The big idea – 40+ years of knowledge and a community of peers: The idea to create the Ashoka Visionary Program was born out of our work with Ashoka Fellows – our core business. After 40+ years of building up the social entrepreneurial sector across the globe, Ashoka had a unique untapped body of knowledge, with recipes for changing the world.

 

At the same time, we found that there are no programs out there teaching changemaking skills in an entrepreneurial and immersive way, deriving theory from the earnings of practitioners and creating a space for changemakers to co-create. So, it was high time to organise our knowledge and make it accessible to changemakers beyond our own network of social entrepreneurs.

 

Between 2014 and 2015, we structured and labelled a diverse set of concepts, methodologies and tools on how to solve societal problems in an entrepreneurial way. The first version of the program-modules was ready! Our aim was always to immerse changemakers into our work, giving insights into our approach and the stories of Ashoka Fellows. Thus, we trigger new social entrepreneurial initiatives beyond Ashoka. Participants became passionate changemakers and numerous initiatives resulted from the program – a success on the journey towards an “Everyone a Changemaker World”. Read more on our Impact-page!