Ashoka, the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs, has identified 25 projects poised for global breakthrough.
Here are some examples:
- Empower children to take financial responsibility: Jeroo Billimoria has launched ChildFinance that will offer saving accounts and insurance to millions of street children.
- Carbon neutral energy for the poor: Tri Mumpuni spreads carbon-free micro hydro energy to electrify developing rural areas and incubate enterprises.
- Ending epidemic violence: Gary Slutkin's insight that violence spreads like infectious diseases has led him to develop a methodology that disrupts its transmission – in Iraq and the US and soon beyond.
- From handicap to competitive advantage: Thorkil Sonne creates well-paid and sought-after market-based employment opportunities for Autistic people, who have a significant lower fault rate in e.g. software testing.
Supporting the global growth of great ideas: the Ashoka Globalizer
For the first time, Ashoka will bring the social entrepreneurs behind these ideas and 21 of their peers together with leading entrepreneurs from the private sector, to match social innovations with the resources needed to achieve global scale. They will share their insights into growth strategies; and draw on their experiences to help the social entrepreneurs create the best strategies and partnerships.
Pioneering the globalization of the social sector
Why this is revolutionary? In contrast to the private sector, where great business ideas go global to serve customers around the world, no such market forces have been at work in the social sector. Although many social innovations have proven to solve societal problems, they too often remain local. Ashoka has set out to change this scenario. The Ashoka Globalizer is the first initiative of its kind, and will run every year with the support of leading entrepreneurs and enterprises. Jonathan Soros says: “For thirty years Ashoka has been supporting local innovators around the globe. Now the Ashoka Globalizer will take the best of those innovations and give them a chance at global impact.” This year's launch of the Globalizer has been supported by the Essl Social Prize.