Social entrepreneurs are people with a big idea and the audacity to believe they can change the world.
Bill Drayton
Guest contribution/Bard:
Social Justice and Civic Engagement
Bill Drayton was born in New York City in 1943. He grew up in a family that valued social justice and civic engagement. His father was a civil rights lawyer and his mother was a social worker.
Environmental Protection
Drayton attended Yale University, where he majored in political science and economics. After graduating from Yale, he worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company. He then served in the Carter White House and as Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, where he launched emissions trading and many other lasting reforms.
Commitment to Social Change
Drayton founded Ashoka in 1980. He was inspired to found Ashoka after meeting a group of social entrepreneurs in India. These entrepreneurs were working to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems with innovative ideas and a commitment to social change.
Changemakers
Drayton believed that social entrepreneurs were the most powerful force for good in the world. He wanted to create an organization that would support and amplify the work of social entrepreneurs. Ashoka was founded on the belief that everyone has the potential to be a changemaker and that social entrepreneurs are the leaders of the change movement.
Nonviolence and Peace
The name „Ashoka“ means „without sorrow“ in Sanskrit. It is the name of a famous Mauryan emperor who ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BC. Ashoka is known for his conversion to Buddhism and his promotion of non-violence and peace.
Global reach
Ashoka has grown into a global organization with more than 3,800 Ashoka Fellows in over 90 countries. These Fellows have collectively created over 350,000 jobs and reached over 1 billion people. Ashoka is recognized as one of the most influential nonprofit organizations in the world.
Social entrepreneurship is the most powerful force for change in the world today.
Bill Drayton
Here are some of the key events that led to the founding of Ashoka:
– In 1977, Drayton met a group of social entrepreneurs in India. These entrepreneurs were working to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems with innovative ideas and a commitment to social change.
– In 1980, Drayton founded Ashoka. The organization’s mission was to „identify, support, and connect social entrepreneurs to create a more just and equitable world.
– In 1984, Drayton received a MacArthur Fellowship. This gave him the financial resources to devote himself full-time to Ashoka.
– In the early 1990s, Ashoka began to grow rapidly. It expanded into new countries and began supporting a broader range of social entrepreneurs.
– Today, Ashoka is a global organization with more than 3,800 Ashoka Fellows in over 90 countries. These Fellows have collectively created over 350,000 jobs and reached over 1 billion people.
Ashoka has had a significant impact on the world. It has helped raise awareness of social entrepreneurship and its impact on the world. It has also helped create a global community of social entrepreneurs working to make the world a better place.
Wonderful!
