THE CENTRAL-EASTERN EUROPEAN PROGRAM

The next cohort begins in October 2025 in Vienna. Early Bird Applications are now open!
Apply by April 30 to secure a €1,000 discount on your participation.

Do you have questions, or do you want to schedule a call with us? ➜ E-mail the team at visionaryprogram@ashoka.org.

Everything you need to know about your application:

General Application Process Cost

Stipends Meet the Team Our Partners in CEE

Are you ready to become a leader of change? Get access to all the tools for systems-changing social entrepreneurship, know your purpose and connect to a community of peers? The applications are open, and special stipends are available social entrepreneurs and leaders working on youth empowerment and in INGOs. Fill out the form to apply and be selected as one of 30 participants.

"Why I joined the Ashoka Visionary Program? At that time, I was thinking about scaling the impact that has proven to be successful in Switzerland globally. And the program was the perfect match to support me in this endeavour. There was this notion of connecting to like-minded, forward-thinking people who have similar values, and well, it has proven to be right. My two key takeaways were around impact modelling and systems change."

Michael Lorz

Managing Director at EnableMe Foundation

"The Ashoka Visionary Program gave me an idea of how to create impact, scale an idea and even become a system changer - but also how important it is to look after yourself when it comes to wellbeing and taking care of your own resources. I am still in touch with members of our cohort and love the way we support each other!"

Michael Marchetti

Founder of wetransformpilots®

“The Ashoka Visionary Program has inspired me on many levels. Every single module has initiated new thought processes in me and thus resulted in exciting changes for my work and my team. At the same time, I met many inspiring people who are still part of my network today. Last but not least, I have also developed personally and acquired new skills.”

Rosa Bergmann

Co-founder of Vienna Hobby Lobby

“The Ashoka Visionary Program provided me with lots of practical tools to drive positive impact for society together with young ventures. It was extremely fulfilling to experience the valuable personnel insights of the fellows, who shared their learnings on their entrepreneurial journey and their inner motivation with us, and to see how they drive real change with all their energy. Additionally, I was deeply inspired to be shown constantly how impact grows visibly by co-creation through working on tasks together with Social Entrepreneurs during the modules”.

Simone Pies

Business Angel & Mentor

“The Ashoka Visionary Program has been the jump start I needed to tackle the system instead of the symptoms. I took with me a lot of know-how on different aspects of social entrepreneurship. And more importantly, I felt so much connection and inspiration from the many wonderful colleagues in our cohort that I couldn't help but tackle the issue that is dearest to my heart: democratizing truly sustainable investing, i.e. making it accessible to all."

Stefan Kainz

Co-founder and Managing partner of Growth Ninjas

"The Visionary Programme opens up horizons while at the same time has a clear focus on the business impacts and the associated networks. Corporations have the biggest lever to make the world purposeful and sustainable. The opportunity to change the way a company looks at its impact on society is hence extremely valuable.”

Michael Hilbert

Partner at Roland Berger

"The Visionary program gave me the opportunity to delve deep into the field of social entrepreneurship and to understand the challenges that entrepreneurs face. Much of what went into the development of funding programs of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency stems from this knowledge. At the same time, it was for me the beginning of an exciting journey to better understand social innovation and thus to better support it."

Matthias Weichhart

Austrian Research Promotion Agency

Marsha is a seasoned Funding Leader with a distinguished track record in driving national and global civil society projects. With extensive experience collaborating with a diverse range of organizations, from startups to large-scale entities, she specializes in engaging a broad spectrum of supporters. Currently, she is working with the Joining Forces Alliance to end violence against children, building on her previous leadership experiences with World Vision, Spurgeons’ Children’s Charity, and Plan International, among others. Her expertise is marked by innovation and agility within strategic leadership of fundraising operations and the elevation of fundraising initiatives. She is committed to sustainable income growth, underpinned by comprehensive Fundraising Plans that cultivate crucial donor relationships. Dedicated to providing strategic direction and specialized insights, her goal is to leave a lasting impact on marginalized communities around the world. Her strong educational background includes a BA (Honours) in Business Studies with International Studies and an MBA from Cranfield University. She is currently enhancing her wealth of fundraising expertise by pursuing certification in Impact Investment & Blended Finance.

Marsha Forbes

Global Lead Funding Advisor at Joining Forces Initiative by World Vision

So, you are ready to join the Ashoka Visionary Program?

The Ashoka Visionary Program is the pioneering, part-time leadership program empowering decision makers from all sectors to solve societal problems in an entrepreneurial way, and Central-Eastern Europe is one of its three locations. We founded the Ashoka Visionary Program in 2015, starting with with the Central and Eastern European region.

