executive, Tanin began a part-time
MBA program at Thammasat University, feeling unfulfilled
in a self-centered professional life. From his own experienceand during his travels throughout the country, he became
interested in what it would take to raise the quality of education for the average student in a typical school. Decadesof empty talk about education reform had passed with little results. That’s what led Tanin and two friends with backgrounds like his to pool their capital and found Learn, Inc.,
with Tanin as CEO.

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GROWING UP

Komal Dadlani
CEO and Founder
Lab4U

Trained as a biochemist, Komal Dadlani is deploying cell phones
as essential lab equipment for any science classroom anywhere.
Her emphasis on experiential learning connects students to practical applications of science, thereby developing their ability tothink critically, analyze data, and to see themselves as futurescientists.
THE NEW IDEA
Komal is making lab-based science education available tomore students by developing the cell phone as a laboratory
tool. By using this familiar device, she makes experimentation
accessible, fun, and inexpensive. She is also helping students
develop the skills necessary to thrive in a job market that isincreasingly focused on science, technology, engineering andmathematics.
Komal knows that science can help solve the world’s biggest
challenges and that by giving every student the opportunity
to experiment and get excited about science, more problems
will be solved. She observed many classrooms that did notemphasize project-based and inquiry-based learning, bothessential to engaging with science. She knew that teachers
were the key lever in engaging students in science; along withbuilding the experiments, she also began working to support
and train teachers through her Lab4Physics app.
Her first mobile application, Lab4Physics, provides students
with hands-on activities that don’t require conventional lab
equipment, which is costly to purchase and to maintain. The
app has more than 20 experiments that students can do withthe phone’s built-in sensors; for example, the phone’s speedometer can be used to study velocity, distance, and movement. And the microphone can collect data on sound waves
and amplitude. Lab4Physics provides teachers with lessonplans, instructional videos, and forums to connect with otherscience instructors.

Chilea pilot program in Sinaloa, Mexico, with 10,000 students.
A 2018 randomized control trial by the Inter-American
Development Bank found that students who performed
three or more experiments using Lab4Physics had more
knowledge of physics and became more confident and interested in studying for a STEM-related career compared topeers who didn’t use the app.
T H E P RO B L E M
According to the World Economic Forum, 65% of children
entering primary schools today will grow up to have jobs that
do not yet exist. Without the proper foundational skills andknowledge in science, young people will be severely disadvantaged in a world of escalating change.
In Latin America, classrooms lag in science education. The
IDB has estimated that over 88% of schools in Latin America
do not have lab equipment. Without labs, science education
is abstract, theoretical, and much more difficult for students
to engage with or understand. In Chile, science teachers
spend so much time lecturing in the classroom that they havelittle time to prepare lessons plans and labs. Science often
fails to inspire and is perceived as boring and detached fromdaily life.

THIS 30-YEAR-OLD’S START-UP IS BRINGING SCIENCETO EVERYONE“‘You never said page 245 of that textbook
changed my life,’ Dadlani said. ‘It’s
normally the experience, the teacher thatchanges your perception and the way you
think.”’– KOMAL DADLANI, CNBC “MAKE IT”

Komal’s Lab4Physics app is in 40 schools in Chile and 30
schools in the United States. Moreover, she just finished

ASHOKA 2019 |19

Students slide their phones down various surfaces to understand acceleration and velocity through experiments. Photo Credit: Courtesy of“Mothers of Invention: Stories of Ingenuity and Innovation,” presented by Toyota.

Komal also discovered that teachers were often themselves
unfamiliar with the subject they were teaching or the equipment they were supposed to use. When Komal was working
in classrooms in Palo Alto, California, a region with one of
the best school districts in the United States, she discovered that even well-resourced teachers struggled to teachscience literacy to students. A teacher in a Palo Alto highschool showed Komal their science equipment but told herthat they never used it. When Komal asked why, the teacher
said that she never received training and did not know how to
use the equipment. Komal realized that the problem wasn’t
just access to equipment, but also that teachers need more
support to give their students the tools to develop their own
science literacy and critical thinking.
The lack of quality science education in Chile is also evident
by the number of researchers and developers in the country.
According to the World Bank, there are 502 researchers anddevelopers for every million inhabitants; by comparison there
are 4,313 researchers and developers per million people in
the United States, and 5,210 in Japan. As more jobs develop

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in STEM fields and focus on research and development, Chile
may fall even further behind.
Despite extensive scientific astronomical research being conducted in Chile, which also hosts some of the world’s largest
telescopes, local students are not involved. The clear skiesof the Atacama Desert have attracted the world’s scientificcommunity, and is referred to as astronomy’s “world capital.”
T H E S T R AT EG Y
By building a comprehensive strategy that works with teachers, students, municipalities, and companies, Komal is changing the way science is taught. Through the teacher portalof Lab4Physics, Komal provides lesson plans, instructional
videos, and lab reports that make it easy to structure lessons that incorporate labs without putting an extra burden
on teachers. The lessons align with Chile’s national sciencecurriculum, and cover 40% of the Next Generation Science
Standards in the United States. The teacher portal also allows
instructors to distribute and grade handouts and exams,

keeping them organized and allowing them to spend moretime on experiments. To further support teachers, Komal also
created a peer network across Chile, where teachers connect, discuss best practices, and share new lessons.
On the student level, Komal knew that when students areengaged in experiments, they want to perform the experiment again and again. She modeled the Lab4U user interface after gaming apps so students could have fun and feelinspired while experimenting with science. The app does not
require WiFi after downloading, so students can experiment
anywhere—in schools, public places, or at home.
Komal also works with municipalities and companies to provide the best experience for science students. Komal assesses
each school’s resources, such as access to WiFi, cellphones,
and tablets. When schools don’t have WiFi, she petitions
the municipality or a provider to donate WiFi. Additionally,
she partners with companies such as Samsung to donate cell
phones and tablets to schools for students who don’t haveaccess to them.

“I love (experimenting) because it’s more
fun than worksheets and I prefer to workwith things with my hands.”
THIRD GRADE STUDENT, SCHOOL OF THE MADELEINE,BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA

Komal is giving students of all backgrounds access to ahigh-quality science education, and empowering teachersand students to experiment with a lab in their pockets. She
is working directly with 100 Latin American schools and has
directly reached over 60,000 students and 11,000 teachers
worldwide. Anyone can use the app through Apple Store and
Google Play and it has been downloaded more than 130,000
times. In five years, she aims to have reached one million students. Komal recently expanded her work with the launch of
the Lab4Chemistry app, and has another app, Lab4Biology,
in development.

THE PERSON
Born in Chile to immigrant Indian parents, Komal grew up
seeing her parents work hard. Even though she was taught
theoretically and not experientially, she came to love science.
While attending the Universidad de Chile, Komal joined the
National Association of Biochemistry Students. She became
the president of the local chapter, then the president of
the national association. She helped bring chemistry Nobel
Laureate Ada Yonath to speak at the university so her peers
could see the real people behind the field, and see themselves in those people.
As president for the national association, she traveled tomany high schools and universities around the country to
encourage an interest in science. She visited schools in lower
income areas, and saw first-hand the problems that teachers
faced when trying to inspire students to pursue careers inscience. Komal saw so many students who were curious but
didn’t have the right tools to learn. “You can’t learn to ridea bicycle by reading a book,” she says, “you need to live theexperience of scientific experimentation, and I wasn’t seeingthat in schools. That’s when it really struck me and I thought,‘something must be done.’”In 2013, when Komal was 24, she saw a poster at Universidad
de Chile from Startup Chile for a contest; she recruited a few
friends and pitched her ideas about making lab equipment
more accessible (the university also lacked sufficient lab
equipment). When Startup Chile required them to produce
interested clients or users, Komal pitched her app in thoseschools she had visited while working with the National
Association of Biochemistry Students. Komal and her team,in which she met Lab4U’s co-founder, Álvaro Peralta, won
third prize, and they were encouraged to pursue the idea.
After applying for and receiving a grant from Startup Chile,
they launched Lab4U.

ASHOKA 2019 |21

Environment

22

ENVIRONMENT

Paula Daniels
Co-Founder
The Center for Good Food
Purchasing

Paula Daniels is changing how large U.S. institutions purchasefood, with a new focus on economic equity, environmental sustainability, and public health.
THE NEW IDEA
Paula is improving the food system in the U.S. by providing
large institutions—such as school systems and city governments—with ways to purchase food that promote wellbeing
for people and the planet. The strategy, called the Good Food
Purchasing Program, is now spreading rapidly throughout thecountry.
The U.S. food system is now at a crossroads. It is dominatedby a consolidated handful of multinational corporations controlling a system built almost entirely around profit margins
and efficiency—often at the expense of health, the environment, and fair labor practices. Every year, public institutions
across the U.S. spend billions of dollars on food purchases;
these institutions are uniquely situated to lead the movement for food system change and express their community’svalues while influencing supply chains.
The Program provides a flexible framework that encourages large institutions to
direct their buying power
toward five core values: support local economies, environmental sustainability, aworkforce that is respected
and treated fairly, animal
welfare, and nutrition. The
Good
Food
Purchasing
Program is the first procurement model to support thesefood system values in equal measure. Much like the way
LEED certifications work in rating energy efficiency and environmental design in buildings, Paula’s team reviews, verifies,
and rates compliance levels. There are already 32 institutions from 15 major cities enrolled in the program, including city governments and school districts in Los Angeles, San

United States

Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York.
The Center expects to influence $1.5 billion in food spending
across 30 markets in 2020.
T H E P RO B L E M
There is a crisis in the U.S. food system, with increasing concerns about the handful of national and multinational corporations that control most of our modern food supply. For
example, our food security depends upon three chemicalcompanies who now own more than half of the world’s seeds.
These corporations know how to supply a large quantity offood to a large quantity of people at cheap prices. But theshift toward consolidated, industrially efficient agriculture
and mass produced food created a wide range of problems:a rise in obesity; exploitative labor practices; overuse of antibiotics in animals; significant climate change impacts from
intensive agriculture; destruction of habitat and forests; andexhaustion of freshwater and other natural resources. These
problems are the result of a linear, extractive, and ultimately
destructive model.
Over the last 10 years, however, demand for alternatives
have grown, boosted by research that ties manufactured,
processed food to chronic health problems. The challenge is
to create solutions that are both ambitious and pragmatic,
and that could produce true systems change within a complex industry.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
Paula and her team advance the Good Food Purchasing
Program in key markets where there are public and private
partners who have a deep understanding of all the moving
parts and a clear-eyed view of any roadblocks. The team provides a comprehensive set of tools, technical support, and averification system to assist institutions in meeting their program goals and commitments.
The Good Food Purchasing Program was born during Paula’stime as a senior official with the City of Los Angeles. As oneof her many key initiatives, she formed one of the country’s
most influential food policy councils, considered so due toits unique organizational structure (led by her through the
Mayor’s Office) and a strong partnership with leaders from all

ASHOKA 2019 |23

key sectors of the food system, such as agriculture and foodsuppliers.
Within three years of the launch of her regional food policy initiative, she persuaded the Mayor of Los Angeles todirect its adoption throughout city departments. Throughher efforts, the L.A. Unified School District (the second largest school district in the country) adopted it a month later.
The adoption of the program by LAUSD showed immediate
results: local sourcing of produce increased, directing $12
million into the local food economy, and creating 150 new
jobs in regional food processing. Through her leadership rolewith the U.S. Conference of Mayors Food Policy Task Force,
Paula saw there was a national interest in this program. She
and her core team spun the program off into the independent Center for Good Food Purchasing, which operates the
program.
Changing the food system means creating a system based onvalues. With input from many peers in the food reform sector
as well as those in the industry, Paula and her team established a new set of values-based food sourcing standards

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– among the most comprehensive in the country. Each value
category is implemented through metrics and guidance
toward ranked levels of existing certifications, such as USDA
Organic or Certified Humane. For example, in the nutritional
health value category, there is a 25-item checklist that ranges
from procurement-oriented targets (such as purchasing seasonally or purchasing leaner meats) to food service environment targets (such as eliminating the use of deep frying or
replacing unhealthy items with healthier ones near checkout
points and registers).
With the guiding values clearly articulated, Paula’s work
focuses on encouraging large institutions to direct their buying power toward those values. The Center works with institutions to establish supply chain transparency from “farm tofork,” evaluate how current purchasing practices align withthe five standards, assist with goal setting, measuring progress, and celebrating successes in shifting toward a new system. Good Food Provider verification seals are provided toparticipating institutions that meet baseline requirements
and that satisfy the four components of adoption: standards,
reporting, verification, and transparency.

Paula targeted the school district as the initial unit of change
in part because of her knowledge of the role that governments can play in implementing public values, and also
because there was a growing swell of community interestin the food system’s role in children’s health and welfare. In
addition, school districts are usually the largest food service
provider in any region, so their food dollars are highly influential. L.A. Unified School district, for example spends around$100 million on food purchasing per school year, and servesa million meals per day. According to the USDA Economic
Research Service, annual institutional food procurement in
the U.S. is more than $150 billion.
The change in Los Angeles happened almost immediately.
Among other things, 60% of produce was locally sourced,
up from only 10%. The Center began working with the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Chicago, and New York. Each
additional city represents a new member of what Paula calls
a “community of practice”—an intentional network that,through the Center, can connect with each other, share
best practices, and contribute to a growing movement withnational ambitions.
About one-third of its revenue is earned income from feefor-service contracts for program evaluation, and Paula’s goal
is to reach over 50 % earned income in 2020. By using thepower of procurement to create a transparent and equitable
food system, Paula wants to influence market behavior tospur innovation along the supply chain.
THE PERSON
Paula’s heritage includes a lineage traceable to the original
people of Hawai’i, mixed with the English who arrived in the
19th Century to follow the whaling trade, and the immigrantPortuguese, Chinese and Korean who were brought to theIslands in the early 20th Century to work the fields and factories of the sugar industry. Paula’s father grew up on the
Pu’unene sugar plantation in Maui, where her grandfather
was the maintenance engineer at the local sugar mill. As achild, Paula was her grandfather’s student in Hawai’ian history and cultural values, including the principles of mālama
aina (stewardship of the land).

estimates that only enough food is grown locally to feed the
population of the Islands and its many visitors for about aweek. Hawai’i is heavily reliant on expensively imported foodof every type, and its Native Hawai’ian population suffers
disproportionately from cardio-metabolic disease, which
contributes to the likelihood of stroke and heart disease.

“In Cook County, enthusiasm for the
program came in large part from thosebusinesses, workers, consumers, andfarmers that have long been marginalized
in the food system… Says the Chicago Food
Policy Action Council’s Rodger Cooley,‘The Good Food Purchasing Program has
the power to transform the food system inevery region where it is implemented…’”

Much later, Paula became a business lawyer in California
and served on the California Bay Delta Authority as a publicmember appointed by Governor Gray Davis. She was deeply
involved in the issues of irrigation agriculture in California’sCentral Valley and learned more about the challenges of the
farming community. She developed an instinct for the valueof market incentives and disincentives as a way to assert
public will. She started thinking about a values-based procurement policy for large institutions and finally had theopportunity to create one after she became a senior official
in the City of Los Angeles.
In her work, Paula draws on her cross-sector and multi-disciplinary experience as an attorney in the private sector, as asenior public official, and as an avid outrigger canoe paddler
who loves the ocean and has a feel for the intricate timingof water and the need for an innate sense of direction. She
also draws on the wisdom of business writer and leader Peter
Drucker’s saying: “The best way to predict the future is tocreate it.”Paula absorbed the lessons and impact of the dominance ofindustrial sugar processing over Hawai’i’s lands: The state

ASHOKA 2019 |25

ENVIRONMENT

Pranshu Singhal
Founder and CEO
Karo Sambhav

Former telecommunications executive Pranshu Singhal took his
experience implementing energy-saving technologies for the
global mobile phone industry to set up new systems to empower
India to deal with its electronic waste.

India

climate change. A six-month-long Ambassador program prepares volunteers passionate about the environment to teachcommunities how to adopt sustainable practices and build a
circular economy.
Fueling all this activity is the value Karo Sambhav offers to
the industry. To Big Tech, he offers a path to realizing the ideals of a circular economy and sustainability. With more than
25 partners, such as Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, Pranshu
delivers customized EPR programs—helping these companies
take the initiative and comply with regulations.

THE NEW IDEA
Pranshu has helped India recognize that it must change how it
handles electronic waste—outdated circuit boards, monitors,
cables, disk drives, phones, and tablets. The manual scavenging of gold and platinum, as well as other precious or rare
metals, is a health catastrophe involving toxic chemicals andlittle oversight. Since 2016, after years of public advocacy by
the citizen sector, new laws and guidelines require manufacturers to safeguard public health throughout their products’
life cycles—“extended producer responsibility (EPR).”
Pranshu is also showing India how it can do so. His system
serves the interests of all the actors—from children who
plunge their hands into buckets of chemicals to the executives of Fortune 500 companies, bringing them into a common framework that prioritizes healthy people and a clean
environment.
Through his citizen-sector group, Karo Sambhav (“Make
Possible”), Pranshu is leading the systemic transition to
EPR. Karo Sambhav is the first nationally-recognized organization to guide the industry to meet the newly mandated
targets. The organization also has incentive programs forrepair shops, bulk consumers, waste aggregators, waste
pickers, and manufacturers. Pranshu conducts trainings andalso audits that verify producer performance. Meanwhile, heworks with 1,500 waste-aggregators in 29 states to refine
their operations to also meet health and safety standards. He
reaches out to waste pickers—a crucial link in the chain but
also the most neglected—with safety training, ways to organize to represent their interests, and payment for e-wastethat is not dismantled. A school curriculum develops understanding among teachers and students using activity modules
about sustainable development and e-waste management
and encouraging discussions about how these things affect26|

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T H E P RO B L E M
India is the fourth largest producer of e-waste in the world,
more than 2 million tons a year. That’s about the weight of
200 Eiffel Towers. With one of the fastest-growing electronics industries, an expanding middle class who can afford
electronics, and government mandates pushing for a “DigitalIndia,” e-waste is expected to grow more than 20% per year
for the next decade.

LEADING THE FIGHT AGAINST E-WASTE

How Pranshu Singhal is working towards changing
people’s attitudes“Karo Sambhav works with industry
associations, civic bodies, non-profits
and waste pickers in the informal sector
as well as collectors and aggregators andresponsible recyclers.”

E-waste is a threat to the environment and to the health of
the workers who handle it. According to the United Nations
University’s “Global E-Waste Monitor,” 95% of India’s
e-waste is handled by the informal sector, from collection to
dismantling and recycling. Electronic goods are usually sold

Ashraf began collecting waste when he was 16 in Delhi. “I used to have to dismantle the e-waste and sell individual components to different
informal recyclers. Then I met Karo Sambhav who bought the whole CPU without dismantling.” By not dismantling electronics, harmful pollutants are kept out of the environment and away from people.

by users to waste pickers, repair shops, and aggregators who
manually dismantle, separate and shred the products. They
remove parts unsafely, using acid to extract metal and burning parts to remove combustible plastic and isolate metals.
These widely-practiced harmful methods result in prolonged
exposure to chemicals and pollutants that leads to damageof the nervous system, respiratory issues, and other longterm health consequences. In addition, dangerous toxins andpollutants released from these processes damage the naturalenvironment and other people.
Despite landmark legislation that mandates strong recycling
rules, producer responsibility, and import bans, there is no
system to enforce these rules. There is a lack of resources,
information, and infrastructure to recycle electronics
safely. According to a study by The Associated Chambersof Commerce & Industry of India, e-waste generation is4.56 times the full e-waste recycling capacity in the country, which leads to improper and illegal dumping. Without
strong incentive systems in place, mass awareness among
stakeholders and a cohesive and inclusive value chain, thechallenges posed by e-waste will grow and grow as a publichealth and environmental threat.

