With the Ashoka US offices spread out coast to coast and north and south, I thought it might be a fun idea to create a virtual tour of each of our spaces. Check out Seattle’s “ballroom” or the historical remnants of the old grain exchange where Twin Cities now calls home. Enjoy!
Bill Drayton’s advice for social entrepreneurs - what the future holds and how to adjust: http://ow.ly/g2AQW
Want to share your vision, advice, suggestions, trends etc. for the future?
Join us and some of our partners for a #socentchat Thursday December 19th, 3-4.30 pm.
Age considers; youth ventures.
- Rabindranath Tagore.
Ashoka’s Youth Venture is based on our experience that if kids learn that they can make a change, then they will continue to do so as grown ups. It’s a super important step towards a changemaker society.
Donate to keep us going https://www.ashoka.org/donate/usa
Source: recitethis.com
It’s panel week!
Between second opinion interviews and panel sessions with industry experts, we try to find the time to interview the candidates for our digital channels. The outcome will be sort presentation videos, like the ones we’ve done with other candidates in the past. Like the one around Mitch Hedlund’s work.
Shop for social good!
The sustainable clothing brand Nau is donating 10% of your purchase to Ashoka, if you shop today, 12/3 2012. Oh, and they are giving YOU 30% off.
Promo code Ashoka30 at http://www.nau.com/partners-for-change/
Step No. 2: Issue a nationwide challenge to young entrepreneurs, and inspire high school students, college students, and millions across the country to think innovatively about our future and the global challenges we face. Our nation’s esteemed council of innovators and entrepreneurs should partner with Ashoka’s Everyone a Changemaker program to learn how social entrepreneurs can thrive and shape incredible innovation for the public good. By mobilizing the nation and inspiring millions of people to start a company, together we can unleash the creativity and private capital needed to fund the next wave of innovation and create millions of jobs in the process.
Number 2 on Nareen Jain’s “five things our President should do to bring entrepreneurship back to the U.S.”
Source: inc.com
The world is changing—faster than ever before—from a world run by elites to a world in which everyone can and must drive change. In that world, success depends on one’s ability to both lead and to collaborate, to see beyond silos, adopt new perspectives, and to problem-solve.
Bill Drayton, CEO and founder, Ashoka.
Source: ashoka.org
Want to learn venture planning for social entrepreneurs?
Then read on: Ashoka and the University of Florida are offering a new online course to give you the tools & strategies needed to start your own organization or social business.
Earn two credit hours from UF just for launching your venture, while getting all the guidance and support you need to turn your social change idea into reality.
We believe that the skills you gain in designing, launching and leading a venture that solves a social need are critical for succeeding in today’s fast-paced, constantly changing world. We are here to help you develop those changemaker skills and to have fun while creating impact around you. What better way to learn valuable skills and earn college credit while doing something meaningful?
You must act quickly, though, because the course starts on August 22! Find out more about the course: Venture Planning for Social Entrepreneurs.
And yes, scholarships are available - Enquire with Gretchen Zucker at gzuckerATashokaDOTorg.
Source: distance.ufl.edu
Igniting Impact--Ashoka's Panel Discussion With 3 Food Systems Experts
Best quote of today’s Igniting Impact live panel discussion: “Walmart doesn’t have a yuppy aisle—if they’re committing to source locally, there must be a huge demand” -Michel Nischan, Wholesome Wave
Missed the discussion? Catch the summary on Storify.
It’s panel week again—that means the Ashoka DC office is in a flurry of activity and potential Ashoka Fellows are walking in and out throughout the week for various interviews. We love this meme and accompanying article by intern David Iwanowski about the selection process for Ashoka Fellows.
Source: blog.youthventure.org
Ashoka’s Igniting Impact Series: Balancing Open Source and Proprietary Models to Scaling
Social innovators who are focused on scaling their impact often find that spreading their ideas, principles, and models far and wide may affect their revenue streams. How do innovators share and enable replication of their work while ensuring the sustainability of their organization? What innovative solutions exist to maintaining this balance?
This conversation will occur on July 26, 2012 at 12:00-1 pm EST, and will include Ashoka Fellows and thought leaders discussing balancing open source and proprietary models to scaling. We invite you to listen to the discussion and you can tweet questions to @Ashokaus using hashtag #impactchat or use the Webex chat feature.