Right now, one more cohort is taking place in Vienna. 2024-25 will be the tenth time in CEE that we offer 30 decision-makers and leading changemakers from across Europe this transformational learning journey.

Modules	Dates of the 7 modules (Oct 2025 – June 2026)
1. Social entrepreneurship, innovation and changemaking	16 – 18 October 2025
2. System shange strategy	28 – 29 November 2025
3. Influencing mindsets, narratives and behaviours	16 – 17 January 2026
4. Scaling-up solutions and co-creation	27 – 28 February 2026
5. Leadership, collaborative impact and changemaking networks	10 – 11 April 2026
6. Hybrid business models for system change	29 – 30 May 2026
7. Storytelling for changemakers	25 – 26 June 2026

The program offers a similar experience across all regions, thus the target group, requirements to join, curriculum and other key infos not specified here remain the same everywhere.

You can find all the info on the:
About the Program Page

Learn more about the content of the modules.
And about putting learnings into practice during the program.

Apply now!

The next cohort begins in October 2025 in Vienna. Early Bird Applications are now open!
Apply by April 30 to secure a €1,000 discount on your participation.

Application Process

Let’s get ready to attend 7 practice-based modules, of 15 days in total (Friday-Saturday), between October 2024 and June 2025? And invest in your future to come out transformed. Learn more about your successful application process for the executive leadership program:

1

Brew yourself a good coffee/tea and apply. Please notice that we process applications on a rolling basis, so we recommend applying early.

2

Once that is done, we will take a maximum of 2 weeks to review your application and let you know if your profile fits the program.

3

If it does, we will contact you via mail with an invitation for a personal interview to take place over the course of the following days.

The key selection criteria are high motivation and a successful personal interview.

4

You have the interview with a member of the Ashoka Visionary Program-team.

5

2 weeks after the interview latest, we will inform you if it’s a match and you have been selected.

Welcome on the journey! We have different options of payment, with the participant fee either to be paid at once or in several instalments.

Learn more about the requirements to join.

Cost

The program costs 10,000 € in CEE, it may vary in other regions. Stipends are available, please check the info below. Ashoka Fellows and the co-leaders of their social entreprises join for a special reduced rate of 1,000€.

STIPENDS

We offer three types of LIMITED stipends: €2,500 for individuals in a transition phase, €5,000 for representatives of NGOs, foundations, or public institutions, and €7,500 for social entrepreneurs. These stipends are designed to assist individuals who cannot afford the full program price. Stipend decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the Program Director.

Grants and other financing options in Austria

The participation fee is EUR 10.000 (tax exemption due to Ashoka´s non-profit status).

Stipends available! We offer individual stipends for social entrepreneurs and additional stipends (for leaders from the foundation-, corporate- and NGO-sector)

Financing options for people living/working in Austria

Austrian database for scholarships and research grants: OeAD (Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education & Research) helps you find the adequate Scholarship or Research Grant according to your country of origin as well as your preferred destination oead.grants.at

Further education funding of the EU

You can find funding opportunities on erasmus+ for people in adult education here.

Educational leave – Bildungskarenz

The Public Employment Service Austria (Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich – AMS) has accepted the courses of the Ashoka Visionary Program as vocational training for educational leave for previous participants. If requested by participants we provide a confirmation of the total duration of the program and also a certificate of participation after completing the program that can be used for application at the AMS for educational leave.

Please note that the AMS decides on a case-by-case basis on the eligibility. If you need certificates and documentation for your participation in the Visionary Program for application at the AMS get in touch with us!

Financial Benefits for Employees and Companies

Employees and self-employed persons save up to 50% of the program fee.

In case you are employed or self-employed and afford the fees on your own, our program fees are fully tax-deductible if you pay taxes in Austria. The prerequisite for the tax authorities is that the program falls under professional development training in the present field of occupation or in a related profession. Depending on your income, you can get up to 50% of the program costs back.

This means that not only program fees but also additional costs connected with the program (e.g. travel expenses, accommodation, literature, program hand-outs, flat rate for up to max. 5 days regarding food and beverages) are fully deductible.

Similar tax arrangements can be found in other countries. For further information, please refer to the responsible institution in your home country.

Unlike bonuses, tuition fees are exempt from taxation, which is a considerable advantage for the employee. For the employer, tuition fees do not amount to payroll-related costs and therefore do not incur payroll related contributions. At the same time, costs are shared by the Austrian state, which covers 31% for a public limited company and 61% for an individual enterprise. The pre-requisite for the above mentioned treatment is that the employee’s participation in the tuition program is in the interest of the employer.

Further information on tax deductions in Austria is available at the Website of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance: english.bmf.gv.at