T H E S T R AT EG Y
Pranshu focuses first on educating key electronics users,
especially students and bulk consumers at companies. These
two groups are important because young people are among
the biggest users of electronic products, while bulk consumers are the biggest generators of e-waste. Through his school
curriculum, Pranshu educates students so that they in turn
persuade their families and neighbors to drop off e-waste at
Karo Sambhav’s country-wide drop-off boxes, which thengets taken to registered recyclers. Similarly, with bulk consumers, Pranshu offers awareness programs to employees sothey become champions of responsible recycling within theircompanies.
Second, Pranshu works to build a cohesive value chain withthe right incentives at every step. First, he works with theinformal sector—repair shops, aggregators and waste pickers—who handle most of the e-waste generated in India
today. With trusted local partners, he offers incentives such

ASHOKA 2019 |27

as new business opportunities, upskilling, ways to build reputation, and assistance in getting state identity cards, all while
also meeting legal requirements. The role of these informal
workers shifts from facilitating an illegal and dangerous cycleof collection and dismantling to now either: (1) selling theirwaste to Karo Sambhav, who recycles it using registeredrecyclers on behalf of producers; or (2) shifting to legal safe
recycling themselves. These workers take pride in their work,
which now meets high environmental, social and ethical standards; they also benefit financially. All of which makes themrole models for other informal traders.
Third, Pranshu helps producers meet the law’s growing safe
recycling requirements and also become leaders in the field.
Producers in India tend to ignore e-waste responsibility after
the sale of goods. Pranshu works with some of the largest
producers in India including Apple, Dell, and Lenovo, to meettheir recycling targets—20% of total sales with 10% more
year after year until the target reaches 70%. He also helps
them meet other obligations under the EPR law—such asbuilding community support for responsible recycling; andproviding real time monitoring and data analytics of waste
recycling required for government end-of-year auditing. KaroSambhav stringently assesses all partner recyclers before
agreeing to work with them.
Pranshu tracks and carefully records each step in the collection and recycling process. To do so, he built a technology
platform that provides transparency for each stage of recycling. Each transaction is recorded and stored, creating acomplete data trail. For example, when e-waste gets pickedup from drop boxes and taken to Karo Sambhav warehouses
or recycling plants, the exact weight of the material, as well as
photographs of the truck and driver, go into the mobile application. All transactions must have an accompanying invoice
which Karo Sambhav collects and stores. This system gives
critical legitimacy to all segments of the value chain, including
the Indian government. This robust Karo Sambhav nationalframework gives everyone confidence and the satisfaction ofseeing the waste being taken through the whole cycle fromcollection to responsible recycling.
Pranshu is also working with the International FinanceCorporation (IFC) to create an applied research platform thatsets standards and best practices in e-waste recycling. Thesestandards include codes of conduct to work with informal

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collectors and auditing checklists for dismantlers and recyclers. The IFC and Pranshu want these standards to be implemented globally for the many other countries struggling with
e-waste.
Pranshu also encourages broader e-waste recycling by working with offices, government institutions, schools, universities, hospitals, and many other sectors. Pranshu is working
in 68 cities, 29 States, and 3 Union territories where he’s
created a network of 500+ bulk consumers, 1,500+ schools,
1,450 waste aggregators, and 2,200 waste pickers.
THE PERSON
Pranshu always had a passion for green living and received
a Master’s in environmental management and policy at
the International Institute for Industrial Environmental
Economics at Lund University in Sweden. He credits thisexperience in Sweden with expanding his knowledge about
environmental problems, including the e-waste challenge theworld is now facing.
Pranshu went to work for Nokia’s sustainability program indifferent countries, including Finland and Singapore, andIndia, where he led one of the most successful and largescale e-waste recycling campaigns. These country-wide
campaigns built awareness and influenced the telecommunications industry about the importance of retrieving endof-life mobile phones and their responsible e-waste management. Pranshu launched Karo Sambhav when policy changes
required producers to meet e-waste recycling targets and hesaw an opportunity to use his expertise to help them do this
thereby leveraging the whole process.

ENVIRONMENT

Wietse van der Werf
Founder and Executive Director
Sea Ranger Service

A marine conservationist, Wietse is turning unemployed young
people into a highly-trained corps of park rangers for the sea.
THE NEW IDEAAs the world’s first maritime ranger service, Wietse’s organization relies on navy veterans to train unemployed young
people as Sea Rangers. The Sea Ranger Service assists
nations in monitoring Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), while
also conducting marine research and conserving historic
shipwrecks. Wietse’s multifaceted approach tackles youth
unemployment, inspires young people to choose a maritime
career, re-integrates navy veterans into civilian life, and protects and regenerates marine landscapes.
Beginning in the Netherlands, the Sea Ranger Service
was piloted in Rotterdam, a city with one of the largest
young, uneducated, ethnically diverse communities in the
Netherlands, with a youth unemployment rate of 10%. Within
two months of launching, the organization had 600 applications from young people. Sea Rangers are not enforcers, butinstead are trained for a range of duties such as visual monitoring for pollution and crime, collecting water samples, andconducting meteorological observations. For example, ships
will often pollute right before they go into port. Sea Rangers
use drones to measure ship emissions, collecting evidence toprovide to national authorities with information they need toissue citations.
The Sea Ranger Foundation governs three separate companies: Sea Ranger Ships Ltd., which builds energy-efficientsailing vessels for light offshore tasks; Sea Ranger Bootcamp
Ltd., which hires navy veterans to train unemployed youth
in rigorous five-week sessions; and the Sea Ranger Service
Ltd., which Wietse hopes to franchise globally. The nonprofit
Foundation oversees the business entities, which prevents“mission drift” and keeps the organization firmly anchored tothe social and environmental mission. Any profits from commercial activities are reinvested back into improving the Sea
Ranger Service’s operations.

The Netherlands

Wietse is proving his idea works environmentally and financially. He has amassed more than 40 partners, including
Randstad and Patagonia. In a little over two years, he hasbrought together parties with very different motivations andinterests: The maritime sector, social service partners, government agencies, veteran organizations, and environmental
conservationists. These parties have shown a willingness anddetermination to look beyond social and political divides tobuild a clean, compassionate, and sustainable future together.
T H E P RO B L E M
People depend on the ocean for their health in many ways.
According the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the world’s oceans provide over half of the
air we breathe and absorbs 50 times more CO2 emissions
than the atmosphere. In addition, roughly three billion people
depend on fish as a major source of animal protein. Chronic
challenges such as plastics pollution and climate change
endanger marine ecosystems, decimate the food supply ofcommunities, and risk regional instability.
While there is near universal agreement that our oceans are
at risk, there are not enough resources to practically monitor
and protect the sea from abuse and malpractice. According
to the Marine Conservation Institute, there are over 11,000
Marine Protected Areas around the world. These designatedareas are supposed to be managed to protect marine ecosystems, preserve cultural resources such as shipwrecks andarchaeological sites, and sustain fisheries. Monitoring MPAs
is extremely challenging because they are vast and remote
and international law enforcement agencies do not collaborate in monitoring them. Yet effective enforcement is criticalfor preserving healthy marine environments.
At the same time, port cities and coastal communities are
struggling in many ways. There are high rates of youth unemployment, due to automation and overfishing, resulting in
fewer jobs. Navy veterans have expertise but for the mostpart their knowledge is not utilized, so they may struggle toreintegrate into civilian society and to find meaning and purpose for a thriving “second act.” There is often little local or
national government funding dedicated to supporting thesegroups.

ASHOKA 2019 |29

Sea Rangers emptying a net used to measure plastic pollution at sea.

T H E S T R AT EG Y
Frustrated with the lack of resources allocated by governments to protect oceans, Wietse realized that trying to convince others to rally behind his mission wasn’t yielding theurgent results required. He recognized the need to speak topeople’s intrinsic motivation, so he began to think of ways tomotivate others to pay attention to the health of the oceans.
He landed on a strategy that crosses political divides and puts
veterans and young people to work while protecting the sea.
While building the Sea Ranger Service, he simultaneously
created Sea Ranger Ships Ltd. as the shipbuilding arm of hisorganization. He worked with builders to construct a steelhulled sailing vessel design specifically for marine monitoring,outfitting it with tools such as sonar and infrared technologythat assist Sea Rangers with their work. They partnered with30|

ASHOKA 2019

Utrecht University and used a drone to do visual inspections,proving that their system could effectively monitor areas forpoor health indicators like pollution. These vessels are used
for a variety of tasks otherwise carried out by more costly
motor ships, such as fisheries monitoring, research tasks
including water sampling, and shipwreck reconnaissance. Sea
Ranger Ships are clean, cost effective, and part of a transition
to clean energy; Wietse imagines them playing an increasingly prominent role in offshore work around the world. He
also believes these ships will make it easier for small maritime enterprises to launch, as there is no expensive fuelrequired. This is another way Wietse is working toward ocean
sustainability.
The third company is the Sea Ranger Boot Camp, in which
Wietse’s team of navy veterans trains young people not only

for positions as Sea Rangers, but for other maritime careers as
well. The veterans provide discipline and structure, and participants learn how to sail, dive, and perform other maritime
tasks. Impact indicators for the pilot show that 95% of bootcamp participants either work as Sea Rangers or get maritime
employment. A partnership with the Department of Public
Institutions at Utrecht University will report on future monitoring and evaluation as well as key performance indicators.

“It’s one of the big wins forenvironmentalists of the past decade:Governments in many parts of theworld have created new marine
reserves to protect ocean life… A Dutch
environmental-activist-turned socialentrepreneur, (Wietse) Van der Werf
believes he’s found a solution: hireveterans from the navy and marines totrain unemployed young people as “searangers” to patrol areas that governments
don’t have the resources to cover.”THE PERSON
Wietse grew up near Utrecht in the Netherlands and fondly
remembers being a Youth Wildlife Ranger, obsessed withnature. He soon became an environmental activist, working
to protect a local forest. When he was 25 years old, Wietse
went to work in the Arctic ocean as an engineer aboard
the anti-whaling vessels of the Sea Shepherd Conservation
Society. He was immersed in extreme activism and went formonths without seeing land. This influenced him greatly; hesaw how determined citizens were cooperating to enforce
international laws.
Wietse was also influenced by history, especially President
Franklin Roosevelt’s 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
The CCC was an innovative, federally-funded social programthat provided unskilled manual labor jobs to three million
unemployed young men to conserve and develop natural
resources in rural lands owned by federal, state and local governments. This idea of combining landscape recovery with acure for unemployment resonated with Wietse.

Wietse’s vision in the coming years is to build 50 ships,
expand Sea Ranger operations to reach 15 countries andrestore 2.5 million acres of underwater landscape throughactivities like repairing coral reefs and bringing back oyster
beds. Fifty thousand unemployed youths will be trained andinspired to choose maritime jobs. This strategy will work inother parts of the world; ten nations have reached out to
Wietse about bringing the program to their countries, including Indonesia, Norway and the U.K. The U.N. has also proposed a partnership.

ASHOKA 2019 |31

Full Economic
Citizenship32

FULL ECONOMIC CITIZENSHIP

Regi Wahyu
Founder and CEO
HARA

Indonesia

and immutably, with no central administrator or data storage
infrastructure.
T H E P RO B L E MRegi Wahyu is using data technology to enable smallholder farmers in Indonesia to connect more successfully with banks, insurers, and providers of agricultural supplies such as seeds, tools,
and fertilizers.
THE NEW IDEA
Regi’s data system takes on a longstanding structural challenge that has limited the prosperity of small farmers inIndonesia since the 1960s: Their numbers are many; theirholdings diverse; each has particular needs, assets, and abilities; and the large institutions tasked with helping them havenever been able to customize their outreach and services toa farmer’s individual situation.
His solution is a completely new approach to generating andmanaging the basic information that captures each farmer’s
circumstances. Farmers themselves produce the data on who
and where they are, what they grow, how they do it, and what
services they seek. Regi’s HARA system has four main participants: data providers, the farmers who submit the data;
data buyers, such as banks, retailers and insurance companies; value-added service providers, who access the data tobuild value-added services such as market research reports;
and data qualifiers, who verify the data, very much including
HARA field agents. Through HARA’s data exchange, farmers
receive additional income every time their data is used, sothey are incentivized to continually acquire and submit data.
The data collected is visible for everyone in the system tosee, allowing stakeholders to make informed data-driven
decisions. Companies and banks purchase the data theyneed. Smallholders access market prices, crop-based information and services like loans or insurance, allowing themto improve their future productivity and income. Throughthis platform, Regi not only connects farmers to new productproviders (banks, insurance companies, retailers, suppliers),
but he also connects the farmers to one another throughpeer-to-peer learning, further increasing their productivity.
Using blockchain ensures transparency and accuracy acrossthe system, as records are linked together privately, securely

Low agricultural productivity impedes Indonesia’s overall
economic wellbeing, affecting competitiveness in markets at
the macro level and income and savings at the micro level.
Agriculture represents 14% of the national GDP and is 33%of the country’s total labor force, according to the U.N.’s Foodand Agriculture Organization. 93% of the country’s growers
operate small family farms; the rest are large plantations,either owned by state or private companies. Despite the critical role they play in food production, smallholder farmers
are some of the poorest in the workforce, with an average$138 monthly income, according to the World Bank. Poverty
remains high and almost one fifth of family farms in Indonesia
live below the national poverty line.
Many of these smallholder farmers are still invisible to thedigitally-connected world. Those that have birth certificates or other identification have them only in paper form,
and typically there are no formal land records to show farmboundaries. This lack of data makes it expensive for financial
institutions to gather the information they need to lend to
this group of people, cutting them off from access to financial
products, such as loans that would allow them to purchasemore seeds, equipment, and fertilizer. This, in turn, holds
them back from improving farming techniques and reaching
optimum crop yields. Unpredictable weather and worsening
climate change further hinders their productivity.
Without access to data or funds, loan sharks become the only
option for financing. “Being poor is expensive for these farmers,” says HARA Chief Technology Officer Imron Zhuri. “Theyhave to pay 60% interest a year for informal loans. And theyneed other support, for health care and education for example, so they end up mortgaging their crops at a lower priceeven before harvest.”
All the many other efforts to deal with small farmer poverty
suffer from want of data. Now success—for farmers, insurance companies, banks, traders, retailers, and government—
is increasingly based on the sharing of data, such as market
prices, risk profiles, and the weather. For this reason, many of
the challenges that smallholders face originate from the fact

ASHOKA 2019 |33

pays the field officers for the information
they collect, encouraging them to become“data entrepreneurs.”
Most importantly, Regi set up a process toensure that every farmer knows their rightto ownership of this data and their roleas data contributors. For every bit of data
shared, they are incentivized through a
point system to keep track of the amountof data they have collected. Points can be
traded for supplies such as fertilizers orseeds through local partners that are also in
the HARA system. The farmers, rather than
HARA, maintain ownership of their data andbenefit whenever a buyer in the network
purchases the data. HARA takes only a comRegi Wahyu, the CEO of HARA, with farmers in Indonesia. HARA is a data exchange
mission for the exchange. Specifically, theplatform that is geared towards small farmers. Photo: HARA
cost structure is as follows: 70% goes to thedata owner, 20% to acquisition, and 10% tothat they are totally excluded from the whole data market.
HARA. Smallholders become active contributors of data thatprovides better, more localized information for them, while
also monetizing their data.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
Three things compelled Regi to launch HARA. As a farmowner himself, he knew that farmers needed money andresources to succeed, yet it was difficult for smallholders to
get these things because no banks would lend to them. They
often had no land certificate or formal identification, making
them “invisible” to banks and retailers. The second challenge
was that the field-to-consumer process typically had seven tonine middlemen, with some farmers only receiving one thirdof what their produce was worth because of the long foodchain. Lastly, Regi saw that big business—financial and retailfor example—wanted access to the large smallholder market,
but without data, it was too risky to try to serve this market.
Regi started by training farmers to collect and input theirown data, such as land size and location, cultivation andyield information, pest analysis, and information about market transactions. HARA relies on field officers who volunteer
from each village to teach farmers how to register their profile and collect agricultural data. These officers play a crucialrole in training smallholders about the importance of data andhow to use technology as part of their daily routine. HARA

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“A Jakarta-based startup, HARA, is using
blockchain to collect and manage farmdata, from soil and crop conditions topest infestation, cultivation process, landownership and grains transaction in a bid
to help improve farmers’ livelihood…”

Additionally, with this system, banks and insurance companies can access the data they need to provide loans andinsurance because the data from HARA is reliable and costs
nearly 40% less than what it would cost them to collect thedata themselves. Thus, the cost of customer acquisition inthis market is now reduced to a manageable level. The repayment rate for loans through HARA’s network is almost 100%.
In addition to banks and insurance companies, retailers andmarket research companies can also purchase data on theplatform. The data can help retailers cater their products tofarmers, which also gives them an incentive to participate inorder to receive the latest information on items they need tosucceed, such as equipment and soil nutrients. Regi also paysother agricultural data providers, such as satellite companies,
to share their data on the network, resulting in the most
up-to-date information. In addition, retailers and market
research companies provide value-added services, taking raw
data and enriching it with analysis and market intelligence.
This data then goes back into the system for others to use.
Furthermore, the system enables peer-to-peer learning
between farmers, allowing them to share new techniquesand support each other. For example, a grower can alert others about a pest infestation so they can prepare for or try tostem it.
There are already more than 22,000 farmers and 400 fieldagents on the platform, as well as several banks, insurance,
fertilizer, and research companies. Crop yields have increased
by 15%. Regi wants to spread his impact and reach two
million farmers in the next few years. His methods can beadapted to the agricultural sector in other countries with alarge amount of smallholder farmers. With that goal in mind,
HARA is currently piloting a project with a partner in Uganda
and plans to partner with seven more countries this year,
including Vietnam, Mexico, and Colombia. He is also exploring how to use his system in other sectors in Indonesia, suchas health, education, and transportation.

excluded contributed to this inequality. For example, lack ofaccess to information made it harder for farmers to make theright planting decisions at the right time.
Regi later moved to Bandung, a larger city in West Java, tocontinue his high school and university education. He was
the local committee president for AIESEC, a youth leadershiporganization, through which he started a recycling programfor food waste. He also created the Indonesia Marketing
Association to globally market Indonesian products. After
college, he started his career as a door-to-door salesman in
Jakarta, selling cleaning services. His drive to excel took him
upwards in several companies including General Electric andDupont.
Throughout his childhood, Regi’s mother encouraged him towatch science fiction movies, which he believes gave him theability to imagine futuristic worlds. This imagination carriedover into his adult life and in combination with his corporate skills, he began creating data solutions to tackle society’s
problems. Regi believes that data should benefit all aspectsof people’s lives and should not be owned by any company.
Whether rich or poor, urban or rural, people should haveownership of their data. Regi’s understanding of technology,
smallholder farmers and the agricultural system combinedwith his entrepreneurial spirit drove him to create HARA anda transparent and accessible system to elevate the agricultural sector in Indonesia.

THE PERSON
Growing up, Regi moved around Indonesia due to his father’s
job in the government health department. When he was in
middle school, his family moved to a small village in Java. At
first, Regi struggled to adjust to the rural farming community, but he eventually connected with the farmers and theirfamilies and saw the challenges and inequality they faced
every day. They were living below the poverty line but were
contributing a large part of the country’s GDP. It was not
until Regi was an adult that he realized how being digitally

ASHOKA 2019 |35

FULL ECONOMIC CITIZENSHIP

Mélanie Marcel
Founder and CEO
SoScience

Trained as an engineer and neuroscientist, Mélanie Marcel
became fascinated by the possibility of driving research awayfrom being financially-motivated and towards benefiting thegood of all. She therefore founded SoScience to create collaborations between research scientists and social entrepreneurs.
THE NEW IDEA
The best scientific minds and technology in the world arebeing put to work to serve profit in private R & D. Scientists
ready to serve the good of all can’t fund socially impactfulstudies, while social entrepreneurs hunger for data to expand
their impact, data that doesn’t exist. Mélanie is building abridge between science and its application for people. By
creatively curating a process that integrates both scientists
and social entrepreneurs, she is introducing the practice of“social valorization,” attributing value to scientific research
devoted to solving social issues.

“Mélanie Marcel is the founder of
SoScience, a company specializing in
responsible research and innovation.
She was appointed as an expert on thissubject by the European Commission,and co-authored a book focused on theintersection between science and social
impacts.”

