Our Accelerator helps social entrepreneurs gain clarity on systemic root causes of social and environmental problems and the importance of engaging more changemakers as part of the solutions. It enables them to design effective systems change strategies based on respect to all humans and nature.
Refined since 2010, it is a structured collective thinking process between social entrepreneurs, systems thought partners from Ashoka and selected leaders from business and the social sector.
We run on average two accelerators per year, each for a cohort of 12 selected social entrepreneurs. Diverse in geography and topics, participants are always united by one theme that we define together with the cohort sponsor.
Our recipe for success is
a careful selection of social entrepreneurs
expertise-based matching with thought partners,
a proven strategy process based on three key principles,
regular zoom calls,
and an in-person 3-day summit with thought partners who then open doors and advance the social entrepreneurs' strategies.
This is what participants and partners say about the accelerator
This program is a great re-alignment of our core goals, to really figure out how we can change the system and to make it more concrete. This process has been a huge benefit for me, as a leader and changemaker, and has had a positive impact on my team members who participated in the program.
Melissa Malzkuhn
Founder and CEO of Motion Light Lab | Ashoka Fellow USA | Cohort Participant 2021
At IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, we are proud to partner with Ashoka to support social entrepreneurs around the world with their systems change challenges and solutions, sharing our co-worker knowledge and taking inspiration from them on how IKEA can be more people and planet positive.
Åsa Skogström Feldt
Managing Director IKEA Social Entrepreneurship | Cohort Partner
I've gotten exposure to inspiring changemakers enacting systems change in unique ways. Interacting with them has also allowed me to broaden not just my network but also my perspective of how I might further leverage my talents to drive even more social and environmental impact in my career.
Massimiliano Hasan
Advisor at Topiku & FinTech Executive | Thought Partner
Globalizer gave us the opportunity as a leadership team to intentionally spend time on refining our scale strategy. It has given us deeper clarity and an understanding of how we can achieve our vision and where to focus our energy on changing the system of youth education and upbringing in Africa.
Susannah Farr
Founder and CEO gold youth | Ashoka Fellow South Africa | Cohort Participant 2018
Working with Ashoka Fellows taught me a lot about specific topics in the sustainability space such as regenerative urban agriculture or sport as post-traumatic therapy. I wouldn’t have been exposed to these topics in my research and professional work so I am very grateful.
Marvin Henry
Consultant at McKinsey & Researcher at Utrecht University | Thought Partner
Our work has always focused on systemic change and impact. What the Globalizer did for our project was to create the space, discipline, and approach to introduce new perspectives and significantly accelerate outcomes.
Brent Kopperson
Founder and CEO Windfall Ecology Center | Ashoka Fellow Canada | Cohort Participant 2019
It has been enriching to participate on the program. The methodology and the process obliged me to participate with commitment and depth on every phase. The experience has helped me to re-think some issues in my own job and how to structure and bring some more method and substance to it.
Clemencia Nicholson
CFO at Arbusta Argentina | Thought Partner
This is how our process works
SELECTION
We invest much care into selecting those social entrepreneurs from the Ashoka network who at that moment are ready to invest the time and energy to take a birds’ eye perspective and challenge their own strategy.
MATCHING
Around each participating social entrepreneur, we compose a team of the best fitting thought partners. We are privileged to have 300+ committed senior executives and business consultants in our network.
KEY PRINCIPLES
Our thought process is based on the Globalizer principles, which we repeat to participants and thought partners alike:
Aim for systems change! Or the problems will just reappear.
Maximize indirect impact and engage other changemakers! You will not reach the tipping point alone.
Open up! When you let go of control you allow for greater contributions from others needed to transform systems.
STRATEGY PHASE
Each social entrepreneur is matched with a team of thought partners including Globalizer systems change experts,executives, entrepreneurs, and management consultants. Each team has 14 weeks to complete the five steps of our thought process:
Problem. What exactly should change as a result of your work?
