Introducing Ashoka and the Social Entrepreneurship Series
A Unique Insight into the Minds of Men and Women Changing the World
Disrupting old patterns of action, catalyzing global change and transforming systems – these outstanding global social entrepreneurs have emerged as beacons of inspiration in the citizen sector. Ashoka’s Social Entrepreneurship Series is an exciting 16-program film series featuring Ashoka and six founding members of Ashoka’s Global Academy of Social Entrepreneurship. These include BRAC’s Fazle Abed, Ashoka’s Bill Drayton, Transparency International’s Peter Eigen, Ethos Institute and the World Social Forum’s Oded Grajew, Social Accountability International’s Alice Tepper Marlin, and Grameen Bank’s Muhammad Yunus.
Bill Drayton recognized the power of individual innovation in addressing social change and founded Ashoka in 1981. Today, 25 years on, Ashoka supports 1700 social entrepreneurs in more than 60 countries. Ashoka's mission is to shape a citizen sector that is entrepreneurial, productive and globally integrated, and to develop the profession of social entrepreneurship around the world.
Ashoka identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs - extraordinary individuals with unprecedented ideas for change in their communities - supporting them, their ideas and institutions through all phases of their careers. Ashoka Fellows benefit from being part of the global Fellowship for life.
We'd love to know what you think after you have a chance to listen to a few of them.
Learn more about Ashoka's Social Entrepreneurship Series on DVD
The programs published in the weeks to come will appear in the list below. The best way to learn about new releases is to subscribe to one of the RSS feeds below, or to one of the site-wide feeds.
Our publication of this series was made possible by your membership dues and:
In the field of philanthropy, are foundations' grantmaking and reporting processes aligned with nonprofits' strategies? In this panel discussion exploring data from a Center for Social Innovation study on nonprofit accountability practices and the costs of conflicting demands, experts debate ways in which evaluation requirements may help or hinder mission delivery.
Alice Tepper Marlin created some of the most innovative models for corporate social responsibility. Her energetic work over decades has helped provide concrete research and practical methods for bringing companies, investors, consumers, and workers together to address issues of environmental and economic justice worldwide. In this audio lecture, Tepper Marlin traces her own history from her early days on Wall Street to her ongoing work in the not-for-profit sector, providing blueprints for social entrepreneurs.
An entrepreneur combines the vision to see the next thing over the horizon with the restless energy and problem-solving skills needed to set that change in motion. These qualities are shared by business and social entrepreneurs alike, representing a positive force that can help address the world's toughest problems. In this audio lecture, Bill Drayton takes a thoughtful look at Ashoka's mission and highlights its programs designed to nurture the current and future generations of talented entrepreneurs making a difference all over the world.
Nobel Peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus talks about how he founded Grameen Bank to offer economic building tools for some of the poorest people in Bangladesh.
Muhammad Yunus started a movement that has lifted millions out of poverty. When he formed the Grameen Bank in 1983 and started giving out microloans, Yunus bridged the divide between business and social needs. In this audio lecture, he describes how he created microcredit, collateral-free lending, and began offering other business services to the poor. Yunus lays out the path to his extraordinary vision and success, which is driving global social change.
Solving the world's big problems takes large-scale solutions, says Fazle H. Abed, founder of Building Resources Across Communities in Bangladesh. In this audio lecture, Abed outlines the development and market perspectives that have enabled his organization to expand and meet his country's needs in key areas, including microfinance, agriculture, and education.
Microfinance, the extension of small loans to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans, has proved to be an effective strategy for raising millions of families from poverty worldwide. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who pioneered the microloan revolution in Bangladesh, explains in this audio lecture how he saw rural poor and women struggle against deeply institutionalized economic systems, and realized the massive change that small loans could provide.
In the field of philanthropy, are foundations' grantmaking and reporting processes aligned with nonprofits' strategies? In this panel discussion exploring data from a Center for Social Innovation study on nonprofit accountability practices and the costs of conflicting demands, experts debate ways in which evaluation requirements may help or hinder mission delivery.
