Everyone can be a changemaker and it is never too early too start. That is the premise that global non-profit Ashoka says is behind its new LeadYoung initiative, which seeks to inspire people with stories about successful social entrepreneurs and how they started their work at a young age.
Ashoka, founded by Bill Drayton, first introduced the phrase “social entrepreneur,” which has become a common buzzword in the global development community and beyond. The group works with hundreds of Ashoka fellows across the world, who are developing projects that tackle social problems in their communities.
Within five years of launch, about 76 percent of the fellows changed national patterns in their field and 52 percent changed national policy, according to an impact assessment conducted by Corporate Executive Board.
About the author
Jennifer Piettedisgeneration
Jennifer Ehidiamen is a Nigerian writer who is passionate about communications and journalism. She has worked as a reporter and communications consultant for different organizations in Nigeria and overseas. She has an undergraduate degree in mass communication from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, and M.A. in business and economics from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, New York. In 2014, she founded Rural Reporters (www.ruralreporters.com) with the goal of amplifying underreported news and issues affecting rural communities.