Through her organization SoScience, she is creating a system where researchers are actively incentivized to drive theirwork toward social impact. To do so, she creates the needed
setting for researchers and social entrepreneurs to discuss

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Francethe problem they want to solve, how to apply science to its
practical implementation on the ground, and the resulting
social impact.
Because Mélanie knows that making room for impact-driven
research implies redirecting existing capacities, she is also
looking to change the criteria for research budgets to include
social impact potential. As a first step of this process, she
got social entrepreneurs recognized as eligible recipients for
European Union research funds. Mélanie also targets privatecompanies, who hold a significant part of the research budget. She bridges corporate social responsibility and research& development departments to introduce social impact as anintegral criterion in the research planning process.
T H E P RO B L E M
Every year, more than 45 billion euros are spent in researchand development activities in France (60% by private companies). The entire research system, from grantmaking to valorization processes, is geared toward economic return, which
limits where applied research can go and reduces its availability for social returns.
Even when research scientists are interested in pursuingsocial impact, they don’t always have the necessary will,
skills, and time to operationally take their findings from thelab to the field by themselves. On the other hand, social
entrepreneurs can lack scientific insights to reach the impact
they wish to have on the world. While there are incentives,a legal framework, a specific financial pipeline, and a support
ecosystem for collaborations between scientists, the logistics of such collaborations remain difficult. They generally
don’t know each other or speak the same language, and theacademic field is not easily accessible. Consequently, collaboration between research scientists and social entrepreneurs represent less than 0.4% of worldwide research efforts(Houllier’s Report, French Ministry of Research).
As a result, there is a missed opportunity for science to contribute to solving pressing social problems. Nevertheless,global institutions are increasingly aware of this potential. For
instance, the European Research and Innovation Framework
Program “Horizon 2020” (budget of 70 billion euros) set up
as an important objective encouraging socially responsible
research and innovation. The challenge is now to find the relevant “how-to’s” to make this change happen.

languages and temperaments. “The Future
Of __ ” is funded and sponsored by publicresearch institutes or companies who see
an opportunity to identify, collaborate, andinnovate with new partners.
The first editions of the program, on Soiland Water, generated 40 impact-driven
collaborations between attendees from 17
different countries. More than half of theparticipants reported an ongoing collaboration three months later. Mélanie documented the process and methodologies
for “The Future of __” and the program isalready being replicated. Mélanie success“Social scipreneurs” are entrepreneurs working at the intersection of applied science andfully engaged 800 researchers from the IRD
social good. For example, engineer and chemist Gérard Niyondiko from Burkina Faso isdeveloping a line of hygiene products (soap, lotion, and detergent) for FASO SOAP. The(Institute for Research and Development)
products repel mosquitos for up to six hours by using microcapsules of natural repellents
and aims to build a network of committed
that adhere to users’ skin and gradually release their contents. To widely distribute suchresearch institutes that will advocate for
products would have a massive impact for populations plagued by malaria.
impact-driven research. In addition, Mélanie
trained the social entrepreneurship incubator “La Fabrique”
T H E S T R AT EG Y
in Burkina Faso to organize such a collaborative program in
To demonstrate how impact-driven research (whose primary
their own local and cultural context, which they launched in
objective is solving a social or environmental challenge) is
February 2019. Finally, she hopes to build on “The Future
concretely feasible, Mélanie carefully crafted the program
Of_” former participants to develop an influential cross-sec“The Future Of __”. This begins with a one-day collaborator community of impact-driven science ambassadors.
tive event gathering 40 selected experts of a theme (TheGiven that the majority of research and development investFuture Of Food, Soil, Water, ...) to meet and identify potenments come from the private sector, Mélanie also works withtial collaborations. The number of participants is limited to
private companies to move them from valorization focusedensure qualitative and deep exchanges. The selection of theon likely return on investment to seeing market opportunities
attendees is also key. First, these experts must come fromin impact-driven innovation. Her longer-term goal here is todiverse backgrounds: scientists (including post-docs, whochange the way corporates are allocating funds to research
have expertise but often struggle finding a full-time position),so that social good becomes part of doing business and getssocial entrepreneurs, NGOs, industrial companies. Second,out of CSR silos. While extending her impact, this consulting
they have expressed a clear motivation to look for new partactivity also provides her with a sustainable revenue stream.
ners in their work. Mélanie also carefully frames the themeof her program around a challenge to be solved rather than aspecific technical development issue, in order to give participants more leeway to innovate.
Six months after the launching event, there is a follow-up
session to support the implementation of the impact-driven
collaborations (mediation, identifying funding sources, etc.).
This is particularly necessary at the beginning of the project as research scientists and social leaders have different

As an example, she worked with the French multinational car
manufacturer Renault R&D and CSR departments to identify
new market opportunities integrating social impact criteria,such as investing in the development of low-cost refrigerated
vans in order to help solving the issue of food waste. (In someunderprivileged rural areas in Southeast Asia and Africa, 10
to 30% of produced food is wasted because of improperly
working refrigerated transport means.) Mélanie developed

ASHOKA 2019 |37

and freely shared online a dedicated tool called “the Matrixof Opportunities” to help the company concretely visualizeinteractions between economic drivers, societal challenges,
and their own expertise. Mélanie is now in discussion withlarge international consulting companies to further structure
the market around this emerging business and thus incentivize more companies to invest in impact-driven innovation.
While demonstrating this is feasible in the field, Mélanie isalso at work at building a facilitating framework for impactdriven research to become a recognized, easily accessible,
and attractive career path for scientists. First, to generate
wider awareness and demand, Mélanie shares her vision in
conferences and gives lectures at universities about responsible research and innovation. She also published a book,
Science et Impact Social, in 2017 to share her insights andattract new partners. In collaboration with a communications
agency, she is now preparing a media campaign to showcase successful impact-driven research projects. Second, she
is building a dedicated financial pipeline for impact-driven
research by supporting research funding agencies in integrating social impact in their criteria. She already led this workwith the national funding agency ADEME which now has amuch greater ability to identify and support impact-driven
research collaborative projects. Finally, Mélanie is also advocating at a decision-making institutional level. She has been
appointed as an expert on “Science with and for Society” by
the European Commission and, as such, has been involved inworking groups on reshaping European research policy. Her
advocacy work led to the addition of social entrepreneurs as
eligible recipients for EU research funds.
THE PERSON
Mélanie grew up in a committed family. Her grandfather
was a member of the anti-Franco resistance, and she was
encouraged to find her passion and personal calling. She
was always scientifically-minded and, very early on, imagined using science for social impact. (As a child, she dreamt
about finding a vaccine for AIDS.) She was then trained as anengineer at ESPCI Paris Tech and chose to study neuroscience rather than quantum physics because it seemed more
likely to bring social impact opportunities. Her first job wasat a Japanese telecommunication company, designing electrodes that would allow the brain to direct external devices.

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She was passionate about her research and imagined it could
lead to directly connecting prosthetic limbs to the brain, but
she soon realized that her employer was only commerciallydriven.
At the same time, her friend Eloïse was connected to both
the research and social entrepreneurship spheres but met
difficulties in bridging these two worlds. Mélanie thus started
questioning how the research system worked, what was driving research investment, and how she could align her will tohave an impact and her job as a research scientist. As she
did not find an existing facilitating framework to lead impactdriven research, she took on the mission to develop this new
field.
Back in France, Mélanie founded SoScience with the simple idea of connecting social entrepreneurs and researchers, believing there was a strong demand on both sides. But
when it came time to engage not only individuals but whole
research institutes and companies, at first the message was
not enthusiastically embraced. Mélanie persevered and personally called more than 200 potential partners and clientsin order to foster new collaborations. She iteratively evolved
her model and how she introduced it, extending its reach andsustainability. She carried on, convincing major public actors
and building the field. Mélanie, now strengthened by a strong
network in the research, business, and social entrepreneurship spheres, is succeeding in changing the way research isled and leveraged in order to achieve social impact.

FULL ECONOMIC CITIZENSHIP

Jeff Cyr
Raven Indigenous Capital Partners
Founder and Managing Partner

Jeff Cyr, of the Métis indigenous nation, is building wealth, ownership, power and meaning in indigenous communities throughinvestment.
THE NEW IDEA
Jeff’s model starts with communities setting their development priorities so that they are not dependent on the federal
government. Then they assess the communities’ assets: What
enterprises exist that can solve their self-identified problems,
and what could be developed with capital? In 2017, Jeffco-founded Raven Group, which includes the first indigenous venture capital intermediary, Raven Indigenous CapitalPartners, and the Raven Indigenous Impact Foundation.
Both provide seed capital to indigenous entrepreneurs. Jeff
champions the concept of “community-driven outcomes purchasing” to unlock new capital to create indigenous venturesin renewable energy at a pace that works for entrepreneurs.
His new financial model based on indigenous values flips
power dynamics, putting the community in charge. Theirenterprises improve outcomes in indigenous communities
while generating returns for investors.
THE PROBLEM
While Canadians are increasingly aware of the devastating
and multigenerational impacts of residential schools, there isa lesser-known cluster of longstanding and disempowering
patterns that reinforce poverty in indigenous communities -their systemic exclusion economically. Paternalistic and racist
laws and policies that treat indigenous people as “wards ofthe state” rather than economic citizens have limited theiraccess to resources, increased dependency, fueled stereotypes and thereby largely denied indigenous communities
their right to self-determination.
In 2015, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission
made visible the extent to which Canada’s colonial history
and residential school system systematically disadvantaged,

Canadadisempowered, and discriminated against indigenous peoples. The government “gives” them things, and “experts”
parachute into reserves with solutions that are time-limited,
dysfunctional, and/or inappropriate, thus increasing dependency, decreasing self-determination, and limiting options resulting in perpetual poverty. According to the UN, Canada
ranks 7th worldwide on the Human Development Index, but
its indigenous communities rank 65th.
Legislation impedes financial inclusion, growth and wealth.
For example, the Indian Act (Section 89) prohibits the use ofreserve land as collateral. As such, banks are reluctant to provide loans if assets cannot be seized in case of default. On
many reserves, except the few that have developed self-government agreements, a house may be owned but the land is
not – therefore it cannot be sold - which makes it impossible
to build equity. Even on the reserves where homes can beowned, the equity remains much lower than that of homes
outside reserves.
Major program interventions in indigenous communities haveconsistently failed over the last 200 years. In 1998, a study byIndustry Canada and Aboriginal Business Canada found thatover half (56 %) of aboriginal entrepreneurs had inadequate
access to equity, citing lack of local financial institutions, lackof personal resources, and unavailability of venture capital.
Nearly twenty years later, a report for National Aboriginal
Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) and the Business
Development Bank of Canada (BDC) found that the situation
continues to affect many aboriginal entrepreneurs and theirsmall to medium-sized enterprises.
Overall, the current financial support systems for reconciliation across Canada are unsophisticated and wasteful.
Business-as-usual continues and perpetuates all the oldmindsets. Government funding is compliance based (highadministration costs and inflexible) and citizen sector organizations that are philanthropically funded are volatile andunsustainable and survive on only the fumes of the economy.
There is no unlocking of the mainstream economy to truly
tackle the challenges that indigenous groups experience.
The promise of Social Impact Bonds (whose repayment
comes from the savings that come as social outcomes arebeing accomplished) to ameliorate this situation and enable
government financing of social innovation has also proven

ASHOKA 2019 |39

Raven works with social enterprises like Aki Foods, to ensure thatthey are investment-ready and have access to resources. Aki is anindigenous non-profit social enterprise focused on food-based
projects that promote employment opportunities and economic
development in First Nations communities.

insufficient. While they are valuable in theory (and in fact
are an integral part of Jeff’s model), most such bonds havehistorically been complex, and both slow and expensive tonegotiate.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
One integral part of Jeff’s strategy to actively involve indigenous communities in the investment sphere is implementing“solutions labs” which take communities, experts, outcomesbuyers and investors through a design-to-execution process leading to social finance solutions that can be brought
to market. Through this process, indigenous communities
identify their needs and desired outcomes, map their existing assets, and connect with impact investors. They’re also
connected with federal government departments and foundations which “purchase” relevant outcomes produced byindigenous enterprises by paying back the original investors
that provided the upfront equity. This new financial contract
shifts the government’s role from a funder to a purchaser.
The government finds this attractive and is motivated toparticipate because of the social and economic gains and its
financial savings.
As of 2019, Jeff has deployed this “Community Driven
Outcomes Purchasing” (CDOP) model with renewable energy-related projects in 4 out of 63 First Nations communities

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in Manitoba. This included the installation of geo-exchange
units, pumps that utilize the earth or a body of water for aheat source and a heat sink, each serving 125 homes. The
social and economic outcomes achieved include reduced utility bills and social assistance costs, and an increase in indigenous social enterprise, job creation, skill development, energy
savings, greenhouse gas reductions and direct investment inlocal communities. The First Nations who have employedgeo-exchange units passed band council resolutions tohave all houses heated with geo-exchange. This creates thepotential to scale in stage two to 1000 geo-exchange units inthe next round, with a potential market of 10,000 homes insouthern Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
In early 2019, Jeff and his partners commenced an indigenous solutions lab focused on diabetes reduction through a
CDOP model in two First Nations on Prince Edward Islandand four First Nations in Manitoba. These 10-month lab processes aim to develop new contracts for diabetes reduction
interventions. Diabetes is a crisis issue in indigenous communities, and by comparison to clean energy, the downstream
cost savings for diabetes reduction are exponential.
Jeff plans to introduce his model next in British Columbia.
His solutions lab process is already at work identifying community priorities and the assets and entrepreneurs to takethem on that are ready for investment. In this case, thecore challenge identified is to replace diesel with renewableenergy. Notably, the British Columbia provincial governmentis actively participating in, and financially supporting, thesolutions lab process for this CDOP initiative. This is unique
as indigenous reserves remain under federal jurisdiction andtechnically outside of provincial mandates
In the short term, the Raven Group plans to continue serving
as the vessel for investments into indigenous communities
and to partner with Ashoka Fellow Shaun Loney’s venture Aki
Energy to lead implementation. The CDOP has now scaled to
new geographies and sectors, and governments have started
to give themselves the capacity to undertake outcomes purchasing. Jeff is at a key inflection point on the way to morescale via building many investment demonstrations thatsucceed.

“‘The impact of colonization on
indigenous people in Canada, and aroundthe world, essentially meant that you had
this stripping of wealth and inability tocreate intergenerational wealth,’ Jeff Cyrsaid. To meet this gap, Vancouver-based
Raven launched the first indigenous equity
fund in Canada this year to support social
enterprises.”In the long term, Jeff aims to continue to expand to new sectors and thematic areas, such as food security and health.
It is exciting to see how Jeff and his team have learned tosyndicate the outcomes to the various Federal department
affected by the different social and environmental outcomes.
For instance, with the renewable energy interventions,
Environment Canada might pay for the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, Employment and Social Development
Canada for employment training, and Indigenous andNorthern Affairs Canada for the poverty alleviation onreserves. Since the government can be slow to coordinate
between departments, Raven helps by syndicating the costs
via the “Rate Card” (highlights return on investment per outcome achieved) to buy when it is a success.
Jeff plans to help 400 indigenous communities across Canada
through the deployment of many forms of the CDOP model.
Of course, this model can be applied anywhere in the world.
Indigenous people suffer very similar challenges from the
U.S. and Mexico all the way over to Indonesia.

his mind to a wide range of possible ways to address social
challenges. Jeff has always considered himself to be one whochallenges social systems and who pushes against the “muscle memory” of set social norms.
In his professional life, he trained as a negotiator in federal-provincial, indigenous-federal, and international issues.
A transformative event for Jeff came when he negotiateda multi-million-dollar agreement with the Governmentof Canada and the National Association of (indigenous)
Friendship Centers. Over a year as Chief Negotiator, hewatched the federal government and his indigenous colleagues fall back into traditional funding mechanisms thatwere known to be broken. He also witnessed immense
financial waste: The government was increasingly spending
billions of dollars to solve indigenous “issues” without any
demonstrable let alone sustainable results.
In response, Jeff created the indigenous Innovation Summit,
which proved to be a catalyst for change in the field. It didso by mixing mainstream social innovators together with
community-based indigenous social innovators. This clash ofcreativity sparked widespread changes -- including many new
enterprises, relationships, funds and initiatives. One in particular was the Indigenous Innovation Demonstration Fundand the Indigenous Innovation platform which he co-created.
Their early success inspired him to make a leap of faith andleave his safe CEO position and embark on this new entrepreneurial pathway to meet the need for more flexible andadaptable financing for indigenous peoples via Raven.
Jeff often travels internationally to share his vision for a new
economic architecture as well as the CDOP model with various indigenous groups and leading educational and research
institutions.

THE PERSON
Born and raised Métis, Jeff has always been inspired by the
resilience and creativity of his indigenous community. As ayoung person, he lived in Germany and India which opened

ASHOKA 2019 |41

Health42

HEALTHPrasanna Shirol
Executive Director
Organization for Rare Diseases India
Rare Diseases Care Coordination
CenterIndia

After his daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease and his
family could not find support and treatment, Prasanna Shirol set
out to build the infrastructure to research, diagnose, and treat
rare diseases.

“orphan drugs.” To encourage domestic pharmaceuticalresearch, Prasanna is providing evidence and data to government and companies and advocating for an Orphan Drug Act
similar to the one in the U.S. This act would stipulate government financial support and regulatory concessions likesmaller and shorter clinical trials. Prasanna believes that once
rare disease policies start getting implemented across thecountry, patients will have a better quality of life and accessto care and affordable treatment.

THE NEW IDEAT H E P RO B L E M

Prasanna started the Organization for Rare Diseases India(ORDI) to help patients and families deal with the significant burden imposed by rare diseases which are chronicallydebilitating and life-threatening. ORDI improves the livesof patients by connecting families and information to eachother; advocating for government funding; and collaborating
for the best research, diagnosis, and treatment possible.

There are approximately 7,000 rare diseases and althougheach disease is individually uncommon, collectively they
strike six to eight percent of the global population and about
72 million people in India. Patients’ quality of life is affectedby the loss of autonomy due to the chronic, degenerative,
and frequently life-threatening aspects of their diseases.
Often there are no existing effective cures, adding to the pain
endured by sufferers and their families.

To connect families and patients to information, Prasannalaunched the first Rare Disease Care Coordination Center(RDCCC) in Bangalore to provide patients with a system that
can help them access health care providers, medical experts,
diagnostic centers, treatment options, and clinical trials.
His goal is to operate a center in each of the remaining 28
states in India. A second facility opened in Karnataka earlier
this year. At the same time, he is compiling information fromthe network to address the immediate needs of patients andtheir families, such as launching the first national rare disease
helpline and building the first database that tracks the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Prasanna wants the government to address rare diseases as animportant matter of public health. By forming a coalition that
includes public, private, and citizen sectors—such as research
institutes, policymakers, and hospitals—ORDI advocates forgovernment support to formally identify rare diseases as an
issue that needs attention, funding, and resources.
Prasanna is also advancing the search for treatments andcures. Drug research is costly; and pharmaceutical companies only pay for research, development, testing, and marketing for medicines that can turn a profit. Those abandoned
as potentially useful but unlikely to make money—because,
for example, they would treat rare diseases—are known as

While every country defines “rare disease” differently—
and some have no formal definition—the World HealthOrganization has suggested a rare disease is one with a frequency of fewer than 6.5 to 10 per 10,000 people. 80% of
these diseases are genetic and 50% affect children. Visits tomultiple doctors, along with expensive experimental treatments, means it can take years to be diagnosed; patients areoften misdiagnosed or left not knowing what is wrong. By
the time a disease is identified, it is often too late for any
viable treatment options and the family is left with a palliative model of care until death. A critical lack of organization,
including adequate training and the facilities to screen anddiagnose patients in a timely manner, exacerbates the problem. Given that very little is known about individual rare diseases, there is a dearth of support from both the public andprivate sector to invest in treatment options as well as theresearch and development of orphan drugs.
There is no centralized data to provide to policymakers andpharmaceutical companies, making it difficult to advocate
for more inclusive, affordable, accessible, and compassionate
health care. This leaves patients and their caregivers without
the quality healthcare and related products, such as insurance, that they deserve.

ASHOKA 2019 |43

Prasanna, his wife, Sharada, and their daughter, Nidhi, at a “Race for 7” event. Nidhi wasthe first person to be diagnosed with Pompe in India. Prasanna counts her as a successstory because even though she lived on a ventilator and was in a wheelchair, she went
to school and was never confined to the house. Nidhi is currently in a semi-coma. Photo
credit: Ajeesh F. Rawther.

Given the low demand for drugs for treatment, pharmaceutical companies have limited commercial incentive to invest
in the research and development of these drugs. Even if thecompanies are incentivized through tax breaks and clinical
trials, they still charge as much as they wish. In countries like
India, even if drugs do exist for treatment, many people cannot afford them. Without a unified approach to build criticalinfrastructure as well as awareness of rare diseases, patientsand their caregivers will continue to suffer while the pressures on the public health care system continue to rise.

Prasanna has worked to build the vital
physical support to focus on the immediate needs of the population. He worked
with partners to create the Rare Diseases
Care Coordination Center (RDCCC), a
hub-and-spoke model which eventuallyaims to have a facility in each major city(the hub) and spokes in regional hospitals that will provide support for patients.
This center, which aims to connect withall primary health care centers acrossthe country, gathers patient informationand needs and then arranges for consultations with specialists both in India andabroad. Since inception, this Center has
helped diagnose hundreds of patientsfrom across the country at early diagnostic testing centers.