Root causes. Which social systems keep the problem in place, and how?
Systems change goal. Which element or dynamic in which social system do you want to change?
Systems Change Story. How will the story of your intended systems change play out? What are the concrete milestones that need to be achieved?
Contribution. What exactly will you do to make progress toward these milestones?
deepen their understanding of the problem they are working on, increase focus on systems change, indirect impact (rather than direct service only), and engaging more changemakers to shift the system, develop a clear action plan and strengthen their personal leadership skills to facilitate systems change.
Thought partners from business and the social sector
get a deep dive into a social/environmental problem together with a systems change practitioner, have a chance to contribute their experience and networks, and gain insights on how they can create positive impact through their own work.
Ashoka systems thought partners (our team)
with every new cohort further refine their understanding of systems and strategies to achieve systems change and move towards and Everyone a Changemaker world, and consequently turn patterns they notice into evidence-based knowledge products open to all changemakers.
Check out some of our Fellow's journeys through the accelerator
Addressing global challenges through Systems Change
Addressing global challenges through Systems Change
Check out our current cohort
Since our inception in 2010, we have run on average two accelerators per year.
The current cohort is in collaboration with IKEA Social Entrepreneurship with a special focus on improving livelihoods around the world.
To face the massive problem of plastic pollution, Agustina and her team developed an approach focused on the relationship people have with this material and placing prevention as a priority. She promotes the development of new habits under the slogan of “unplastify-ing” organizations and daily life. Agustina is also behind UPFC, a network certification model that verifies in a traceable manner the reduction of disposable plastics used by companies. Agustina developed cultural change programs and plastic footprint measurement with co-design strategies in more than 40 companies. With UPFC, her team has already validated 5 companies in Argentina.
Through her participation in Dela, she aims to develop a strategy to scale-up her work with companies and position Unplastify & UPFC. She also seeks to focus on having a marketing strategy and build a clearer roadmap and message to reach potential partners. And lastly, plan for the next 3-5 years to expand the organizations´s work with companies and therefore position the Plastic Footprint and UPFC globally.
This is the targeted systems change Agustina and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
In the system of single-use plastic use in companies, there is a need to change a rule: Companies minimize single-use plastic in their products, services, and operations. This will create internal and external value for the company. Internally, it will lead to more engaged and empowered employees that bring plastics to the center of the sustainability agenda. Externally, it will improve brand image and reputation.
Through Save Philippine Seas (SPS), Anna focuses on finding ways to make marine conservation relatable, engaging, and exciting through campaigns, experiential learning methods, and policy advocacy. She is enabling individuals and institutions to gain a fundamental understanding and appreciation of the oceans and ultimately engaging youth, businesses, and governments to collaborate on initiatives.
Her expectations on participating in Dela include feeling challenged and compelled to look at her work in new and different ways. She also hopes to get support on methods to measure impact, and advice on how to scale impact without losing the integrity or quality of their work and losing sleep over fundraising requirements.
This is the targeted systems change Anna and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
For the broader public to see the Philippine seas as a vital source of livelihood, well-being, and economy and part of our national identity and heritage.
Learn more about Anna and Save Philippines Sea here.
The future of wholesale is small-batch and responsibly made, according to Ella and her team at Powered by People, a B2B wholesale platform which enables independent, diverse makers and brands – all over the world - by providing access to markets, financing, and digital tools. In other words, the goal is to make it easy for buyers to source differently. Powered by People has connected makers from around 59 countries (mostly living in low-income communities) to buyers in North America (and soon Europe). They have facilitated $15 million in orders to makers and producers around the world and financed $11 million worth of orders (95% of makers ask for order financing). They have 2000 makers on their platform impacting over 400,000 individuals.
Through her participation in Dela, Ella hopes to scale Powered by People significantly by acquiring the skills to develop a strong network of industry leaders and advisors within the financial, philanthropic, technological, retail, logistics and social entrepreneurship space. Other goals include expanding sales, further develop maker-facing technology (narrowing the digital gap) and build out the compliance side of their business.