The participants include:
Rosanne Haggerty is Founder and President of Community Solutions, a national spin-off of Common Ground. The goal of Community Solutions is to bring proven, replicable innovations that end homelessness to a national scale, working with what we call “tipping point” communities. Community Solutions also advances new models of homelessness prevention and community development. Rosanne is an Ashoka Fellow.
Philipp Schmidt is a Co-founder and Executive Director of Peer 2 Peer University (“P2PU”), a grassroots open education project that organizes learning outside of institutional walls and gives learners recognition for their achievements. Philipp is an Ashoka fellow.
Mark Surman is the Executive Director of the Mozilla Foundation. Mark is focused on using technology to transform education, journalism, and filmmaking. Prior to joining Mozilla, Mark was a recipient of the Shuttleworth Foundation Fellowships, where he explored the application of open principles to philanthropy.
Keith Hammonds directs Ashoka’s News and Knowledge Initiative, which seeks to identify and connect social entrepreneurs, whose innovations promise to better inform and engage change-making citizens. Prior to Ashoka, Keith was executive editor at Fast Company magazine, where he co-founded the Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Awards.
To join this conversation…
By phone only you can call: 1-866-3864210 (US); Conference Code: 708 086 7536 and you can tweet questions to @Ashokaus using hashtag #impactchat
OR through Webex (so you can see video of panelists).
Click this link or paste this into your browser: https://nethope.webex.com/nethope/j.php?ED=169363557&UID=1223083797&PW=NODhlYzdmNzAw&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
If requested, enter your name and email address.
If a password is required, enter the meeting password: Welcome1
Click “Join”.
The Meeting Number is 825 982 849 and the Meeting Password is Welcome1.
We ask that you do NOT turn on your webcam when you join the call.
Please do ask questions using the chat feature in Webex
Many (most? all?) Ashoka employees are intra- and/or entrepreneurs. I count myself among them. The other day I sat down with a colleague to hash out some details for an idea I have about a way of connecting independent musicians with new venues and new audiences. Here’s the big idea, in napkin form.*
*NOTE: More like legal pad form…
-Laura
I bet Bill actually did “spend” his birthday wish on a wish world peace.
The Journey of an Ashoka Intern
One year ago, I sat at my desk at the Brigham Young University Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance, writing up a newsletter for my job as the director of public relations. I stumbled across these photos on Ashoka’s website as I worked:
The entire office was throwing a birthday party for Bill Drayton, Ashoka’s founder. Ashoka had been my nonprofit crush for several months by that point, but for some reason those photos put me over the top. It was like a brief window into an exciting, yet mysterious magical world; even though I wasn’t there, I felt like I was part of the celebration.
“I will work there someday,” I said to myself.
Flash forward 12 months, 7 contact outreaches, 3 application packets, 2 interviews, and 1 long flight, and here I am interning with the Ashoka US Communications Team. I couldn’t be more excited.
While at times it continues to be mysterious (so many acronyms, phrases, and teams to learn) and magical (an old fashioned candy machine with Ashoka-emblazoned M&Ms?! Rubbing shoulders with Fellows during brown bag lunches?! Seeing Bill Drayton in the elevator?! *gawk*) working here is also more fun, challenging, and eye-opening than I could have imagined.
Getting here was a long process, but it was worth every effort. I can’t wait to celebrate Bill Drayton’s birthday in person this year.
-Natalie
Ashoka South Florida in the Miami Herald
Many reasons why I love this article, but the main one: it portrays a network of entrepreneurs working to achieve social impact, regardless of whether they are “social entrepreneurs” or “business entrepreneurs”.
Regardless of the for-profit or not-for-profit. Yes, there are differences among them. Yes, some may achieve higher impact than others. Yes, a social enterprise is a different animal than a system-change innovation that transforms a whole industry. But we strongly believe that the ultimate bottom line for scaling social impact is increasing the number of changemakers in society, helping everyone see their own role as agents of change. In South Florida, Ashoka is building a network that is moving that idea forward, involving people coming from the business sector, to media, to youth, to foundations.
Our own Lorena Garcia is weaving those networks and paving the way for a community of changemakers to transform Miami and the world. And the Miami Herald is writing about it!
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