If a family is unable to travel to the
RDCCC, they can call into India’s firstnational rare disease helpline, which
provides genetic counseling, emergency support, and information for diagnosis and treatment. Through a coalition ofgenetic specialists, medical professionals, and international

T H E S T R AT EG Y
Prasanna knew that to have an impact in a field that had little
to no support, he had to first build the structure for diagnosis
and treatment. He found that most people naturally focused
only on their child or family member and didn’t look at thelarger problems surrounding rare diseases. He launched
ORDI as an umbrella organization to combine the knowledge
and power of patients, families, and support groups acrossthe country for greater impact.

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Prasanna started the first Rare Diseases Care Coordination Center(RDCCC) in Bangalore and plans to open a Center in every state inIndia.

organizations, this helpline gives patients and their caregivers
direction and support. The helpline has assisted more than
5,000 families and is an especially important lifeline to people living in remote parts of the country.
The RDCCC and helpline have helped Prasanna gather
patient information from health care centers and other key
institutions to build the first national patient registry in India.
This registry plays an important role in providing the dataneeded to influence policymakers. Also, everyone in the system has access to crucial diagnosis, treatment, and medical
information. For example, a patient’s illness history and treatment plan can help others with the same rare disease with
options and access to specialists.

“…Prasanna Shirol is co-founder of theOrganization for Rare Diseases India, anumbrella organization that represents thecollective voice of all patients with rarediseases in India. According to Shirol,
while 80% of the diseases are of genetic
origin, 50% of new cases occur in children,and 35% of deaths occur before the age ofone.”

ORDI has also been instrumental in advocating for policychange. By initiating many Public Interest Litigations (PILs)
which, for the first time, represented the voices of patientsand caregivers from all over the country, the High Court ofDelhi recognized the implicit right to health care for thosewith rare diseases. Because of the PILs ORDI filed, Karnataka
became the first state government to issue a rare disease andorphan drugs policy. Its recommendations include asking theInsurance Regulatory and Development Authority to reconsider the exclusion of pre-existing genetic disorders andrequiring insurance companies to provide basic coverage withlow premiums for patients. It also recommended enacting astatute that will allow for tax breaks and funding as incentives
for the research and development of orphan drugs. Prasanna

is working with a coalition of pharmaceutical, biotechnology,
and diagnostic companies, as well as other key stakeholders,to push for this policy across the country.
Looking for as many resources as possible, Prasanna connected with medical experts in the United States andlaunched an ORDI office in Virginia. ORDIUSA fosters collaborations between patient advocacy groups and researcherswith their counterparts in India to help accelerate research,clinical trials, and therapy access across borders.
Lastly, to continue to amplify the issue across the country
and worldwide, Prasanna runs campaigns that involve themedia, sports organizations, and civil society groups. His“Race for 7” event has become one of India’s predominantannual races, bringing awareness and resources to patientsand their caregivers. “Race for 7” represents the 7,000 rarediseases and is a 7,000-meter course (almost four and a half
miles); the race has become a global brand and has spread toother countries, including four cities in the United States, andto Singapore, which is hosting its first “Race for 7” event thisyear. To shift societal mindsets and raise awareness of rarediseases, Prasanna pairs rare disease patients with membersof the public to complete the race. He also facilitated India’s
observance of Rare Diseases Day, in which more than 100
countries participate to raise public awareness about rarediseases. In India, this day is now a national event that brings
together media, government officials, companies, and otherstakeholders across the country to commit to address thechallenges facing this community.
THE PERSON
Prasanna was born in southern India to a hardworking, middle-class family. After completing his postgraduate business education, he forged a sales and marketing career intelecommunications.
In 1999, Prasanna and his wife, Sharada, had a daughter,
Nidhi. From birth, there were complications that kept her inthe hospital for 45 days. Eventually, she had trouble crawling,
standing up, and walking and experienced numerous respiratory issues. For seven years, Prasanna took Nidhi to over
45 hospitals before she was finally diagnosed with Pompe, arare disease in which a buildup of glycogen in the body’s cells
impairs normal function. Nidhi was the first person in India to

ASHOKA 2019 |45

be diagnosed with Pompe.
Without support from the public health care system and without any formal treatment options in India, Prasanna struggled
to meet the growing needs of his daughter while managing
his career. He eventually quit his job and began selling his
assets to support the high cost of treatment and imported
drugs. Prasanna realized that there were many other families
across the country who were fighting the same silent battle.
Understanding that this lifestyle was not sustainable, andin an effort to find the support needed for his daughter,
Prasanna launched the first national-level parents support
group for children with rare diseases (Lysosomal Storage
Disorder Support Society India). He also started the Pompe
Foundation in India, a specialized group focused solely on
uniting and empowering patients with Pompe and their families. As he slowly began to build national and international
networks of specialists and organizations, Prasanna recognized the need for a national umbrella organization to serve
as a collective voice and advocate for all rare disease patients
across the country and in 2012, he founded ORDI.

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HEALTH

Nneka Mobisson
Founder and CEO
mDoc, Your Health is in Your
Hands

After losing her father due to stroke complications, Dr. Nneka
Mobisson built a mobile platform that helps people in Africa
prevent and treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as
hypertension and diabetes.

Nigeria

it takes to be healthy, employers benefit from less lost timeand lower health care costs. And of course, everyone wins
as more people work and are able to contribute fully to theeconomy.
mDoc has trained more than 10,000 people throughout threestates in Nigeria and it has spread to South Africa, Rwanda,
Kenya, Zambia, and Ghana. By 2024, Nneka plans to haveoperations in 13 African countries. Through this scale, sheestimates mDoc will have impacted the lives of one million
people by preventing and managing chronic conditions.

THE NEW IDEA
Nneka created mDoc, a digital platform that connects people
who have a chronic disease with a multi-disciplinary team of
health care practitioners, including nutritionists and fitness
coaches. Patients receive personalized support through education and tools that encourage healthy behaviors, including
peer-to-peer support. mDoc offers two main services: “Finda Facility” is an interactive, geo-coded listing of health carefacilities and services; and “Telehealth Suite” includes accessto a network of qualified providers, while also storing patient
records, which can be accessed and updated by both patientsand the team of providers. mDoc also builds providers’ clinical capabilities by using the platform to connect experienced
African diaspora physicians to teach local doctors about theright care and education for NCD patients.
Nneka knew that she needed more than just “high tech” tosupport people in preventing and managing their chronic
health needs so they could live longer, happier, and healthier lives. She also uses a “high-touch” approach and launchedcommunity-based hubs where screenings and tests are conducted, such as blood pressure checks; the test results arethen shared with local coaches who follow up with patientsand teach them how to live a healthful lifestyle. “mDoc isreally beyond any specific condition,” says Nneka. “It is reallyabout getting people to understand they have control overtheir health and then best supporting them in living healthy
lives.” mDoc’s motto is: “Your Health in Your Hands; Anytime;
Anywhere.”
Nneka’s approach is as key to productivity—and therefore
Africa’s economic health—as it is to saving lives and improving quality of life. Indeed, one mDoc technique is to partner with employers. By helping their staff understand what

T H E P RO B L E M
There has been a steady increase in the prevalence of NCDs
in Africa. In Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa withmore than 202 million people, NCDs accounted for 29% of
all deaths in 2018. The World Health Organization estimatesthat NCDs will cause about 7 million deaths in Nigeria in thenext decade without serious interventions.

“‘It’s not just about the high tech but it’salso about a high-touch approach. It isrealizing that in our context, we have got
to be innovative in how we create andfoster community, and how we foster
knowledge and how we empower ourpeople,’ Nneka says.”

There is little understanding of the risk factors associatedwith NCDs and a lack of preventive measures. Nigerian culture promotes alcohol and tobacco use as a sign of affluence;an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise are increasingly morecommon. Tragically, Nigerians are getting these diseases at amuch younger age than before, affecting the health of young
people in their prime working years, which not only impacts

ASHOKA 2019 |47

quality of life, but also the economy.
The health care system in Nigeria is already strained frommanaging communicable diseases and is not well equipped
to manage the number of NCD cases that are on the rise.
Inadequate facilities result in ill patients waiting a long timein hospitals to get tested for their ailments before they canaccess treatment; hence people who are not critically ill find
it inconvenient to visit a clinic and they do not get regular
medical checkups to ascertain their health status.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
Nneka began by mapping the scope of NCDs and interviewing people on the ground. She and her team talked to over
1,000 people across all strata of society to understand thescope of chronic diseases in Nigeria. About half of the people
who took part in the research had no knowledge of NCDs
or how to manage them, but they were desperate for information. She also discovered that there was no outreach toempower people with NCDs to manage their illnesses andlive quality lives.
Nneka started mDoc to optimize “end-to-end” care; basedon Thaddeus’s “Three Delay” model, she identified three sets
of factors that keep people from preventing or managing
a chronic disease. She saw that the first delay was people
are unaware of the steps they can take to ensure they arehealthy, such as managing weight and other risk factors. The
second delay is that once a person is educated, they do notknow how to interact with the health care system or what
to focus on, such as getting their eyes checked if they havediabetes. There also might be financial and transportation
barriers to seeking preventative health care. And the “third
delay” is that once a patient does go to a doctor, they may not
be getting the right care at the right time in the right manner
because of the struggling health care system.
Nneka knew that building awareness about NCDs had tocome first and that she needed to do this both in rural andurban areas. She started by giving health talks in community
meetings to help people understand chronic disease prevention and management. This helped her recruit volunteers in
the communities to do door-to-door outreach. In addition,

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Nneka organizes talks on radio and television. All these elements work together to build public understanding of NCDs
and early prevention.
Nneka realized that people did not know where to checktheir health status, so she created community “health hubs”
where patients can get tested and get information about
disease management. She also started groups where people connect to navigate the management of their diseases
together, sharing best practices, such as healthy recipes, aswell as supporting each other and sharing goals while working with one coach. People are exercising and changing theirdiets, and doctors are taking them off medications, reducing
the financial burden as well. mDoc has five hubs in Nigeria,
and Nneka’s goal is to have 18 in-person hubs by the endof 2020, either stand-alone facilities or in partnership withhospitals or other citizen sector organizations.
Realizing that no one, including the government, had information about health care service providers for NCD management, Nneka created a national database of licensed
providers. This is important because there are many unlicensed facilities and she wanted people to trust the care theyreceived. Concurrently, she recognized the need to partnerwith providers, who initially saw telemedicine as a replacement instead of a positive tool. Nneka convinced them thatwith overburdened facilities, NCD prevention is optimal overtreatment. mDoc also trains providers on how best to carefor current NCD patients and those at risk.
THE PERSON
Nneka grew up in Nigeria but went to college in the UnitedStates. While studying biomedical engineering, she took
a three-month public health volunteer trip to Tanzania in
1995. Here, she saw how severely the health care system
was struggling. This experience sparked a life-long passion
for public health. She decided she had to bring change. She
returned to the U.S., became a pediatrician, and obtained a
Master’s in public health to equip her to help improve thehealth system in Africa.
In 2010, Nneka’s father passed away. He was only 53 years
old and died from complications from a stroke; he didn’t have

Nneka speaks with a health care provider in Nigeria.

access to knowledgeable medical providers who could havehelped him manage his high blood pressure. This angered
Nneka and she asked herself, “How many lives are lost in
Nigeria because of NCDs, and what impact is it having on
the productivity of the country and the continent?” Nneka
retired as a doctor and launched mDoc using technology toaddress the very same health problems her father had so that
ultimately, Nigeria can be a happier, healthier, and more productive country.

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HumanRights50

HUMAN RIGHTS

Jess Ladd
Founder and CEO
Callisto

Jess Ladd designed a new survivor-centered way to report sexual assault, identify repeat offenders, and provide institutions—beginning with universities—with relevant data to guard against
and respond to the problem.
THE NEW IDEA
Jess founded Callisto to enable people to record and disclose
incidents of assault on their own terms via a technology
platform that also connects them to survivors of the same
perpetrator. Independent of the police and school authorities, the platform helps identify repeat offenders and also
“time stamps” a report of an incident, while offering a rangeof counseling options so that survivors understand theirchoices going forward. Callisto provides this information to
institutions and authorities to assist in assault investigations.
Fewer than 20% of sexual assaults that occur during college
are reported to the police or to college authorities. This is inpart because the process of reporting can feel isolating andre-traumatizing, and involves personal and professional risks.
Part of what makes Callisto new is its unrelenting focus on
survivors’ needs, including specialized legal support for survivors as they navigate the complex options for disclosing theirexperience.
Callisto is also the only reporting system for any crime thatoffers matching of perpetrators. While survivors choose notto report for a variety of reasons, matching is intended tolower the barrier for those who wish to come forward but
feel more comfortable doing so knowing they are not the sole
survivor. Data suggests that those with access to Callisto are
six times more likely to report than those who do not haveaccess.
Callisto was launched on the first college campus in 2015
and is now being used on a dozen campuses. They are adding more campuses in the coming year, while continuing toassess the model and reach out to partners in other industries. Ultimately, Jess and her team want to help survivors
detect any serial sexual predator in the United States.

United States

T H E P RO B L E M
An estimated 20% of women, 7% of men, and 24% of transand gender-nonconforming students are sexually assaulted
during their college career. According to the U.S. Bureau of
Justice Statistics, fewer than 10% of college assault survivors
report to administrators, local police, campus security, orother authorities. The few people who report do so an average of 11 months after the assault, making it hard to investigate. These investigations are not challenging because ofan unknown perpetrator—85% of college assault survivors
know their assailant—but rather because the delay in reporting makes some investigators doubt whether an assault took
place.

“(Callisto CEO Jess Ladd) enumerated thereasons that victims like her often don’treport assault—shame, fear, a wish not toruin the assailant’s life. ‘But why victims
do report is fairly consistent, and the No. 1
reason they do report is to protect others,
to protect their community,’ she said.”

According to research in the academic journal, Violence andVictims, 90% of college sexual assaults are committed byrepeat offenders who assault an average of six times—andthat’s just before they graduate college. However, since
reporting rates are so low, it’s unlikely that even repeat
offenders are reported, so investigators often have no knowledge of a pattern of behavior of the accused when trying to
make a fair judgment on a case. And without clear evidence
or a pattern of behavior, authorities are often afraid of taking on the liability of acting against the accused. It’s far more
likely that a college will be sued expelling an accused assailant than sued by a survivor of sexual assault.
Survivors rarely know whether they’re the only one, but ifthey knew there were other survivors, they’d be more likely
to report the assault. Indeed, learning of another survivor of

ASHOKA 2019 |51the same assailant dramatically increased survivors’ desire toreport, as well as their perceived probability of being believed
if they reported. Despite the seriousness and scope of the
problem of sexual violence, existing solutions are piecemeal
and tend to focus on mitigating risk for lawsuits against
schools and companies rather than empowering survivors
and creating a culture of survivor support.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
Jess’s strategy is to build and refine a system that combats
sexual assault and harassment and then spreads that systemand the principles that define it, until it becomes the adopted
best practice. The ultimate goal is a world where sexualassault is rare and survivors are supported. Jess believes that
if we truly empower survivors to act and help them identify serial predators, we will create new cultures of survivor
support, perpetrator accountability, and sexual misconduct
prevention.
Over the last several years, Jess and her team have designed
a new technology platform to significantly improve the sexualassault reporting process. The platform contains college-specific information about reporting options and resources andallows survivors to take three actions related to reporting
their assault: Create a time-stamped, secure record of theassault, preserving evidence for later reporting; report bysending their assault record to their college; and save theirrecord for now, but report automatically if another student
names the same assailant.
The time stamp is significant because it bolsters the veracityof survivors whose integrity is often undermined, especiallyafter months have elapsed between an incident and whensomeone chooses to come forward. The matching system is
a new and creative way to both encourage reporting and to
uncover repeat offenders. Survivors have the option of connecting with other survivors of the same perpetrator both forsupport and as part of their decision-making process going
forward, whether that means going to the authorities or confronting a perpetrator and attempting to get them to change
their behavior. In addition, the platform directs survivors toa range of resources and options they have in the wake of a52|

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traumatic experience, including legal avenues and counselingsupport.
Every aspect of the Callisto platform was designed with
the needs of survivors in mind, including its recording form
which uses elements from the Forensic Experiential Trauma
Interview, a science-based way to get information fromtrauma survivors while triggering them as little as possible.
As it grows—and in particular as it solidifies an earned revenue model—Callisto hopes to expand its legal services team(called “legal options counselors”) so that users have accessto free top-quality counsel with attorney-client privilege.
The system is equally beneficial to partner institutions andauthorities. With Callisto, institutions are more likely to knowwhether a person has been accused by more than one survivor. Currently, institutions also do not have enough data
about what sexual misconduct looks like in their community,
making it hard to design effective prevention programs.
Finally, the platform targets perpetrators and would-be perpetrators by stopping serial offenders earlier on, and by creating a deterrent to sexual assault. According to Dr. David
Lisak, a psychologist who researches non-stranger rapists, if
serial offenders were stopped after their second assault, 59%of college sexual assaults could be prevented—just by halting
repeat offenders.
Callisto partners with 12 campuses, reaching more than160,000 students. Each campus fully incorporates Callisto
into its website and markets it across campus as the go-to
place for any student who is a survivor of sexual assault. Early
results have been promising: Students with access to Callisto
are six times more likely to report an assault, and will do so
within four months on average (11 months is the average
without Callisto). In 2018, Callisto identified serial perpetrators in 15% of records entered into the matching system.
THE PERSONAs a college student, Jess created her own major in public policy and human sexuality, a decision she made in part
because she was sexually assaulted by a friend during hersophomore year. Jess ended up reporting her assault—overa year after it happened—and found the process of reporting more traumatic than the assault itself. She became hercollege’s sex columnist where she surveyed fellow students
about their sexual experiences, including sexual violence, andlearned that her own experience was far from unique. Jesscreated a chapter of a female sexuality empowerment groupand learned that while several of her friends had also beenassaulted, none had disclosed the experience to the group
because they were too ashamed.
In 2011, while at Johns Hopkins University, Jess founded theSocial Innovation Lab, an accelerator for student-initiatedsocial innovation projects and organizations. Now staffedfull-time by university staff, the lab provides startup funding to student social innovations in public health. The following year, she founded her first nonprofit, Sexual HealthInnovations, dedicated to creating technology that advances
sexual health and well-being in the United States.

In 2013, after several years working in sexual health policy,
including as a federal HIV policy advocate, Jess noticed theincrease in stories about college sexual assault survivors andhow their schools failed to hold their perpetrators accountable. She thought back to her own assault and began to consider how survivors could be supported during the reporting
experience in particular, and how technology might be part ofthat process. She began designing the Callisto platform, andthen she re-branded Sexual Health Innovations as Callisto tofocus full time on implementing this solution—one that she
wished had existed for her when she was in college.

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HUMAN RIGHTS

Sérgio Serapião
Founder
LAB60+

Brazil’s population is aging quickly, presenting not only challenges to public policy, but an opportunity to engage older citizens in redefining who they are and where they fit in. Sérgio
Serapião, who credits his grandmother for his appreciation ofpeople over 60, is creating a national longevity movement of, by,and for seniors.
THE NEW IDEA
Sérgio is building a “longevity movement” in Brazil thatchanges not only how society views older people but also how
older people view themselves by providing purposive collaboration that gives them connections and power. By reframing
how people view aging, Sergio is reducing social inequalities
in a country that Oxfam calls “one of the most unequal on theplanet.” He says: “For those with a high standard of living,health care, and financial planning, healthy aging is achievable. For the many that don’t have these things, financial
resources are drained just to stay alive. If these issues are notdeeply discussed, inequality only increases.”Through the first “aging incubator” in Brazil, Sérgio’s organization, Lab60+, has built a network that works to show how
aging is an asset and opportunity. Lab60+ achieves this inseveral ways, including: Setting up intergenerational hubs
throughout the country where people meet and work on
solutions to problems, such as isolation and poverty; engaging businesses to appreciate expertise and experience, while
preparing and training people for “second act” positions; andbuilding cross-sector connections, such as working with universities so seniors can mentor and guide new college students. Through this work, Lab60+ is helping people age in ahealthy way through purpose and positive action.
The robust Lab60+ network has over 5,000 members,
including people from more than 800 CSOs, educational
institutions, and companies that are committed to redefining longevity. Sergio continues to expand awareness and the
network across the country. Once a year, he organizes the
Lab60+ Longevity Festival, which celebrates the innovations
and programs from the network. On average, more than a

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Brazilthousand people attend the festival, including university students and people of all ages. Sérgio also just launched theB60+ Challenge which invites B Corps companies—certifiably and focusing on people and profits—to show how theirwork is positively impacting the lives of the elderly.
T H E P RO B L E M
Brazil is the largest country in South America and has the fifthlargest population in the world with more than 200 million
people. According to the United Nations, the share of its population age 65 and older is projected to triple by 2050 to 64
million, driven mostly by improved life expectancy.
According to research in the journal The Gerontologist, Brazil
developed important policies and laws to guarantee older
adults’ right to age well and with dignity, such as the National
Policy on the Elderly. With the bill, Brazil adopted the guidelines of the World Health Organization for aging societies.
Key elements of the bill include health, participation in society, security measures to protect people over 60 from violence and discrimination, and assuring social, physical andfinancial security. But the implementation of these policies
and laws has been slow and hampered by lack of coordination and resources.