This is the targeted systems change developed by Ella and the team in the first phase of the program:
In the international wholesale market for artisanal products, there are efficient shipping options available for Small Batch Producers in poor countries.
Evariste has developed an innovative circular economy model that positions electronic and electrical equipment waste (3EW) as a niche of opportunity and wealth that can support a green economy and create jobs.
In the accelerator, Evariste hopes to build an efficient and effective strategy plan to advance the systemic change approach they are working for and learn the methodology to increase the social and environmental impact of their work.
The targeted systems change Evariste and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
In the e-waste management sector in Ivory Coast, there are relevant, reliable, comparable in time and publicly available data describing the situation in the system, key problems and their consequences, so that decision-makers of the systems are urged and better-informed to take action.
Learn more about Evariste and Electronic Waste Africa here.
Children with different types of diverse abilities are often diagnosed early in life - resulting in an organizational landscape that many times is very split and divided between different types of support for different diagnoses. Jenny Lindström-Beijar’s approach to disability is redefining what it means to be “normal” in order to support the goal of a more inclusive understanding of the concept. Through Our Normal and their web platform, families connect and advocate for themselves and work with their own communities using the power of larger groups to influence change.
What particularly interests Jenny is the focus the Dela programme places on system change. Today she realizes that this is how they see that Our Normal as an organization can make a real change. They have the different pieces of a puzzle in place that she now hopes to put together in order to scale both reach and impact.
This is the targeted systems change Jenny and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
In the system of service-providers to families in Sweden and globally, we want to add a resource - know-how and capacitation on inclusive/ universal design - so that the service-providers can offer services and products that meet the needs of familes with children with disabilities.
Through partnering with vendors, José Manuel is both lowering the cost of living in the most disconnected, isolated communities on the edges of Santiago and restoring neighborhood stores as local gathering spots, ensuring the vitality of the vendors in the face of large supermarket chains and rehabilitating lagging neighborhoods. Algramo (By the gram) has worked with more than 3.500 mom-and-pop stores, 8 retail stores and 10 Universities in Chile and the UK.
With Dela, José hopes to unlock their strategy for a roll out, increasing their impact and footprint.
This is the targeted systems change José and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
In the system of single-use plastic packaging in the beverage industry, there is a need to change a belief: As opposed to believing that recycling is the solution to plastic pollution, consumers understand that single use plastic must be avoided from the start and therefore their purchasing practices must change towards reuse.
Raghda El Ebrashi is creating employment for marginalized youth through a market-based sustainable model catering to business sector needs and market needs, thus, bridging the gap between the social sector and the business sector and professionalizing the citizen sector.
Through her participation in Dela, Raghda hopes to scale-up the organization through a new strategy, focusing on formal vocational education, in collaboration with the government and private sector.
This is the targeted systems change Raghda and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
In the transition to employment for youth in Egypt, there is a need for mutually responsive processes, among labor supply and demand stakeholders and regulators through exchange of data and capacities.
Through Saath, Rajendra is enhancing the lives of the urban poor though an integrated approach. This is done by providing services, advocacy and facilitating opportunities given by various stakeholders in various cities in Gujarat and Rajasthan states in India. Saath has impacted 512,681 individuals and 18,891 households across the states of Hujarat and Maharashtra. They are supporting nano and micro entrepreneurs by creating a cooperative and a technology platform that will increase their businesses and incomes with the intention to develop an informal workers cooperative which will create a network of nano and micro-entrepreneurs, suppliers, customers and financial inclusion.
By participating in Dela, Rajendra is looking forward to creating a robust business model for the proposed cooperative. This will include creating strategies for growth and maximising impact.
This is the targeted systems change Rajendra and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
In the Indian Economic System, there are communities of MEs and platforms with stakeholders supporting them working to recognize the contributions of the MEs & informal sector to the economy.
