Mission

Ashoka strives to shape a global, entrepreneurial, competitive citizen sector: one that allows social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world’s citizens to think and act as changemakers.

What We Do

About Ashoka

Ashoka is leading a profound transformation in society. In the past three decades, the global citizen sector, led by social entrepreneurs, has grown exponentially.

Rather than leaving societal needs for the government or business sectors to address, social entrepreneurs are creating innovative solutions, delivering extraordinary results, and improving the lives of millions of people.

It is this insight into the power of social entrepreneurs that led Bill Drayton to found Ashoka in 1980 and that continues to guide Ashoka today.

Along with our global network of Fellows, business entrepreneurs, policy makers, investors, academics, and journalists, Ashoka is now working collectively to ensure that social entrepreneurs and their innovations continue to inspire a new generation of local changemakers to create positive social change.

Through our Fellows and our programs, we are providing the framework from which the world can fully participate in the tranformation of the citizen sector. The implications this has for the world's citizens and their capacity to improve their lives are boundless.

As the largest association of leading social entrepreneurs in the world, we know how to bring about change, and we understand what individuals need to make change happen. We have been engaged in learning from and serving this historical movement across the globe for 25 years.