“LAB60+ (is) a movement that connects
society and organizations to rethink
the way we look at aging. At the LAB60+
Festival, there will be lectures, workshops
and debates with themes about work,
entrepreneurship, and personalfulfillment. Sixty organizations will share
their innovations and contributions to the
new longevity.”and Knowledge, Image and Representation,
Health and Welfare, and Leadership andAchievement—each achieved through a separate initiative.
At the heart of Lab60+ is interaction. People
coming together—meeting, discussing local
priorities, and learning how to work together
to solve problems. These activities are organized by city, where a volunteer “ambassador” establishes a “Café com Vida” (which inPortuguese means “coffee with life,” but canalso mean an invitation for coffee), a regular gathering that takes place at least once
Sérgio (center, kneeling) with a “Café com Vida” group in Curitiba, Brazil. Thesea month. The ambassador volunteers go
Cafés—spread across the country—are the gateway to the Lab60+ movement where
through a twelve-week Lab+60 leader trainlongevity initiatives are formulated and launched.
ing program, which focuses on empathy forworking in a diverse network and vulnerability
Furthermore, prejudices about elderly people dominate
as a starting place for leadership. LAB60+ suppopular opinion, making it difficult for them to find work or
ports the ambassadors and gatherings with training, guidevolunteer opportunities. A Princeton University study foundlines, suggestions, and material, but the groups organize andthat ageism in Brazil occurs in families, government agenconduct themselves independently, so that the people in thecies, health care systems, labor markets, and in the media.
room, the issues they bring up, and the needs they express
As in many places, youth is glamorized, and characteristics
form the basic agenda.
such as beauty, vitality, and stylishness are attributed only to
There are 191 cafes operated by locals in 13 cities. Over 500
younger people; aging is often a subject of shame, ridicule,
initiatives have been created, such as Morar.com.vc (“Liveand disgust.
with You”), a startup launched by two women who didn’t
Many Brazilians lack information about aging in a healthywant to live in a senior facility. The app connects people ofway—in body, mind, and spirit. While the number of nonprofall ages with similar cultural interests to share housing, thus
its and companies that address aging issues has grown, most
cutting costs and building financial security. Sérgio createdof them are limited—such as offering only education or exerthe LAB60+ Manifesto app to map and spread such longevity
cise—and do not take a holistic view that an older person caninitiatives all over Brazil.
be a driver of social change.
Another strategy for action is the LAB60+ Work Reinvention
in which Sérgio works with seniors and companies to develop
T H E S T R AT EG Y
new professions for people over 60. He works with companies to highlight the value of older workers, who have matuSérgio realized that intergenerational, multidisciplinary andrity and expertise, and the benefits of having an intergenercross-sector engagements to create new ways of living,ational workforce. Knowing that millions of people over 60
studying, and working together were essential to create
want to “work with purpose” that allows them to contributesocial change. The general tendency is to look at old age
their knowledge and unique talents toward fulfilling work, he
as a matter of rights. However, Sérgio knew that he had tois creating new jobs for these older workers.
expand that view and create something much bigger if he
was to succeed in building a successful, sustainable public
Lab60+ has plunged into the real problems of older people
movement. Lab60+ focuses on four categories: Informationand identified three: Isolation, which causes depression;

ASHOKA 2019 |55

depression that ultimately compromises health; and financial security, which decreases significantly after a certain age.
They then started a series of initiatives testing that could
handle this complex problem, and as a result, the startup
Labora was launched. Labora works with large companies tohelp them understand the valuable qualities older employees can offer, thereby creating jobs and addressing the threeproblems with one solution. Several companies are part ofLabora, including the national bank Itaú. Together, they
designed a new position to have a senior at each bank branch
in roles that are fulfilling for the senior and productive for thecompany.
Lab60+ Work Reinvention offers classes, workshops—such
as “How to Reinvent Yourself Professionally”—and real experiences in innovative environments within partner companies. Because of this, seniors build new competencies fromreal work challenges, as well as new personal and professional connections.
THE PERSON
When he was growing up, Sérgio used to go to his grandmother´s house every Friday after school. He liked to sit byher side and hear her life stories. His ties with his grandmothergrew even stronger when Sérgio was 17 and his father died.
Sérgio was strongly influenced by his father, a hard-working
businessman, and he studied business in college. He worked
for big companies, such as Accenture, where he measured
human performance and integrated technology into company systems and processes. He eventually quit, because
ultimately, he was responsible for letting people go as technology took their place, and this weighed on him heavily.
His decision to leave the business world and create his own
model was driven by the desire for more balance between
life and work that mattered to him; he did not want to end
up like his father who worked all the time. He opened his
own boutique consultancy in 2008, advising companies onsustainability and encouraging them to focus on more thanjust profits. All this time, the issue of aging was always inthe background in his work and the companies he consulted
for. In 2014, he began working with longevity full-time andwanted to build a network instead of a company. He saw

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ASHOKA 2019that the major players working in this space did not speakor collaborate with each other and that he needed to engage
everyone under one umbrella for the greatest impact andlaunched Lab 60+.

Ashoka is starting a special initiative to strengthen
the dimension of our community dealing with aging
worldwide. Please see the Next Now section on page74 of this book to explore this further.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Nazma Akter
Founder and Executive Director
Awaj Foundation

Nazma Akter, who began working in Bangladesh’s textile mills
at the age of eleven, is reshaping the country’s labor movement
to reflect the leadership, priorities, and interests of millions ofyoung, female garment workers.
THE NEW IDEA
The meteoric rise of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment
industry now presents an opportunity for its workers to seek
fair treatment, resolve disputes, and protect their own healthand safety. Nazma is ensuring that the power to achievethese goals is in the hands of the millions of young factory
workers, almost exclusively women, upon whom the industry
relies. Where labor groups once eschewed female leadership,
and used tactics of political manipulation, confrontation, andviolence, Nazma is building a new generation of labor groups
responding to the actual needs of factory workers and negotiating skillfully and nonviolently with counterparts in industry and government.
Nazma’s Awaj Foundation operates by cultivating leaders,establishing new problem-solving structures, and responding
to cases of worker grievances as they arise. Awaj has engaged
hundreds of thousands of unionized and non-unionizedworkers in training and listening sessions, a process which
not only reveals their priorities, but also identifies potential
leaders in each factory or area. The engagement goes beyond
simply raising awareness about workers’ rights by setting up
new mechanisms, such as committees in each factory that
address sexual harassment and other issues. By ensuringthat the committees exist, operate effectively, and include
women representatives, Awaj creates practical opportunities
for leadership and changing factory cultures. Awaj also serves
workers in need, offering both general services like healthcounseling as well as specific advocacy and mediation systems to help resolve disputes. Engaging directly with workers
who bring diverse complaints, offering concrete aid, resolving conflicts among companies, regulators, and workers are
all fundamental real-world training experiences that prepare
more women to broaden and strengthen the movement.

Bangladesh

The women pursue the issues that matter most to them: Fairpay, safe working conditions, dignity in the workplace, andbenefits like health care and daycare. While their focus ison protecting their own rights, they also argue their case byappealing to the factories’ interest in increasing productivity
and profit. It’s cheaper, in the long run, to employ a nurse
than to constantly send workers home for cramps, headaches, and other ailments. Likewise, a nursery eliminates theneed for floor managers to rework schedules as women balance the demands of work and family. And by participating ina larger global movement, Nazma is able to advocate directlywith brands and align them to her vision and reinforce herpractices as a new standard.
T H E P RO B L E M
The ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh is ripe forchange because on the one hand of economic prosperity
even as it is plagued by exploitation of workers on the other.
As the second largest exporter in the world, the industry
accounts for 20% of Bangladesh’s GDP, with 3.5 million workers in more than 4,000 factories across the nation. It would
be difficult to overstate the importance of the industry forthe economy. Yet, weak labor laws, spotty enforcement, anddysfunction in the labor-relations systems have resulted indisrespectful behavior and, sometimes, inhumane conditions.
Extremely low wages, unsafe working conditions, injury,
harassment, gender-based violence, and salary disputes arecommon. The 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza, a shoddily built
and overloaded eight-story factory complex, killed over a
thousand people. While the garment industry was fueling
GDP at home and profits abroad, the industry seemed to begetting more hazardous and exploitative.
Trade unions began to form in the 1980s as a vehicle forworkers to organize collectively to advance their interestsand lobby for their rights. The first generation of union leaders was mostly men, at a time when men made up a greater
portion of workers and before the dominance of textiles.
The power of the movement was in mobilizing large numbers of men and women for strikes and protests, powerfultools that were eagerly co-opted by political parties. Unions
were constantly embroiled in political and legal conflicts,
while their core mission—pursuing fair and dignified working
conditions—suffered.

ASHOKA 2019 |57

harassment and discrimination. And becauseof cultural barriers to young women speaking out and being taken seriously, their needs
went largely unaddressed as the garment sector grew. However, with rising concern about
fairness in textile supply chains worldwide, andmore pressure on brands to guarantee humane
treatment of workers, Bangladesh’s garment
workers have an opportunity to harness thisattention to secure their rights.
T H E S T R AT EG Y

Awaj Foundation works in factories to train workers on their rights underBangladesh Labor Law, including occupational safety, health standards, and negotiation methods.

In 1991, Nazma was the only female member of the first-everstrike in Bangladesh centered around increasing wages forgarment workers. Through organized labor, Nazma observed
the power of individuals coming together and demanding justice. During this time Nazma witnessed two key aspects oforganized labor. First, trade unions were largely represented
and led by men, while most garment workers were women.
Secondly, because the violent design of the protests by tradeunion leaders, the police found it easy to utilize violence asa tool of suppression — the male members and leaders of
the trade unions were abused, resulting in the fall of tradeunions themselves. These two key observations led Nazma torealize the need for female trade union leadership. If womenled these movements, then the physical oppression of union
members would be diminished as factory owners and police
would find it challenging to physically abuse the female leaders in public.
As the garment sector grew, the workforce also changed.
More young women from all parts of the country arrived in
the industrial zones and built the industry. But the old labor
movement was ill-prepared to advocate for the priorities ofwomen workers: Childcare, maternity leave, protection from58|

ASHOKA 2019

Nazma and her Awaf Foundation are making it
possible for a generation of women labor leaders to arise with support both inside and outside their workplaces. The purpose is for themto develop their leadership skills within an environment where constructive problem-solving
can take place, where they therefore can learn
how to negotiate and resolve conflicts.

Inside the workplace, Awaf has introduced a series of structures that invite women to lead and work in tandem withmanagement. One is the occupational safety and healthcommittee, which gives workers and management a forum
for cooperation. Another is a sexual-harassment committee,
where women’s leadership is an obvious advantage. These
committee structures are ready-made opportunities to help
companies comply with regulations and also to help brands
that commit to worker participation to do so.
Working more broadly, Awaj has led trainings for over
300,000 workers on numerous topics, all centered on dignity
and well-being. Only one in ten participants in these trainings
had before participated in a union, so encouraging workers toform or join unions and to elect good leaders is an importantpart of her message.
Outside the workplace, Nazma offers various support services. The Awaj Foundation has administered legal aid to over
16,000 individuals. In the personal realm, Nazma provides
medical services — including direct medical care, HIV/AIDS
awareness campaigns and treatment, menstrual hygiene(and supplies of sanitary napkins), education, and first aid

seminars. The foundation also runs schools and daycare centers for workers’ children. Life skills beyond the factory is also
central to Awaj’s mission. Nazma also runs community-based
cafes that help unite workers and also learn valuable life skills
such as financial literacy and nutrition management. As thelargest legal aid provider in Bangladesh, the Awaj Foundation
ensures the protection of workers in workplace disputes in
addition to family and personal needs.

“‘Freedom of association and collective
bargaining are the biggest challenges theindustry faces today,’ said Nazma Akter, aformer child worker and founder of Awaj
Foundation, which campaigns for laborrights. ‘Without that power, workers are
just surviving, not leading normal lives,and it’s almost a crime.’”After successfully cultivating over 3,000 trade union leaders
through the Awaj Foundation, Nazma is working to diversify
and amplify her impact. By expanding the Awaj Foundation’s
reach into the leather and non-garment textile sectors,
Nazma hopes to provide more workers the tools and strategies to advocate for their own rights. Construction, jewelry-making, and domestic work are other occupations witha high proportion of women and therefore rampant abuse.
Beyond Bangladesh, Nazma has programs targeting migrant
workers in over sixteen countries. In these programs, migrant
workers from Bangladesh are made aware of the potential
challenges and abuses they will face working abroad andthen are provided with the proper tools and strategies tocombat these rights violations. Over the last several years the

Awaj Foundation has assisted 203 migrant workers in filingcomplaints.
Currently the Awaj Foundation serves as an intermediary
between the workers and the Bangladeshi government by listening to the concerns of the workers and then lobbying thegovernment for services and policy change. Nazma envisions
a world where the Awaj Foundation no longer acts in thecapacity of intermediary but instead provides a platform forthe workers to lobby the government themselves for these
services and rights. She hopes that, by removing the barrier
between the government and the workers, the government,
and in turn government services, will become more accessible to the workers.
THE PERSON
Nazma grew up in the Dhaka suburbs, witness to violenceboth at home and in the garment mills, where at age elevenshe joined her mother in supporting the family. She wasdeeply affected by what she saw and endured, the abuseand humiliation of workers, the treatment of women, and theunsafe conditions. She soon found a voice as a teenage union
activist.
Nazma became a prominent face in organizing trade unionswith a focus on women and disseminating the knowledge oflabor laws and workers’ rights. After being repeatedly fired forher organizing work, she gave up factory jobs and became afull-time labor organizer. She gradually learned how to organize trade unions at a large scale and how to collaborate withthe upper-level management of the factories. Eventually,
Nazma had the opportunity to interact with international
governments and European brands to understand their perspectives conducting business in Bangladesh. Nazma gained
an overview of global supply chains, from factory to customer, and came to understand and influence those making
decisions that do so much to determine the quality of livesof so many millions born as she was without advantage.

ASHOKA 2019 |59

Senior Fellows

60

SENIOR FELLOW

Jakub Wygnański
Founder
Shipyard

Senior Fellow Jakub “Kuba” Wygnański has built organizations
and networks, one after another, that have enabled the citizen
sector to emerge, grow, and thrive in Poland and surrounding
countries. He continues to shape the sector as a flexible, open
force continuously adapting to new social challenges.
THE NEW IDEA
In a time of populist reaction that has divided Polish society, Kuba has worked to pull people back into conversation, including the citizen sector itself. Kuba was elected asa Senior Fellow for his longstanding leadership in building
the citizen sector in Poland and beyond. In 1989, as Polandtransitioned from communism to democracy, Kuba saw threeprominent needs in the “third sector:” To develop the legal
and institutional structure for civic participation; to increase
capacity so the sector could take its place as a cornerstoneof democracy and freedom; and to strengthen the ability torespond to critical societal issues as they arose.
To address these needs, Kuba designed a multipronged
approach, one he defines as “working in between the seams.”
His principles of citizen sector organization (CSO) development have five core elements: (1) Base actions on facts, notassumptions; (2) Be powered by humility, not brand; (3) See
value in cooperation, not hierarchy; (4) Create decentralized
solutions; and (5) Focus on achieving a mission, not strengthening or growing an organization.
Kuba has mentored numerous leaders in this approach, boththose leading organizations started by Kuba, such as Klon/
Jawor or NGO.pl, and those who lead independent organizations, such as the Laboratory of Social Innovations in Gdynia.
Further, he spreads his mission as a member of executive
boards of influential organizations, such as CIVICUS and
TechSoup, an organization launched by Ashoka Fellow Daniel
Ben-Horin that connect tech support and tools to nonprofits.

PolandT H E P RO B L E M
In the decades after 1989, thanks in part to the work of
Kuba and other social entrepreneurs, Central and Eastern
European countries developed into vibrant democracies withstrong citizen sectors. More recently, however, civil society
in these regions is weakening as populist leaders increase
political polarization and drive people’s dissatisfaction withexisting systems.
According to the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in
Poland, the civil society sector has faced numerous challenges since 2016, hampering its ability to promote democratic participation and hold the government accountable forthe rule of law and human rights. These challenges include
shrinking space for dialogue between civil society and theauthorities; lack of transparency for public funds distribution
to CSOs; actions limiting basic freedoms, such as freedomof assembly; and both verbal and physical attacks on social
service organizations.
Kuba is building on his earlier experience, when the era ofcommunism ended in Poland. In 1989, there was no legal
or institutional systems in place to build the citizen sector.
There was no frame of reference for what a sector could
even look like. Most people had no experience with true civic
participation, yet believed in the power of group participation, as shown by the Solidarity movement and other social
initiatives.
T H E S T R AT EG Y
Beyond uniting activists and leaders, Kuba influences legislation, grows organizations, and builds systems to house nonprofit research and data. He began by launching the Polish
Non-Governmental Organizations Forum, which connected
people through regional meetings, where they could strategize and collaborate for the first time on the best way toaddress social challenges, such as health care and education. The organization continues to host a national festival in
Warsaw every three years to celebrate civic engagement andexchange best practices. More than 10,000 people attend
these events. The festivals have led to new policies and procedures, including the 2003 Law on Public Benefit Activity
and Volunteerism, which is a “CSO-sector Constitution” that
regulates relationships between the public and the third
sector.
ASHOKA 2019 |61

Kuba leads “Civic Focus Days,” in which people from different backgrounds gather to read important texts on empathy, listen to lectures, anddiscuss viewpoints in a safe space. The 2019 gathering was held in the southern town of Niepołomice and the theme was, “Communicating
Despite Differences.”

Kuba has been a pioneer in providing free and accurate information about the nonprofit sector. He founded Klon/Jawor(“Maple/Sycamore”), a research organization that publishes
dozens of studies about launching and running civil society
organizations. Like the forest of its namesake, Klon/Jawor
has grown to a vivid online ecosystem, a platform with morethan 148,000 nonprofit profiles and a directory of funding
opportunities. There are Klon/Jawor Associations in Ukraine,
Hungary, Romania, and Kazakhstan, housing research oneach country’s citizen sector.
Kuba saw the potential of the Internet decades ago, and built
a website, ngo.pl, for CSOs to network, collaborate, and support each other. Ngo.pl has five million unique users. It lists
training opportunities and has a civic participation guide foreverything from volunteering to starting an organization andfrom accounting to legal assistance.
Kuba continues to strengthen and advise CSOs throughout
Central and Eastern Europe, including providing spaces forsocial innovation. His Stocznia Unit for Social Innovation
and Research (AKA “Shipyard”) is an incubator for solutions
to social needs in Poland. Shipyard is named after the symbol of the Solidarity movement—the main workers’ strike
took place in a shipyard in Gdansk. Shipyard concentrates
on three areas: Social innovation, such as Apps4Warsaw,
which uses open data for greater government transparency
and accountability; public engagement and civic participation, such as a national conversation about education; and62|

ASHOKA 2019research and evaluation such an assessment of social impact
bonds. In 2016, Shipyard crowd-sourced more than 300
ideas about services for people with disabilities and mental
challenges and implemented 51 projects. A sister organization also launched in Ukraine.
Kuba continues to be a connector of people, ideas, and innovations. In 2016, he created a coalition of CSOs, including
five Ashoka Fellows from Poland, who launched The Civic
Fund. The Civic Fund uses citizen funding to support organizations that have no hope of receiving government funding and has given 47 grants to innovative organizations like
Projekt Spiecie (Project “Short Circuit”). Projekt Spiecie
tackles ideological isolation by having five magazines withdifferent political views write about the same topic and thenpublish each other’s work. This collaboration exposes people to experiences and viewpoints outside of their ideological
comfort zone, breaking open the echo chambers created bypolarized media.
In building the CSO ecosystem, Kuba has shifted Polish civilsociety from solely activism-oriented labor unions towards a
multifaceted, resilient, and evolving citizen sector. Currently,
he is focused on redirecting civic engagement, from interactions that are negative and oppositional to those thatare positive and values-oriented. One way he does this isby holding city-wide rallies that bring people from different
sides together to see what they share and to communicate.
According to Kuba, the positive vector of civic activism

contributes to an agile and smart citizen sector, which provides a strong base for democracy and freedom.
THE PERSON
Kuba grew up under communism in a prestigious districtin Warsaw and saw two worlds: One with members of theCatholic Intelligentsia Club, who hoped to broaden civic liberties; and the military elites, who were forced to be atheist andbelong to the communist party. On his way to high school,
he would see the two worlds and realized that they did notknow nor understand each other. He was a high school coordinator in the self-education movement, an undergroundeducation system that read censored books and met withbanned experts who taught officially unapproved ideas, suchas socialism and liberalism. Like many Poles of his generation, Kuba learned one version of world history at school anda different version at home.
In his early twenties, he was an assistant to Henryk Wujec,
one of the three founding fathers of Solidarity. He was oneof the youngest participants of the Polish Round Table Talks,a government-initiated discussion with Solidarity, which
eventually gave momentum to the relatively peaceful fall of
the communist bloc in Eastern Europe.
Before the first democratic elections in Poland in 1989, Kuba
collected and distributed information about each Solidarity
parliamentary candidate. After the election, he received anoffer to work in parliament, but he decided instead to invest
in building and strengthening the civil society sector in the
country. Kuba has devoted himself to this goal ever since.

