Ashoka
Menno Moffitt de Block
Menno is a writer and storytelling consultant for Ashoka's E2 Network. A former strategy consultant, he has assisted social enterprises in multiple countries with their strategy and storytelling. He is also the author of “Diving Deep, Going Far,” a ‘reality novel’ about a new generation of female leaders in Cambodia, and former co-founder of SENStation, an online platform connecting social entrepreneurs, students, universities, and business partners. He holds an MSc. International Management from Erasmus University Rotterdam and HEC Paris.
Meet the Change: Convening the E2 Network in Boston
Friday, March 31st marked the Ashoka Entrepreneur-to-Entrepreneur (E2) Network's first official, in-person convening. Called Meet the Change: Boston Edition, the event brought together our three newest E2 Members, several Ashoka Fellows, as well as other changemakers from Ashoka's network.
Below is a short recap and visual impression of Meet the Change: Boston Edition — further reflections will be shared shortly on Ashoka's Medium channel and YouTube channel.
Bringing Together Business and Social Entrepreneurs
The E2 Network's mission is to combine the power of business and social entrepreneurs, each committed to the good of all. Leveraging each of their unique skills, insights, and resources, we can jointly come to novel solutions for some of the world's most pressing issues. Through events like Meet the Change, we sow the seeds for this type of collaboration.
Generously hosted by The Legatum Center at MIT and its executive director Dina Sherif — a former Ashokan — Meet the Change convened for the first time our three new E2 Members: James Rhee, Chinedu Echeruo, and Bob Chapman.
Other distinguished guests included Ashoka Fellows Sasha Chanoff and Rosanne Haggerty, entrepreneur and longtime Ashoka supporter Philippe Villers, social entrepreneur and former Ashokan Fernande Raine, as well as several Ashoka team members.
A Day of Learning
More than anything, Meet the Change presented its participants with a tremendous opportunity for learning and inspiration. E2 Members gained first-hand impressions of the systems-changing work done by Ashoka Fellows, such as Rosanne Haggerty's efforts to eradicate homelessness in the U.S.
Conversely, our E2 Members were able to contribute their own unique perspectives and backgrounds to the work of our Fellows, particularly through a problem-solving challenge presented by Sasha Chanoff, around the issue of supporting unaccompanied refugee children.
In addition, E2 Members were able to meet and learn from each other, and the Ashoka team had the opportunity to learn more from the E2 Members about how they look at their collaboration and engagement with Ashoka.
Meet the Change: The Start of (Much) More to Come
As the Entrepreneur-to-Entrepreneur team, we are very excited to have shared this event with each other, and observing the collaborations that were beginning to form. We are very much looking forward to continuing the connections that have been forged, as well as continuing to create future opportunities for engagement between our E2 Members, Ashoka Fellows, and other changemakers in Ashoka's network.
To learn more about the E2 Network and what membership looks like, please visit e2.ashoka.org or contact Njideka Harry.
Visual Impression of Meet the Change: Boston Edition
