OUR MANIFESTO
• We believe changemakers are everywhere and represent all races, classes, genders, religions and education levels.
• We believe that all of us will someday be called upon to be changemakers, creating positive change for our families, our communities and the good of all.
• We believe that social entrepreneurs are changemakers who introduce new ways of tackling societal challenges and who transform entire systems and fields.
• We believe they are powerful forces for good and their presence makes us all more effective agents of change.
• We believe that social entrepreneurs are everywhere, but that the social entrepreneurship sector has gravitated around a few coastal cities, which limits its relevance and impact.
• We believe this clustering is at least in part a result of internalized biases by networks like Ashoka.
• We believe a more diverse sector will be better equipped to spot and uncover solutions to problems that are too often overlooked.
• We believe it is our responsibility to reach out so that the best ideas can flow in and out of all of America.
• We believe that together we can shape a more dynamic, resilient country where problems no longer outrun solutions! Ashoka finds and supports passionate individuals with big bold ideas to change broken systems. We call these people social entrepreneurs--people like Wendy Kopp of Teach for America or Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia. Our fellows address all issues: healthcare, human rights, poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability to name a few. We provide a range of support--from access to a global network of innovators to a working stipend--to help these entrepreneurs spread their ideas across the globe.