ASHOKA 2019 |63

SENIOR FELLOW

Manu Gupta
Founder and Executive Director
Sustainable Environment andEcological Development Society(SEEDS)
Manu Gupta is empowering people to use their own knowledge
and resources to better respond to natural disasters, building
more resilient communities that recover faster after events.
THE NEW IDEA
Manu is arming local communities across the Asia-Pacificregion with the confidence to use their own knowledge andresources to prepare for and then respond to disasters. In thelast 25 years, his organization, Sustainable Environment andEcological Development Society (SEEDS), has adopted andspread community-led innovations, such as a safe schools
program, which works with students and administrators to,for example, develop escape plans and transition shelters(whose sturdy design uses indigenous traditional knowledge
and materials). Manu works as a connector who gets theseground-up solutions to national government and United
Nations leaders so they can adopt these strategies to build
more resilient communities across the region.
Based on the belief that all people have the right to dignity,
well-being and control over their own lives, Manu’s framework places affected communities at the center of decision-making, closing the gap between reality on the groundand national policy-making. SEEDS starts with listening topeople about their needs and concerns, such as reducing riskin schools and student safety. Then community members
generate solutions, which are led and expanded by local leaders, such as principals and school administrators. Tested solutions are then positioned as good practices and used in advocacy work which spreads the ideas to all of those engaged in
responding to disasters, including governments to institutethese new norms.
Manu began in India—where, according to SEEDS 22 out of
31 states and union territories are disaster prone—subject tocyclones, droughts, heat waves, tsunamis, floods, and landslides. His work now spans more than ten countries in theregion, including Nepal and Bangladesh. Going forward,
he is urgently focusing on more ways to connect national
and international leaders with disaster work being done

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ASHOKA 2019

India

by communities. For example, he started the Asian Local
Leaders Forum for Disaster Resilience. One of its roles is
to identify and celebrate people from across Asia who havedone remarkable disaster work in their communities. Recent
recipients include a mayor from the Philippines, a nurse from
Nepal and a bakery owner in India.
T H E P RO B L E M
Every year, natural disasters put millions of people at risk andcause losses worth trillions. These numbers will only increase
as climate change causes more severe events. The aftermath,of lost lives, property and livelihoods, leaves people and theircommunities emotionally weak and struggling to bounceback.
According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction, 95% of all deaths caused by natural disasters
occur in developing countries. In most cases, the damage isn’t
caused by the disaster itself, but by other factors like unsafe
construction, lack of early warning systems, poor safety measures, and lack of consideration for community concerns andknowledge. Despite the Disaster Management Act of 2005 in
India, which shifted management from national to the states,
events are still addressed in a top-down, event-specific, highcost manner. The affected communities have little say inmanagement or recovery.
In the ‘life cycle’ of a disaster, there are generally recognizedstages—mitigation, response, early recovery, rehabilitation
and reconstruction. Government and other agencies intervene at different stages, providing either relief, rehabilitation or reconstruction. No one agency focuses on the entire
life cycle, making it difficult to manage disasters comprehensively. When these agencies vacate affected areas, thecommunities remain confused and still in need of support.
They lack resources and may not feel empowered enoughto bounce back on their own, thus perpetuating a cycle ofdependency. Vulnerable communities have their own local
coping mechanisms and experiences in mitigating disasters,
but historically the government has not consulted them, so
the local knowledge remains unutilized. Not only is the work
done poorly and not responsively but the top down outside
interventions undermine previously key local knowledge,
capabilities, organization, and spirit.

“My house got made, but others also need help building. Whatever my pain, others feel the same pain. So I decided to become a trainer with
SEEDS. It makes me happy to give people an idea of how to build their house, to follow the design so we all will stay safe. This house is strong
so you must make it, I tell them. At that point, people really pay attention and I feel good that whatever I am doing is heartfelt.” – Bishnu,
Changunarayan, Bhaktapur District, Nepal.

T H E S T R AT EG Y
Manu and SEEDS prepare people on the ground to be theleaders and active participants in all stages of disaster management, not passive receivers relying on government aid,
which is often insufficient and ineffective. For example,
SEEDS distributed guidelines to Kerala flood victims so they
could determine for themselves if it was safe to return to theirhomes. By using the guidelines to check structural damage
and following the recommendations for repair, people not
only gained new skills they could use in the future, but theyalso learned how to ensure the house won’t collapse on themand to best prepare the home to withstand another disaster.
In response to the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that killed approximately 20,000 people anddestroyed 440,000 homes, SEEDS developed the first-eversafe schools program. The safe schools program is a blueprint that shows students, teachers, parent-teacher groups
and civic organizations how to work together to prepare fordisasters. The community audits the school and neighborhoods from a safety point of view and develops an evacuation

plan with action items, such as developing signage and pathways and performing mock drills. This program served as atemplate for the National School Safety Program adopted by
the Indian government. SEEDS so far has reached 183,541
children and 362 schools with this approach.
Another SEEDS initiative is its work with “transition shelters.”
Many governments build temporary shelters to house people
who have lost their homes, but SEEDS transition shelters aredifferent. They are built quickly, but with a long-term recovery plan that turns them into permanent housing. These
structures have strong foundations built from locally-sourced
materials and are inexpensive to build. Victims help build the
shelters and own them. These homes are built in partnershipwith the homeowners, and a simple smart card walks themthrough the construction process. SEEDS supports homeowners for the eventual permanent reconstruction, working
alongside the local government to provide technical support. The Indian government now has recognized transition
shelters as a critical step in the recovery and reconstruction
phase.

ASHOKA 2019 |65

SEEDS is working with Google and Facebook to explore howtechnology can be used in each phase of disaster management. For the response phase, SEEDS partnered with Google
to create the first-ever live floods map in India and an alert
system that notifies Google users about imminent floods intheir regions. SEEDS wants people to not just receive thisinformation, but to feel empowered to act as local “river
guardians” who observe flood conditions and notify their networks for quick response and recovery (See the photo opening this section). To speed relief and reconstruction, SEEDS
collaborated with Facebook to develop a social network mapthat shows the movement of people during a disaster. During
the 2018 Kerala floods in southern India, SEEDS used thistool to assess where people were and directed relief efforts
towards these areas.
THE PERSON
Manu was raised in eastern India in Rourkela, Odisha, which
is home to a large steel plant. Manu’s father worked for the
steel industry but out of doors. Manu developed a love of
being in nature from him. After graduating from high school,
he studied at the School of Planning and Architecture in
New Delhi and became the president of the student union.
He and five friends started SEEDS in the school cafeteria.
Eventually, they began to work with the Indian government,
traveling around the country to assess development.
Manu gained critical insights through this work and realizedthat the planning principles they had studied in college rarely
matched the situation on the ground. During this time, India
was experiencing serial serious disasters, including damaging
cyclones, and SEEDS began on-the-ground relief work. As an
urban planner, Manu saw how better construction and design
could mitigate disasters. After the Gujarat earthquake struckin 2001, he spent two years there doing reconstruction work,
as well as formulating some of SEEDS’ groundbreaking strategies—especially community-based disaster management.

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ASHOKA 2019

SENIOR FELLOW

Sue Riddlestone
Chief Executive and Co-Founder
Bioregional

For the past quarter century, Sue Riddlestone has been a leader
in the global sustainability movement, pioneering a set of guidelines for living within the Earth’s resources, called “One Planet
Living.”THE NEW IDEA
Sue recognized early on that advocacy alone wasn’t enoughto reverse the trajectory of unsustainable living. She set out
to prove that we can live good lives within the natural limitof the planet and then used that proof to change policies andpractices. Demonstrating how sustainable living could benefit people both economically and personally, she launchedseveral green businesses offering cost-competitive, environmentally-friendly products and services; she then founded
the research organization Bioregional in 1994 to study andimprove these businesses and the broader principles underwhich they operate.
Sue also co-developed BedZED in 2002, the first large-scaleeco-community in the U.K., designed to produce zero carbon
emissions, where she still lives and works today. From her
experience designing BedZED, Sue created the One Planet
Living approach, which has ten simple, holistic principles withdetailed goals and guidance that can be adapted for individual projects, organizations, and entire cities and regions.
For the past 25 years, Sue has pioneered program and policychanges addressing sustainable production and consumption,scaling One Planet Living all the way to the United Nations.
From 2011-2015, Sue and her team showed up to every UN
meeting, handing out leaflets with the One Planet Living
principles and pictures of BedZED. Bioregional played a rolein the civil society input for the Rio+20 process championing
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 17 agreed-upontargets for improving economic prosperity and social well-being while protecting the environment. And Bioregional had
a formal role as a UN NGO focal point for sustainable consumption and production (SCP), working with international
partners and governments to ensure SCP was understoodand represented in the SDGs. As a result, one of the goals

United Kingdom(#12) is devoted to SCP, and several of the targets relate to it.
After successfully lobbying for the SDGs, Sue’s focus shiftedto implementing them. She is currently leading a “OnePlanet Cities” project which brings together organizations,businesses, schools, and communities in Canada, Denmark,South Africa, and the UK to create an international networkof knowledge-sharing to accelerate sustainable city planning.
She is working with the government in Finland, who recently
announced the country will be carbon neutral by 2035. Sue
also developed an open source platform for One Planet Living
which is a toolkit for anyone to implement the framework at
an individual, community, city, or country level.
T H E P RO B L E M
The modern economy relies heavily on extracting raw materials from the earth and processing them into products, mostof which are eventually discarded. Other challenges to theplanet are the rapid spread of industrialization and urbanization, along with increasingly global supply chains that drive
demand for mass production and consumption of ever-wider
more goods.
Climate-change planning is not yet in place to cope with theanticipated human population migration or the drain of people leaving rural areas for urban ones. The UN estimates theworld population will increase from 7.7 billion to over 9.7
billion by 2050, with nearly 70% of the population living inurban areas. The Organization for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment predicts that 80% more energy will be required
for a world economy four times larger than today, but without a sustainable growth model, the planet won’t be able tosupport this need.
Despite the various agreements in place, most notably theParis Agreement where all nations agreed to make efforts
to combat climate change, they are still not enough to prevent the global average temperature from exceeding the twodegrees Celsius threshold, unless world leaders enforce very
rapid and costly emission reductions.
Most governments have not developed comprehensive
action plans to achieve the SDGs. With the absence of visible, inspired leadership at a country level to promote longterm sustainable living, citizens of developed and developing

ASHOKA 2019 |67

Completed in 2002, BedZED was the U.K.’s first large-scale, mixed-use sustainable community. It comprises 100 zero-carbon homes, officespace, a college and community facilities. Sue Riddlestone works and lives there.

countries urgently need to become environmental champions. Many people feel so overwhelmed by the problems
facing the planet that they don’t believe sustainable living
is possible. In the private sector, there is a critical need for
information, resources and support in the design and implementation of more sustainable production practices.

of the Olympic bid team who wrote the sustainability strategy
for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games—andsubsequently helped deliver what was the greenest Games todate. Sue applies the One Planet Living model through practical advice and guidance to governments at different levels,
often working behind the scenes through the networks ofrelationships she has built.

T H E S T R AT EG Y

2. Sustainable Homes and Communities: BedZED influenced the sustainable housing policy in the UK; Sue wrote
the basis of the UK government’s carbon policy for housing,creating one of the first global standards to measure consumption-based greenhouse gas impacts in cities. She continues to play a role in the UK’s sustainable housing sector,
including as the director of Bioregional Homes, a company
Sue established in 2018 to build affordable homes that are
zero-carbon, called One Planet Communities. She uses theten principles of One Planet Living in the design, construction

Working at the individual, community, corporate, and government levels, Sue has influenced how sustainability isunderstood and implemented. Currently, Bioregional works
in four main ways:
1. One Planet Living: Sue leverages the One Planet Living
framework through key global and national platforms, frommass tourism events like the Olympics to spaces where people live, work, and play day-to-day. For example, she was part68|

ASHOKA 2019and management of these communities to ensure thatthey are built from sustainable materials. The residents areencouraged to recycle, grow their own food, and preserve
local biodiversity.
3. Sustainability Consulting for Businesses: Sue helps
retailers and other businesses plan and implement innovative
sustainability strategies, products and services. For example,
Bioregional worked with Kingfisher, Europe’s largest home
improvement retailer, with annual sales of over $12 billion, to
set sustainability targets and guidelines. Bioregional helped
Kingfisher’s retail outlet B&Q develop and launch its One
Planet Action Plan, which formed the basis of their sustainability program called One Planet Home. This impacted B&Q
dramatically; it has reduced its absolute carbon footprint by
41%, reduced 33% of CO2 emissions and trained up to 80%
of its workforce in One Planet Living. This advisory role tobig business is both a source of revenue for Bioregional anda powerful way for Sue to showcase the One Planet model.
4. Influencing Wider Change: Looking ahead, Sue isurgently driving initiatives that will create the widest impact.
For example, Bioregional helped form “Transform Together,”a multi-sector network that works to catalyze political,
business, and societal changes to achieve Goal #12, SCD.
Transform Together is working to create a market for sustainable smartphones and ICT to lessen electronic waste by2030.

THE PERSON
Sue was born in the UK in 1960, in the county of Surrey. She
loved animals and the environment from a young age. She
trained as a nurse but spent her early life concerned about
environmental damage. After the birth of her third child,instead of returning to nursing, she began volunteering forGreenpeace.
Sue lobbied and advocated for environmental causes andstarted local campaigns against unethical food production
systems. She launched environmentally-friendly companies,
supplying resources and services to local communities. By
the time Sue was in her mid-twenties, she was a mother ofthree young children and had set up four social organizations,
including a company selling washable diapers. She was also

leading a network of local mothers who fundraised for various environmental causes.

“…it’s so important to get housing
right. Not in five or ten years, but rightnow. If we don’t, we are just locking inunsustainable lifestyles for decades tocome…. If we plan things holisticallyin this way, we can create zero carbon
communities where people will want tolive. This may sound like a utopian dream,
but it doesn’t have to be.”– SUE RIDDLESTONEAs she reached thirty, with her children now at school, Sue
decided she wanted to set up a broader, more inclusive green
business. She was determined to find ways to produce thethings people needed in more efficient, closed-loop models,
which reuses the same materials repeatedly to create new
products for purchase. She began work with paper and textile alternatives and co-founded Bioregional to research,develop, and implement these new green businesses. She
established a working closed-loop paper model for the city of
London which reduced paper impact by 93%, and establishedthe Laundry, London’s first curbside recyclables collection.
Sue was determined to develop a model that could bringher sustainability approach to mainstream society, while
demonstrating to companies that economic growth and an
eco-friendly lifestyle don’t have to be mutually exclusive. She
continued to develop examples of sustainable solutions at
Bioregional and refined the One Planet Living model to do
this.

ASHOKA 2019 |69

Collaborative
Entrepreneurship

Next Now: The Biggest Challenges......................................................................................... 71
The Power of Ashoka Young Changemakers......................................................................... 73

70

NEXT NOW:THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES
Ashoka’s Next Now Global Team of Teams Launches

Next Now Team Launch Meeting, October 2019

The Next Now team catalyzes all of Ashoka to invent and change by finding the most powerful social entrepreneurs
and partners and then all together taking on four of the world’s greatest challenges. This is how entrepreneurs learn.
This team (of four teams) then has two mandates, both critical for Ashoka and its “everyone a changemaker” movement: (1) Quickly seeding and developing key new fields, and (2) helping all parts of the Ashoka movement in theprocess of collaborating to develop much-improved approaches for search in these new fields—and for our working
together as a “fluid, open, integrated team of teams” globally.
Next Now has chosen four areas that are hugely important, that are becoming more so, and where Ashoka would
benefit greatly by expanding the number of Fellows and partners dealing with each of these issue areas. Searching
globally, using new tools, and drawing on Ashoka’s world-wide highly skilled presence, each team will launch ten top
social entrepreneur Fellows and their pattern-changing ideas each year for five years. Consider the impact on eachfield, given that three quarters of Ashoka Fellows have changed the patterns of their field at the national and/or international level within five years of launch. And then multiply that impact as they collaborate with one another, withalmost 4000 other Fellows, and with Ashoka’s many (carefully chosen) partners. Each of these steps, synapsis, andAshoka reforms helps open the door to solving these challenges, showing how to take on all the future challenges.

ASHOKA 2019 |71

The Four Challenges

PlanetTech & Humanity

Led by Corina Murafa

Led by Konstanze Frischen

Of the many global challenges facing
us today, few are as wide-reaching as
climate change. Every person, organization, and society must change. Next
Now/Planet’s global team of top entrepreneur teams will
map and catalyze: (1) Reversing the current widespread pattern of disconnection between humans and nature; (2) recalibrating the social and environmental value chain; and (3)reshaping almost all of society’s processes so that they maximize environmental as much as economic and social benefit.
Avoiding failure requires a tidal wave of innovations – acrossthe waters, farms, grazing lands, forests, and cities; acrossthe spectrum from preventing climate change to adapting toit; and across the need to change how almost everything isdone. Our global climate change team and its Ashoka Fellows
can have this sort of reach and impact because it can tap thebest social entrepreneurs everywhere and across all the areas
affected by climate change.

The 21st century has ushered in a new
age of exponential technology anddigital transformation. From private toprofessional to public lives, the Fourth
Industrial Revolution has enabled new norms and disrupted
old traditions. A few urgent questions arise amidst this fastpaced and disruptive change: How will humanity anticipate,mitigate, and manage the consequences of technology? What
are the ethical and philosophical frameworks around AI andtechnology? And, as younger and future generations become
digital natives, what does digital citizenship entail? Next
Now/Tech & Humanity aims to explore and find answers tothese questions with key stakeholders, and together shape
the future of technology and the digital world for the good.

Gender
Led by Zeynep Meydanoglu

Aging
Led by Hae-Young Lee (supported byMark Cheng)
One of the most fundamental evolutions of our century is population
demographic change. The combination of higher longevity and lower fertility, resulting in aging
societies, can be viewed as reaping the dividends of societal progress. Nonetheless, how we adapt to this new reality
and leverage its opportunities will greatly shape the future ofhuman societies. Next Now/ Aging will change current frameworks around aging towards “Every Senior a Changemaker”
and intergenerational harmony.

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ASHOKA 2019

Gender disparities are as old as time.
They are deeply rooted. Although there
has been real progress, it is too slow;
and change must be at a deeper level.
This requires the best, most powerful system-changing social
entrepreneurs working together globally and leveraged bytheir peers in every crosscutting field – be it education or ruraldevelopment. Reinforced by equally powerful other allies, bethey universities or unions. This is what Next Now/Gender
will catalyze working with the whole Ashoka movement.

THE POWEROFASHOKA YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS
If you are really good at baseball but the game has changed
to chess, you have a choice: learn chess or be sidelined andunable to play.

•

A young person who has her power has a very deep, evolution-rooted impact on others that no adult can. For an
animal species to survive, the adults must be powerfully
wired so that they will reliably devote much of their life
force to helping the young grow up. That’s why when
adults experience an AYCer, they are moved, sometimes
to the point of tearing up. They are also intuitively experiencing the new standard that they must meet to be
successful parents, teachers, or mentors. Thus, when
the EACH movement needs to communicate with any
person or group, AYCers are literally irreplaceable.

•

Young people have less to unlearn than any other group.
Not surprisingly, therefore, they are making one contribution after another to designing both the “everyone achangemaker” world and the EACH movement.