Learn more about Rajendra and Saath Charitable Trust here.
Specialisterne Foundation has been a pioneer in employment of autistic/neurodivergent persons across the world. Now Thorkil and his team will transition the efforts to scale inclusion exponentially for neurodivergent persons in communities across the world through storytelling.
Through his participation in Dela, Thorkil wants to leverage the story of acceptance and change, network to spread the idea of neurodiversity throughout the world and trigger volunteers to take action and ownership for inclusion in their own community.
This is the targeted systems change Thorkil and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
In the global narrative environment on people with autism we want to advance new mental models, such as 1/diversity enriches society, otherness evokes curiosity rather than fear, 2/ togetherness beats speed, human relationships and empathy are key to overcoming global challenges, 3/ autistic people and their families are proud and valued members of society.
Uygar is carrying out an alternative economic system, through his organization Good4Trust which is a macro-scale circular economy with minimum negative or positive ecological and social impact. They call it a Prosumer Economy, an ecosystem of producers and prosumers who have synergistic and circular relationships with deepened circular supply chains/networks. In this system, there is no leakage of wealth out of the system, there is no waste, no lasting negative impacts on the ecology and no social exploitation.
Scaling up the existing operations in Turkey and internationalising the prosumer economy to maximise impact is what he is aiming for by participating in the Dela accelerator.
This is the targeted systems change Uygar and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
In the prosumer economy in Turkey, there are gatekeepers / gatekeeping practices (around ethical behavior and intention) that work for small producers. Part of bigger goal: There are inclusive prosumer economy communities of ecological and social just SMEs working in solidarity and deepening circular supply networks
When Rafael Rincón moved to Chile in 2005, he was determined to find new solutions to combat malnutrition and social inequality in his community and beyond. Over a decade later, he founded Fundación Gastronomía Social in 2019. The foundation works to educate and promote inclusion through food (through its platform Ñam) and to build collaborations that protect food security and the environment (through Comida para Todos).
By participating in Dela, Rafael´s goal is to obtain other points of view that can reinforce their business strategy, scale the social impact and create a new support network.
This is the targeted systems change Rafael and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
In the professional training system for gastronomy jobs in Chile, training practices change in the following five ways: 1) practical; 2) online + in-person;3) empathy-based; 4) Shorter; 5) start at any point.
Learn more about Rafael and Fundación Gastronomía Social here.
Gabriela created Olabi, a social organization that started in 2014 as a makerspace and innovation hub in Rio de Janeiro, to bring new audiences into technological education programs in order to tackle social problems relevant to those audiences. She sees that technology is the future, particularly digital technology, and to be a full citizen in the society and to have access to jobs and even rights, everyone needs to understand how to work with it. She also sees that these skills are underdeveloped in women, especially black women, older people, and children from various economic levels. She is working to bring technological skills to these populations.
For the future, Gabriela wants to continue creating strategies to build a technological and innovation ecosystem with great diversity of gender, race, and age, in which there will be a greater understanding of the role of new technologies - considering their critical role in building a fair and inclusive world.
This is the targeted systems change Gabriela and the team developed in the first phase of the program:
Change the mindset of the technology sector about the competitive advantage of hiring and retaining a more diversified staff (especially in terms of people of color and women) and bringing them the necessary tools and information to enable companies to hire and retain diversified talent.
What enables us to run strategy accelerators, are partnerships with value-aligned companies.
By joining forces, we leverage the unique strengths, networks, and resources of each of our organizations for a better, more equitable world where everyone is supported to contribute to positive social change.
Join forces with Globalizer to:
meet and accelerate the impact of some of the most exciting global social entrepreneurs advancing your area of interest
gain insights and contacts on topics central to your core business and / or your heart
further develop and fulfil your sustainability goals
meaningfully engage and develop talent on all levels (from entry to senior leaders)
Get in touch with us to learn more about the different engagement options and hear from our current partners.