•

Once the movement builds its core team, especially the“jujitsu partners” (the most ethical, entrepreneurial, andpowerful organizations in the most powerful sectors forredefining what constitutes success in education -- i.e.
education unions, publishers, select cities or states, andeducation schools), the co-leadership roles for Ashoka
Young Changemakers multiply. A half dozen staff andco-leading Fellows, a dozen jujitsu partners (each with ateam roughly of five leaders) and ten or so AYCers is ineffect, the EACH movement’s revolutionary core. This
sixty or seventy people, a close team of teams, has thepower to trigger events, create the news, and reach millions. Each gives power to the other.

The old game long defined by efficiency in repetition (e.g.
assembly lines, law firms, most bank lending), is in its exponentially accelerating terminal decline. What is the half-lifeof any repetitive skill now?
The old educational model was: Give a person a skill (e.g. barber, banker) that that person would repeat for life in a world
with many walls. That’s baseball.
The game today is change, the exact opposite of repetition.
Today’s central fact is that the rate of change and the degree
and extent of interconnection are both accelerating exponentially, each feeding the other. There is no turning back.
Every young person must learn chess or be sidelined for life.
Ashoka Young Changemakers and their teams have alreadychanged their world significantly. They fully have their life
power -- and they know it. They will always be able to help
the world make the next big move for the good. Whichmeans they will always be wanted and respected.
What do they want now? (1) to help everyone get thismagic, life-changing power and (2) to grow this, their own
superpower.
That’s why they are a perfect fit for the “everyone a changemaker” (EACH) movement. It needs the AYCers as co-leaders:•

They are the “gold standard” examples of what success ingrowing up now means. Their stories, available for example through LeadYoung (leadyoung@ashoka.org), hugely
help other young people, see this essential path, how to
go down it, and how feasible and deeply empoweringand satisfying it is. These stories are just as importantfor parents, educators, writers, and policy and community leaders.

•

Who could possibly be more powerful in tipping schools,
youth programs, indeed any community of young people?

The best way to grasp (1) what success in growing up
now means and (2) the key leadership role Ashoka Young
Changemakers play in enabling everyone to get there is tointroduce four AYCers. They come from four continents, butthey are one.

ASHOKA 2019 |73

CARLLA LEADING(Brazil)
Carlla is helping young people gain power by mastering thescientific method. She uses the intrigue and pull of Astronomy
to do so. Now an Ashoka Young Changemaker, she has new
allies and has quickly become key to the “everyone a changemaker” movement.
Carlla fully launched her Cosmos work as soon as she entered
the Federal University of Amazones at 16. Later she persuaded the Rectory to make Cosmos an official university
extension project. One of her new EACH partners is theManaus Secretary of Education, who has helped her reach 40
schools and the administrators and teachers in 499 schools
with 236,000 students.
Carlla, now a central player in the Manaus EACH leadershipteam, has given it new energy. A good example is the power
she brought when the team was invited to bring the EACH
challenge to the national meeting of the syndicate of those
who manage all 5,700 schools districts across Brazil (seebelow).
Carlla is co-leading the movement in a number of other ways.
She is working with parents groups (e.g. CEFA) helping themto champion EACH. She
presented her approachand EACH to Brazil’s mainscientific congress, SBPC.
She is helping Ashoka andan education publisher
jujitsu partner develop a
new EACH-focused highschool course likely toreach 500,000 students.
She is helping design thesystem that will allow
skilled changemaker young people to help one another andalso those who are just starting. And she helped select thenewest group of Ashoka Young Changemakers in the U.S.

“I’m doing work that is necessary. There
was a gap, I saw it, and I am now doing
something for the society I am a part of.”CARLLAENGAGING SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS
Invited by the syndicate of those who run Brazil’s 5700
school districts, UNDIME, (an Ashoka EACH partner), theManaus “everyone a changemaker” team presented. Carlla
was central. Here is what one observer experienced:

Carlla (with Manaus metro area EACH team co-leaders) addressing
90 municipal secretaries of education)74|

ASHOKA 2019

“A panel with all the co-leaders having Carlla at the centerof it focused on how quality education today is all aboutenabling every student to self-identify as a changemaker -and practice empathy and changemaking. That this shouldbe the ultimate measure of quality and success. The participation of Carlla was a total blast. One could see everyone’s
eyes lighting up, and she received a spontaneous and raving
applause in the middle of her speech. The direct audience
was of about 90 secretaries of education from all across thecountry. Some were in tears at the end and one, from Porto
Alegre (in the south of the country), said he still has goosebumps when he remembers her testimony.”
A video featuring the panel was published on UNDIME’s
national intranet system which is accessed by all 5,700 political units in the country (Conviva). As a consequence of thisengagement, UNDIME’s president has invited the group topresent at their annual Board meeting in Brasilia, the federal
capital. The goal is to make all young Brazilians recognizechangemakers, as well as Carlla, and have objective conditions to exercise this power.

TAYLORLEADING(United States)
After attending a summer
camp at Stanford’s AI lab,
Taylor reflected on theinaccessibility to STEM
education in her rural
hometown of Logan, Utah. She made two close friends atthe camp who were similarly interested in addressing gaps
in STEM education for young women in their communities.
Eager to bridge divides in the field, Taylor and her friends
aspired to build an online community to promote curiosityand confidence in young women to pursue STEM and, specifically, artificial intelligence. However, they only found blogs
geared towards fashion, so the team started a blog called
Allgirlithm to showcase diverse women in technology.
In two years, they transformed the blog into a esource
hub and AI club program in schools across the US and in 6
other countries. The online network of young women shareresources for starting a chapter and hosting activities throughtheir open source curriculum. Taylor’s team today consists of
14 other young women who are expanding their initiativeby building partnerships with peer organizations to support
hackathons and to host workshops.
Taylor, selected in June 2019, coleads in the “everyone achangemaker” movement in several ways both locally andbeyond. For example, she alongside fellow AYCer Christian,
was a keynote speaker at the LEAD conference organizedby the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
NASSP is the organization behind National Honors Society
and National Junior Honor Society. In her keynote, Taylor
shared her changemaking story on how she started Allgirlithm
and she challenged all the students to identify a problem,
form a team, and go develop a solution. She ended her
speech by sharing with everyone the urgent need for truly
every one of them to be a changemaker.
.

JESSICALEADING(Indonesia)
In primary school, Jessica
remembersagrowing divide between herclassmates over religious
and racial differences.
Intolerance from adults was perpetuated in her school as
young people began to mimic discrimination they saw athome and in their community of Surabaya. Jessica realizedthat if young people lack their changemaking power, thenthey ignore social issues and normalize intolerance. Spurred
on by a series of bombings in Surabaya, she launched her “Be
One in Diversity” initiative.
Jessica and her team break barriers with young people fromdifferent backgrounds through casual and fun activities
instead of serious interfaith discussions. The activities—
which include entrepreneurship, social movement, ecology, and community engagement—ignite and build young
people’s ability to collaborate and achieve a common goal
together. By thus building strongly rooted mutual respect inaction across diversity, Jessica is helping create a more resilient and equitable Indonesia and world. Her approach works
because she puts kids in charge, because she gives them thepower to give. This work, of course, fits perfectly with theneeds of the “everyone a changemaker” movement. Elected
to co-lead, Jessica now leads workshops in schools across the
Surabaya area that enable and encourage students to step
up and become changemakers. The first two steps are: (1) togive yourself permission and (2) to master the foundational,
first necessary ability—”cognitive empathy based living forthe good of all.”“For the first time in Brazil, the ten young
people who stand out in... engaged projects
met on Friday in Salvador. The meeting
was organized by Ashoka, an international
NGO considered one of the five with thegreatest social impact in the world.”

ASHOKA 2019 |75

AKASHLEADING(India)As a young teen Akash
worked out how to recycle waste from 50 temples and create jobs for
22 prisoners, leading to
the release and now leading to the release and new start forsome. Once an Ashoka Young Changemaker, he convinced atemple to modify a main festival to encourage young changemakers. He then won support from the Mayor and others toprovide incubation and other supports.

“Ashoka Young Changemakers are acarefully selected network of young people
who have found their power to createchange for the good of all, and who are
engaging their peers and the entire society
in realizing a world where everyone is aChangemaker.”

Eight of the first group of Ashoka Young Changemakers during their May 2019 launch. They come from every part of Brazil andevery background.

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ASHOKA 2019

Organizing the Movement

World Council............................................................................................................................... 78
Board, North American Council............................................................................................... 79
Offices Worldwide....................................................................................................................... 80
Ensuring the Future: The Endowments.................................................................................. 82
In Appreciation............................................................................................................................. 88
Gifts with Special Impact........................................................................................................... 8977

Ashoka LeadersWORLD COUNCIL

Fazle Abed
Fazle Abed is the founder and chairman of BRAC, the world’s largest
and one of its most excellent andentrepreneurial citizen groups. BRAC
brings structural change to tens of
thousands of villages on three continents through education, finance,
and integrated development. Queen Elizabeth knighted him
in 2010.

Marjorie C. Benton
Marjorie, very much a fellow spirit,
has founded and co-founded manysocially important organizations
including: the Chicago Foundation
for Women; the Women’s Issues
Network; and The Peace Museum.
She has been board chair of Save
the Children, and she served as a delegate to the United
Nations special sessions on disarmament in the 1970s, andthen as U.S. Ambassador to UNICEF.

Vera Cordeiro
One of the early Brazilian Ashoka
Fellows, Vera Cordeiro founded
Associacao Saùde Crianca which
addresses the root causes thatprevent poor families from providing
adequate care to their children when
discharged from the hospital.

Marian Wright Edelman
Marian Wright Edelman is a lifelong advocate for disadvantaged
Americans and is the President of
the Children’s Defense Fund. Under
her leadership, CDF has become thenation’s strongest voice for children
and families.

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ASHOKA 2019

Anupam Puri
Anupam ("Tino") Puri founded
and managed McKinsey’s practicein India. In 1996, he was electeda managing director, and from1998 onwards, he oversaw all of
McKinsey’s Asian and Latin American
practices. Tino was an incorparator
and a founder board member of Ashoka.

Sir Shridath Ramphal
Sir Shridath Ramphal is Co-Chairof the Commission on Global
Governance and President of theWorld Conservation Union. He is
Former Secretary General of the
British Commonwealth, Chancellorof the University of West Indies andformer Foreign Minister and Attorney General in Guyana.

Muhammad Yunus
Nobel Prize recipient, Muhammad
Yunus, provided the global leadership that made microcredit a universally accepted development tool. He
went on to create a series of social
businesses, including the largest
telephone service in the region.

ASHOKA BOARD

Richard Cavanagh (On Leave)

Fred Hehuwat

The Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University
Former President and CEO, The Conference Board
United States

Founder, Green Indonesia Foundation
Former Director, National Institute of Geology andMining of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences
Indonesia

Bill Drayton

Sara Horowitz

Chair and CEO, Ashoka: Everyone a Changemaker
Chair, Get America Working!
Former Assistant Administrator, U.S. E.P.A.
United States

Ashoka Member
Founder, Working Today and the Freelancers Union
United States

Mary Gordon

Writer and Former President, Ashoka
India

Ashoka Fellow
Founder & CEO, Roots of Empathy
CanadaRoger Harrison
Newspaper Executive and Chair, Leading Charities
Chair, Royal Dance Academy
Former Chair, Asylum Aid
Former Chair, Toynbee Hall
United Kingdom

Sushmita Ghosh

Felipe Vergara
Co-Founder and CEO, Lumni
Peru

Kyle Zimmer
Founder and President, First Book
United States

NORTH AMERICAN COUNCIL
Marjorie C. Benton

Eugene Ludwig

Trustee, President’s Commission on White House
Fellowships
Former Chair, Save the Children
Former United States Representative to UNICEF

Chair & Chief Executive Officer of Promontory Financial
Group
Former U.S. Comptroller of the Currency

Richard Danzig
Former Secretary of the NavyFounder & President, Social Accountability International
Founder, Council on Economic Priorities

Peter Kellner

Theodore R. Marmor

Founder and Managing Partner, Richmond Global
Co‑Founder, EndeavorFounder, Environmental Management and Law Association(Hungary)
Founder, Ural Petroleum Corporation

Professor of Public Policy and Management andProfessor of Political Science, Yale School of Management

Alice Tepper Marlin

ASHOKA 2019 |79

Offices
Worldwide
Ashoka Global and North
America
1700 North Moore Street, Suite 2000
Arlington, VA 22209 1939
UNITED STATES
t: 1 703 527 8300
f: 1 703 527 8383

Ashoka East Africa
Nexus Co-Working
Ground Floor, Riara Corporate Suites
Riara Road, Nairobi
KENYA
t: 245 0 202 628 738

Ashoka Argentina
Zapiola 1451
CP 1426 Caba
ARGENTINA
t: 54 11 4393 8646
e: infoargentina@ashoka.org

Ashoka Anglophone West
AfricaF8 Lasode Crescent
Off Ozumba Mbadiwe Street
Victoria Island, Lagos
NIGERIAt: 23 412 950 872
e: jnzerem@ashoka.org

Ashoka Austria and Central
Eastern Europe
c/o Haus der Philanthropie,
Schottenring 16/3.OG
Vienna A-1010
AUSTRIAt: 43 1 3840100
e: austria@ashoka.org

Ashoka Belgium
Rue Joseph II/20 Jozef-straat II1000 Brussels
BELGIUMt: 32 2 675 2219
e: ashokabelgium@ashoka.org

Ashoka Brazil

Ashoka Israel

R. Dr. Virgílio de Carvalho Pinto
433 - Sala 8 - Pinheiros
São Paulo - SP
05415-000
BRASIL
t: 55 11 3085-9190
e: brasil@ashoka.org

POB 170
Ein Carmel 30860
ISRAEL
t: 972 52 6967722
e: israel@ashoka.org

Ashoka Canada
336 Adelaide Street West, Suite 606
Toronto, Ontario M5V 1R9
CANADAt: 1 416 646 2333
f: 1 416 646 1875
e: canadainfo@ashoka.org

Ashoka Chile
Gral Bustamante 26
Providencia, Región Metropolitana
CHILE
t: 56 2 220 00232
e: bdominguez@ashoka.org

Ashoka France
Station F, 55, boulevard Vincent Auriol
75013 Paris
FRANCE
t: 33 1 40 26 30 83
e: france@ashoka.org

Ashoka Germany|

ASHOKA 2019

Via Soperga 36 C/O COSV
20127 Milano
ITALY
t: 003 934 788 35904
e: italy@ashoka.org

Ashoka Japan
1-11-2 Hiroo, Shibuya-Ku, Room 407
150-0012 TokyoJAPAN
t: 81 3 6459 3144
e: japan@ashoka.org

Ashoka Korea#507 Heyground22-8 Sungsoo 1-Ga.
Sungdong-Gu, Seoul
SOUTH KOREA
t: 82 2737 6977
e: korea@ashoka.org

Ashoka Mexico andCentral America

Prinzregentenplatz 10
Munich 81675
GERMANYt: 49 89 2175 49 754
e: ashokagermany@ashoka.org

Av. Álvaro Obregón 168
Piso 2, Col. Roma Norte
Mexico City DIF 06700
MEXICOt: 52 55 5256 2820
e: ashokamexico@ashoka.org

Ashoka India, Bangladesh,and Sri Lanka

Ashoka Middle East and North
Africa54, 1st Cross, Domlur Layout
Bangalore 560071
INDIA
t: 91 80 4274 5777
e: india@ashoka.org

Ashoka Indonesia
Jl. Durma No. 17, Turrangga
Bandung, West Java, 40264
INDONESIA
t: 62 81 1222 7201
e: indonesia@ashoka.org

80

Ashoka Italy

25 Masr Helwan Agricultural Road
ElZiney Tower (10th Floor)
Maadi, Cairo, 11451
EGYPT
t: 2 02 253 285 86
f: 2 02 236 544 04
e: venture-assist@ashoka-arab.org

Ashoka Netherlands

Ashoka Singapore/Malaysia

Ashoka United Kingdom

Lange Voorhout 32
Den Haag, 2514 EE
NETHERLANDS
t: 221 33 825 43 43
e: info@ashoka.nl

112 Robinson Road #10-03
Singapore, 68902
SINGAPORE
t: 65 9154 890
e: singapore@ashoka.org

Ashoka Nordic

Ashoka Southern Africa

People’s Mission Hall
20-30 Whitechapel Road
London E1 1EW
UNITED KINGDOM
t: 44 20 8980 9416
e: infouk@ashoka.org

Fack 46, Norrsken House
Birger Jarlsgatan 57 c 113 56
Stockholm
SWEDENt: 0046 72 579 7376
e: scandinavia@ashoka.org

Office 15, The Business Exchange
195 Jan Smuts Avenue
Rosebank
2193 Johannesburg
SOUTH AFRICA
t: 27 011 447 1758
e: southernafricainfo@ashoka.org

Ashoka Philippines

Ashoka Spain/Portugal

c/o co.lab
Unit 301, 3rd Floor, #3 Brixton Street,Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City,PHILIPPINES 1603
t: 632 899 4587
e: philippines@ashoka.org

Calle de Méndez Álvaro, 9 Bajos
28045 Madrid
SPAIN
t: 34 91 448 9962
e: coordinador@ashoka.org

Ashoka Poland

Ashoka Switzerland

Ul. Michała Paca 40
04-386 Warszawa
POLANDt: 43 1 38 40 100
e: info_pl@ashoka.org

Rue Rothschild 501202 Geneva
SWITZERLAND
t: 41 078 685 45 60
e: switzerland@ashoka.org

Ashoka Romania

Ashoka Thailand

Strada Gina Patrichi 6
Bucureşti 010449, RomâniaGăzduiţi de RAF
ROMANIA
t: +40 799 827 088
e: romania@ashoka.org

101/8 Phahonyothin 32 Road
Senanikom, Chatuchak
Bangkok 10900
THAILANDt: 66 29 41 9294
e: thailand@ashoka.org

Ashoka Sahel (Senegal)

Ashoka Turkey

Cite Sipress II Villa 176
Dakar, Dakar Fann, BP 15090
SENEGALt: 221 33 827 37 19
e: ctoure@ashoka.org

Asmali Mescit Mah. Mesrutiyet Cad.
Gen. Yazgan Sk. No:14
Beyoglu—Istanbul
TURKEYt: 90 538 437 9498
e: turkiye@ashoka.org

Ashoka Venezuela/Andean
RegionAv Francisco de Miranda
Mene Grande Bldg, 5th Floor
Office 5-4 URb Los Palos Grandes
CaracasVENEZUELA
t: 58 212 421 9005
e: venezuela@ashoka.org

ASHOKA 2019 |81

Ensuring the Future: The Endowments
Ashoka’s endowments provide an enduring base of support for innovation across the globe. Their growth also
helps ensure Ashoka’s long‑term ability to serve a field that will be critically needed as long as society must adapt
and change. Ashoka’s endowments have had good results over the last 35 years. Managed with a five‑year perspective by three endowment trustees, the trustees invest with a long‑term perspective and are committed tomaintaining the real value of the funds before agreeing to disbursements. Given by both institutions and individuals, Ashoka endowments often create a permanent statement about or memorial to someone the donor especiallyloves or respects.

The Amaterasu Endowment
For the support of women Fellows working outside the Americas in the areas of women’s reproductive rights,
women’s empowerment, or sustainable community. Endowed by Katherine Victoria Randolph. Established in
December 1999.

The Henry Beal Endowment
In memory of Henry Beal, a founding friend of Ashoka and, before his death, one of its Endowment Trustees.
He was one of America’s most inspired and effective environmental managers and leaders. The endowment isfocused on environment issues and HIV/AIDS. Established in 1992.

The E. Noel Bergere Endowment
In memory of Noel Bergere who, though crippled by polio at three years old, became Master of the High Court.
He was also a leader of the disabled and a patron of education in Australia. Focused on supporting a Fellow who
is handicapped and/or whose work relates either to education or the law. Established in 1984.

The Joan Bergere Endowment
Joan Bergere came to America as a young musician and later helped other young musicians get their first career
opening at major New York City public concerts. She was a loving parent and a citizen of the world with broadinterests. Established in 1982.

The Benjamin and Anne Bloom Endowment
Ben Bloom was a successful lawyer and businessman who, as the son of immigrant parents, believed
strongly in creating opportunities for others to succeed as he had succeeded. This endowment has
been established to honor his desire to provide opportunities for those who are willing to work hard
but need a chance in life. Anne, his lifelong partner, passed away in 2019, and thoroughly agreed withhim about providing opportunities for others. She would be honored to add her name to this endowment. Established in 1996,
expanded in 2019. Unrestricted.

The Columbia Ashoka Fellowships I and II
The Columbia Foundation created two endowments to enable Ashoka to elect more women as Fellows. Established in 1986.

The C.M. Cresta Fund
Established in 1986. Unrestricted.

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The Padma Rag Datta Endowment
Dr. Padma Rag Datta dedicated his life’s work to using science to improve human welfare and preserve the environment. His father, Parasuram Datta, founded a wildlife sanctuary in Assam and was a strong believer in social
justice. The family wishes that their legacy be continued through this endowment so that Ashoka Fellows may findtheir own path to the simple and profound acts that make a difference. Established in 1996.

The Sarah Dunbar Endowment
Sarah Dunbar had an enduring concern for downtrodden people whose environment had been destroyed or
reduced by modern times, especially by war and industry. Contributing to maintaining a people‑friendly environment was another of her passions. Established in 2000.

Endowment Fund B
Established in 1999. Unrestricted.

The Michael Fein Honorary Endowment
This endowment is in memory of Michael Fein and his tremendous ability to touch so many lives. He was very
passionate about the social enterprises that Ashoka fulfills. Established in 2001.

The Maurice Fitzgerald Ashoka Fellowship
Maurice Fitzgerald taught in the Philippines after the Spanish American War. He loved teaching and the people of
the Philippines. Created for a teaching and education fellowship. Established in 1986.

The John and Eleanor Forrest Ashoka FellowshipJohn and Eleanor Forrest were the loving parents of long time Ashoka partner Jack Forrest. Established in 1986. Unrestricted.

The Fort Hill Endowment Fund
Established in 1993. Unrestricted.

The Fox Peace Endowment
The Fox Peace Endowment is inspired by the Peace Testimony articulated by George Fox in 1651
and by the commitment of Tom Fox, who was killed in Iraq in 2006, while serving as a witness forpeace. Its purpose is to identify and launch social entrepreneurs and their projects dedicated to thedevelopment of structure, conditions, and communities that nurture peace.

The Buckminster Fuller Ashoka Fellowship
For Fellows working to alleviate hunger in South Asia. Established in 1983.

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The General Endowment Fund for Ashoka
The General Endowment for Ashoka was established in 1998 from numerous individual contributions earmarked
for endowment purposes. Unrestricted.

The Sanjoy Ghose Endowment
This endowment is a tribute to the work and sacrifice that Ashoka Fellow Sanjoy Ghose made in building a cultureof volunteerism and a sense of citizen responsibility among the youth in India’s northeastern state of Assam. It isa legacy of the work he began to reorient the area’s youth away from violence and anarchy towards constructive
and active social involvement in the face of ethnic strife, insurgent movements, and state repression. Sanjoy was
abducted on July 4, 1997. The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) claimed responsibility for this event.
Unrestricted. Established in 1998.

William T. Golden Ashoka Endowment
Bill Golden helped launch Ashoka in 1980.
Bill Golden held lifelong enthusiasm for science and the arts. He studied business and used his skills to accomplish
useful work in diverse fields. He was himself an artist, repeatedly forging ingenious and effective ways to promote
education, research, and understanding.
If asked about his purpose, Bill would answer, with a twinkle in his eye, “to do interesting things.”
In common with Ashoka, Bill Golden brought opportunity to people with ideas for highly constructive ends. For over three
decades, Bill was a close partner and advisor and also an Endowment Trustee for Ashoka.

The James P. Grant Ashoka Endowment
Named for the late Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and created by his friends,
colleagues, and family to “continue his life’s work and world vision.” The endowment’s purposes include supporting innovative leadership that contributes to social development among children and the disadvantaged, developing new methods and low‑cost technologies to further social development, and encouraging dialogue leading topolicies that improve the lives of children and all humankind. Established in 1998.

The Jeroen Hehuwat Endowment
In memory of Jeroen Hehuwat, an easygoing young man, with many interests and many good friends. His greatest
passion was the natural world and he loved hiking, climbing, and whitewater rafting. In April 2015, he was on ahiking and climbing expedition to Yala Peak in Nepal when an earthquake struck, causing a landslide in the Langtang Valley where Jeroen and his team lost their lives. The endowment will support Ashoka Fellows and Youth
Venturers in Indonesia. Established in 2015.

The Albert O. Hirschman Fellowship
Given to honor Professor Hirschman’s long leadership in the field of practical, grassroots development. Established in 1986. Unrestricted.

The Jimmy Hopkins Fellowship
Jimmy Hopkins was a Judge in the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division. He was known as a verykind man who was a master of the law. Many of his decisions and interpretations are the basis for important legal
precedent. Created for a Fellow in the legal or judicial arena. Established in 1997.

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The Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund
Ashoka Fellowship
For support of Fellows working in Mexico. Established in 1989.

The Abdul Waheed Khan Memorial Endowment
Abdul Waheed Khan, who was elected an Ashoka Fellow in Pakistan in 2003, was assassinated in 2013, following
death threats for his work. This Endowment celebrates his life and work. Abdul is remembered by his colleagues
for his gentle, empathetic, persistent and values-driven approach to finding peaceful solutions to problems. He
wanted all children to learn and be prepared to succeed in the modern world.
Because of his country’s inadequate investment in education, poor communities often create their own schools, typically madrassas. Responding to what parents and local communities wanted, Abdul brought new approaches to and modern subjects to learning, including mathematics, science, computers and English. Abdul leaves a legacy of great courage and determination; a spirit thatwas committed to change in spite of risk; and work that will have a lasting impact through the many thousands of children who
will be able to live far richer, more open lives because of Abdul. Established in 2013.

The Martin Klitzner Endowment
Marty Klitzner was an anomaly. He spent his life in the financial industry, most of it as president of Sunrise CapitalPartners, a successful hedge fund. Yet he and his family lived comfortably, not opulently. The family’s extra money
was for others—in the local community and world-wide. Marty was one of the most loved and respected men in
the American financial community. He was known for his integrity, ready smile and good humor.
In the mid-nineties when Marty learned about Ashoka he said, “This is my kind of an organization.” Until his deathin 2012, he was a fervent fan and contributor. He was delighted to have dinner with Bill Drayton and discuss their shared ideal of
helping others in the most effective way.
The greed and excesses of the financial industry are a shame on it and our society. Hopefully, the Ashoka Fellows supported inMarty’s name will help start the reversal of this culture. Established in 2012.

Svayam Krishi Endowment“The soul of India lives in its villages.”-Mahatma Gandhi
India has 640,000 villages, which saw three revolutions since the 1970s: rice and wheat, milk and poultry. As
a result, India is number one in milk production and among the top five in poultry. Smart village revolution can be next in providing
holistic and integrated development.
Svayam Krishi Endowment was created to support social entrepreneurs and changemakers to build models for sustainable villages and self-reliance among villagers and to spread the models across villages in India. Sustainability means that villagers areable to meet their human potential and flourish within the village on a long-term basis rather than needing to migrate to cities
for sustenance. Self-reliance means that families and individuals within the village are able to meet their needs without external
assistance. The Endowment meets these objectives: (1) through the election and support of Ashoka Fellows whose work strongly
supports these objectives and who will bring significant pattern change across India, and/or (2) through enabling young people
in the villages to play important roles contributing to these same objectives, first (a) by helping them to dream their dream, build
their team, and change their world for the better, and second (b) by enabling them to be role models and to provide active andbroad-impact self-reliance leadership.
Dr. Ratnam Chitturi has taken this initiative with the hope that many others will join and contribute to this Endowment to bring asustained benefit to rural India. Established in 2018.

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The W. Arthur Lewis Ashoka Fellowship
Given to honor Professor Lewis’s remarkably broad contributions to our understanding of development and of key
areas of the world. Established in 1986. Unrestricted.

The Mack Lipkin Sr. Memorial Endowment
In memory of Dr. Mack Lipkin, a much loved friend and doctor who was also a leader of the medical profession
and a founding friend to Ashoka. Dedicated to innovations in the effectiveness and humane quality of health care.
Established in 1991.

The Jan Schmidt Marmor Endowment
Jan Marmor was a wise counselor to her family, friends, and patients. She was a fine poet and artist. She was aclose friend to Ashoka from its launch. With commitment and love she built a family that believed that “no goodidea should go unexpressed—or unheard.” Established 2003.

The Francisco “Chico” Mendes Endowment
In memory of Chico Mendes, a friend and early Ashoka Fellow. Chico created an approach to grassroots organizing in the Amazon basin that Gandhi would have recognized but that was adapted to his own, very different, environment. Chico, like Gandhi, was killed pursuing peaceful change. The preferred uses of the funds are grassroots
work and environmental issues, though the endowment carries no restrictions. Established in 1988.

The Helen Meresman Fellowship
In memory of Helen Meresman, the personification of breaking boundaries with determination, grace, and charm.
The Helen Meresman Fellowship was established by Roger Barnett in 1997. Unrestricted.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Endowment
As the first prime minister in India, Jawaharlal Nehru was far more than a great national leader: He helped build
a global community; he was a democrat; he was a historian; and he used his reflective power to hold himself to ahigh ethical standard. Unrestricted. Established in 2003.

The Nguyen-Phuong Family Endowment
Dedicated to supporting social entrepreneurs who operate in emerging markets; a permanent symbol of the family’s keen commitment to social services in the developing world. Established 2014.

The Jacob H. Oxman Memorial Fund
In memory of Dr. Jacob H. Oxman, a devoted husband and father, and a kind, caring, generous, and principled man.
This endowment is used to support an Ashoka Fellow. Any additional funds can be used either to support another
Fellow or to cover operating costs. Established in 1986. Unrestricted.

Diane Pierce Phillips Ashoka Fellowship Endowment
Diane Pierce Phillips led an exemplary life of spiritual integrity and servant leadership as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, wife and mother, registered nurse, hospice volunteer, minister of the United Church of Christ (Congregational), and spiritual director. Established in 2003. Unrestricted.

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The Eiler Ravnholt Ashoka Endowment
In memory of Eiler Ravnholt, a friend and role model to the founder of Ashoka, a man of values and hard work.
He was a dedicated public servant and active citizen, generous with his time, voice and heart. He was a lover ofhistory and defender of our collective responsibility to assist those in need—his own life was shaped by the Great
Depression, World War II and the GI Bill. Eiler was a fervent and loyal supporter of the vision of Ashoka throughout its existence: He will be missed by the entire Ashoka community. Established in 2012 and devoted to social justice.

The Daniel Saks Ashoka Fellowship
In memory of Dan Saks who, had he lived longer, would have changed U.S. employment policies even more profoundly than he already had. Dan was also one of Ashoka’s earliest creators, beginning in 1963. This fellowship is
focused on creating work opportunities for the poor or otherwise disadvantaged. Established in 1986.

The Morton Sand Memorial Endowment
Mort Sand, long a highly successful business entrepreneur, turned his energy and creativity to solving society’s
ills over his last decades. He helped build Ashoka’s Entrepreneur‑to‑Entrepreneur program, created business
opportunities for Brazil’s street girls through three Fellows there, and was key to the launch of the Ashoka U.S.A./
Canada program. The Mort Sand Endowment will be used in the U.S.A./Canada. Although it is unrestricted, theEndowment will give priority to enabling disadvantaged young people through opportunities in business. Established in 2002.

The Richard H. Ullman Endowment
Dick Ullman cared deeply about others—from the wellbeing of the world (reflected in his scholarly and journalistic
work in the difficult field of international relations) to that of his students (who repeatedly rated him the best professor). As a young professor in the 1960s, he encouraged one of his undergraduate students in the early thinking
that eventually led to Ashoka. Over the ensuing decades he was always with Ashoka—sharing ideas, opening
doors, and serving on the North America Council.
Why was Ashoka such a close fit for Dick? One reason was that he believed in and helped develop young people of values. Thisbelief—plus, in the words of his students, his “combination of rigor and candor,” his “dry wit,” and his “genuine kindness”—changed
many lives and, as a result, many important foreign policy decisions. He intuitively knew why the Ashoka Fellows are so powerful,and he recognized the importance of supporting them.
These qualities also allowed him to change the country’s course more directly. In addition to teaching at Princeton University for
35 years, he headed the 1980s Project of the Council on Foreign Relations, helped lead Foreign Policy magazine, and served on
the Editorial Board of the New York Times. Established in 2014.

The Father Eugene Watrin Endowment
In memory of Father Watrin, a remarkable educational founder and builder for over 50 years in Nepal and Ashoka’svolunteer Representative there for our first 15 years. His special commitment to the Ashoka vision and to all in its
community, which he did so much to build, exemplifies why he had such a powerful impact on all around him. His
greatest legacy is the model of how to live life well through service that is both highly important and performed
with the modesty of true caring, love, and faith. For the support of Fellows working in Nepal. Established in 2004.

The Ibrahim Sobhan Endowment
In memory of Muhammed Ibrahim Sobhan, the first Ashoka Fellow in Bangladesh. He launched the innovative
Association for School Based Education (ASBE) to improve rural primary education for Bangladeshi children
attending government, non-government and community schools. Established in 2014.

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THE JOHN AND JUDY HARDING INNOVATION ACCELERATOR
Initially intrigued by Yale Law School Alumni for Ashoka two decades ago, John and Judy Harding ever sincehave been very close and profoundly important partners to Ashoka.
They did not want to be seen, but they fully understood Ashoka’s historic role and the special quality of its
Fellows, staff, and community. They gave Ashoka their unwavering faith. It is impossible to measure faith, butwhat could be more powerful -- or moving?
Year in, year out they gave Ashoka freedom to elect Fellows with ideas so new that they did not fit funders’categories. Freedom that has allowed Ashoka itself to innovate – for example in developing “everyone achangemaker”, “the new inequality”, the new definition of what constitutes success in growing up in an everything changing world, the “open, fluid, integrated team of teams” new organizational norm, and much more.
Last September John died, followed by his life partner of 70 years, Judy, in December. This is a very deep loss
for the Ashoka community.
They recognized the historic turning point now before the world and Ashoka’s unique ability to help it throughthe transition quickly, safely, and wisely. Because Ashoka will therefore have to innovate faster and more
broadly than ever, they left a gift to Ashoka designed to continue their support for this innovation for five
years.
The John and Judy Harding Innovation Accelerator is now at work. For example, it helped Brazil develop andlaunch what is now Ashoka’s model way of tipping a giant country onto the “everyone a changemaker” path.
More recently it is helping Ashoka Africa learn from this Brazil model.
Ashoka is also creating a John and Judy Harding Endowment. It will support the launch of the Ashoka Fellows
with the most unimagined new ideas forever.

John and Judy Harding
John was from the Midwest and Judy from New England. They met at a
Yale-Brown football game in 1948. They brought up seven children andwere engaged Catholics.
John brought his experience in law, banking, and accounting with him when
he moved to Omaha to become Warren Buffet’s second hire. Buffet commented: “John Harding was my friend for more than 50 years. Everyone hedealt with knew he had their best interests as his only consideration.”
Like John, Judy lived a life guided by values, very much reflecting her deep
New England roots. She was engaged with the elderly and the poor. She
was a passionate humanitarian and social justice advocate.
John and Judy lived lives of love and respect in action quietly, modestly,
deeply.

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Gifts with Special Impact
Please consider making a bequest to Ashoka and/or building an endowment. The impact of such planned giving is
profound. (Please keep in mind that Ashoka accepts no government funding.)

About Bequests

About Endowments

Making a bequest to Ashoka is a very powerful,
moving statement. It says that you believe deeplyin Ashoka’s work and that you have given this careful thought. When you specify such a gift in yourwill, you will also very directly and importantly bechanging lives. You will, for example, be helping
launch the next generation of leading social entrepreneurs—and their impacts will grow and multiply
over their lives after their launch.

An endowment will support Ashoka’s work in perpetuity. Ashoka’s Endowment Trustees will maintain the real value of the endowments before disbursing to Ashoka. Endowments that give Ashoka
freedom to use resources where they are mostneeded allow Ashoka itself to invent and also to
support Fellows with the most creative, unforeseen ideas. You may also direct that the income
provided by an endowment be used for specific purposes, for example, in a field such as theenvironment and/or a geographic region, such as
Africa. Endowments are often named in memoryof or to honor a person.

Bequests can be “restricted,” meaning the donor
specifies that the gift be used for a specific programor purpose. Unrestricted bequests allow Ashoka tofocus their use where and when the need is greatest. Given that Ashoka and the Ashoka Fellows areat the cutting edge of change for the good, having
freedom to innovate is especially valuable.

If you are interested in a bequest or endowment,
please contact Bill Drayton, CEO, at wdrayton@
ashoka.org.

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Opportunities
Ashoka is working hard to support, accelerate and magnify
the groundbreaking work of our ever-growing worldwide
fellowship. We are fostering collaborations, opening doors
to new partnerships, and building bridges across borders
and to new sectors.
Volunteer changemakers can be found at every step of
the way and during each phase of an Ashoka Fellow’s
trajectory. From as early as the nomination and selection
process, through different levels of organizational growth,and with operational support virtually and on the ground,volunteers are crucial to maximizing scale and impact. They
also lend their specific knowledge and skills to our global
and country offices around the world, helping Ashoka staff
and partners grow a variety of initiatives that underpin an“everyone a changemaker” world.
A partnership with LinkedIn has allowed us to reach a wide
global audience of professionals who want to contribute
their time and talents to help propel our work and thatof our Fellows. Through the Ashoka-LinkedIn Volunteer
Marketplace, we post current needs and provide a shortapplication that goes directly to the staff or Fellow
who posted on the Marketplace. In this way, we quickly
and efficiently facilitate direct and fruitful connections
between volunteers, Ashoka staff and Fellows. Almost
every Ashoka office has opportunities.
Needs vary widely and change regularly. Some requireassistance on-site and others can be met virtually. Recent
volunteer opportunities have included:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Developing business and strategic plans
Creating communication and marketing strategies
Building or improving websites and their contents
Editing books and videos
Filming documentaries of Fellows’ work
Helping young people and adults learn• Project managing initiatives withina variety of organizations• Conducting impact assessments• Documenting conditions and needs in rural areas• Researching markets and effective supply chainsfor rural areas• Providing office, HR and branding support in Canada• Managing crowdfunding campaigns• Writing grants and researching potential donor support• Writing journalistic reports for papers and newsletters• Translating documents and transcribing Fellow
interviews
There is no shortage of ways in which dedicated volunteers
can join Ashoka’s ecosystem of changemaking. In the words
of Peggy Carr, a volunteer since 1987 who has managed
Ashoka’s virtual communications network from our global
office:“Working with Ashoka’s Fellowship team has given me
the opportunity to help Fellows in a direct and personal
way. Whether researching a request for information or
helping Fellows network with each other, the goal is always
the same­—forging strong links throughout the Ashoka
community, of which I am happy to be a small part.”
As an Ashoka volunteer, you can tap into your ownchangemaking power by using your unique talents to
help scale the impact of Ashoka Fellows, Ashoka Young
Changemakers, and others within the Ashoka network.
For more information, please visit https://www.ashoka.
org/engage/contribute where you will find answers tofrequently asked questions and a checklist for thosevolunteers traveling abroad. We are also available for any
unanswered questions or unique ideas you may have forcontributing to our work or expanding our partnerships atvolunteers@ashoka.org.

Everyone a Changemaker“Ashoka Fellows have built a long and storied history as pioneering change
agents – men and women who are transforming their communities, theirregions, and one day the world. They will always deserve our gratitude.”

U.S. NEWS“Ashoka launched the ‘Everyone a Changemaker’ movement…an initiative
to ensure that everyone can be an agent for good. Different to Ashoka’s
work with its global network of fellows — many of whom have helped shift
public policy — is the youth-centric focus… an effort to help build ‘their
dream, their team, and their changed world.’”

The Hindu“Mavericks are who they are because of their natural brilliance thatcauses a seismic jump in qualitative outcomes. Clearly, their minds workat a different pace and trajectory. Bill Drayton, who founded Ashoka tointroduce a game-changing model of social entrepreneurship, is one such
example. [Ashoka is] a truly transformative innovation of social systems
that improve(s) millions of lives across the globe.”

Paul Dupis, CEO, Randstad India“Ashoka’s global network of Fellows have become an important force foringenuity in service of society.”

The Atlantic“The search for solutions to social problems should not be a bureaucratic
and bland task. This was seen almost 40 years ago by Bill Drayton... toend up creating the largest network of social entrepreneurs that exists,
Ashoka. “

El País Semanal

Ashoka: Everyone a Changemaker1700 North Moore Street | Suite 2000 | Arlington, VA 22209 USA
Tel: (703) 527-8300 | Fax (703) 527-8383 | www.ashoka.org

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