Dela Programme

“I see the importance to support social entrepreneurs that want to advance ED&I, as it is a societal challenge we are all facing and a business/organisational opportunity to embrace and engage with.

I look forward to share my knowledge and experience, collaborate with others and contribute to create real system change together. Rather than address isolated problems one at a time,

I am excited to contribute to change the system that created the problems. Engage with future potential for scalability and visualise change, that can have a wider impact to shape sustainable futures for societies and the environment.”

“As someone who supports social entrepreneurs focused on advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, I find purpose in both my professional and personal life. This commitment allows me to continuously learn and grow as a global citizen. I aim to acknowledge my privilege and leverage my platform to enhance everyone’s rights and conditions. Additionally, I hope to contribute by approaching challenges with an open mind, practicing strategic stakeholder management, and collaborating with my partner to explore effective, human-centric ways of utilizing technology and the IKEA platform to positively impact the Dela V programme.”

"In my opinion the goal of social enterprises is to create an economy that develops in a responsible way, that not only makes use of raw materials in a conscious way, but that allows its employees to feel included and appreciated, in the full representation of themselves. I hope with my contribution to facilitate this process, because when you welcome differences, you also learn to cultivate curiosity about what seems different to us."

I have spent most of my 20 years with Ashoka interviewing, supporting and advancing Ashoka social entrepreneurs who represent people who have been excluded, discriminated against and who have little voice in Latin America and to help them achieve transformative social impact. I interviewed and helped select Francisco as his second opinion interviewer and panel chair, have spent more than five hours one on one with him and hope to be able to contribute to the truly transformative impact which his program has already achieved and which is now endangered by a new government in Argentina.

"One of the many reasons why I joined IKEA is that I can be a part of positive impacts to the society and accelerating Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. This program will help me to widen my views of this topic and I aim to contribute by promoting diverse perspectives and being an open, constructive and thought provoking partner".

"I believe that engaging and valuing all diversity and richness of humans will help us to create a better future for all. The individualism and standardization have brought us to a point that many people don’t feel part and engaged in the society, we are losing opportunity to enhance a world where everyone feels valued and have opportunity to contribute in building the future that will be much better for the society as well as nature. Social entrepreneurs working on EDI dare to challenge that status quo, by paring up with one of them I hope to support the change journey as well as learn how I can bring back concrete actions to my company. In parallel I also hope to challenge my unknown bias.”

“I admire social entrepreneurs who founded a company to solve an environmental, social or economic problem with the intention of making the world a better place. This is why I’m interested in participating in this initiative – it will allow me to contribute my own resources and knowledge to support them, grow their idea and, as a result, support social good.” 

"I am excited to stand beside social entrepreneurs who lead the charge toward equity, diversity, and inclusion. Together, we break down barriers and build inclusive solutions where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. My commitment is to contribute with empowerment and experience of scale up systemic change towards change-makers and amplify their impact, striving for a future enriched by our differences.”

"I’m joining this program with the hope that my 30+ years of experience in leadership and business development cross different countries and cultures shall contribute to advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Despite a disrupted world I still believe that the starting point for us all is to do good, and can I support that “good” to happen, it's a contribution for a better world. I’m also looking forward to co-mentoring with Next generation leader as the learning journey for yourself never ends".

"The reason or reasons why I would like to work on inclusion projects are varied, first because I have seen the power of diversity in a work environment, a few years ago I worked in a store where the management team was very different from the one we are used to having, even some of my colleagues told me that they were not appropriate to run an IKEA market, For a long time, some of the members of this team fought to change their way of being and acting in order to adapt it to what a director was "expected" to be, in these attempts to "improve" the essence of each person was lost and with it the possibility of being exceptional. We decided to see what made each one different and exceptional and how this integrated into the team as a whole. The difference was huge and this team reached a level of excellence in the organization being proposed for several years for the store award event. After this, in each team where I am we work to highlight the differences to build a stronger team. The second reason is that the best time of my life (when everything made sense) was when I was a volunteer in my city working with the most disadvantaged groups, I gave meaning to what I did and now I have a lot of experience as a leader of some markets in IKEA and this gives me the possibility to continue contributing although from a different point of view. And the third reason is that it would be crazy to miss the great opportunity to be inspired by entrepreneurs who challenge the established system".

 

"Supporting social entrepreneurs who advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is vital because they champion the changes needed for a fair and inclusive world. My goal in participating in the Dela programme is to leverage my experience in consulting to help them dream even bigger and determine the best way to bring about change."

"In a world where Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are so important towards a better society, supporting the challenging and amazing work of social entrepreneurs is not only a duty but also a privilege; I look forward to contribute through my experience of global strategies, change management and innovation, and to learn through a journey of collaboration and mutual exchange."

I believe that supporting social entrepreneurs focused on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is crucial as they tackle systemic inequalities and develop solutions to social problems that are deeply connected with issues of equity and diversity, such as poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to education and healthcare. By participating in the Dela Programme as a Thought Partner, I intend to leverage my experience and skills to help fellow participants refine their projects and strategies, to engage in collaborative efforts, and to gain new insights from like-minded individuals, thereby enhancing my own understanding and approach to social entrepreneurship and EDI.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental for a prosperous and peaceful world, as they increase empathetic collaboration, relevant innovation and resilience.

"I truly believe each individual has a purpose in their life and it all inevitably connects to "service". To me it translates in different ways - one of the simplest ways is to put my natural strengths and passion towards a bigger goal. This world belongs to everyone who's in it, irrespective of them being able in multiple ways. This strong belief makes it important for me to collaborate alongside humans who are trying to be super humans through their selfless action in making this world a better place for everyone to live!"

"I believe that access to equal opportunities is a basic right. Through the Dela programme, I aim to contribute my strategic thinking and storytelling skills to amplify the impact of these initiatives and to contribute a meaningful change in the society" 

I am excited to support social entrepreneurs because I believe it will lead to a better world for all. As part of the Dela programme I am hoping to contribute my consulting skills and help both structure the problem and solution(s), as well as help in communicating it with potential sponsors.

"Supporting social entrepreneurs who champion Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is deeply important to me because it's about creating a world where everyone has a fair chance to thrive, regardless of background or identity. Through the Dela programme, I'm excited to lend my expertise and passion to help these entrepreneurs develop strategies, build sustainable models, and amplify their voices. Together, we can drive meaningful change and build a more inclusive society where everyone feels valued and empowered."

"Social entrepreneurs bring new ideas to tackle systemic inequalities. By backing them, we promote justice, filling gaps left by traditional systems and building stronger communities. Their success ensures we pave the way for sustainable change. I aim to contribute to the Dela program by guiding social entrepreneurs to integrate a business mindset into their organizations without diluting their core social impact. Strong value propositions are essential for scaling and sustaining social entrepreneurship, ensuring that their impact reaches broader and lasting effects"

“As psychologist by training, I cherish the transformative power of diversity. Fostering EDI not only changes the lives of individuals, it also yields significant benefits for all of us by unlocking the untapped potential of our society. With my experience in strategy development and project management across various industries and topics, I look forward to supporting the social entrepreneurs in bringing their visions to life and creating lasting impact.”

“As diversity creates dimensions, Dela will help to leverage them.”

“Leveraging existing professional skills to resolve critical social problems is for me an impactful way of giving back to the community."

"Real change in the world will only come from a change of heart." - Dalai Lama. I believe this is especially true to advance equity, diversity and inclusion. We need to spark the change, and it has to come from within. I hope I can play my part in advancing this agenda."

"In a world facing countless challenges and fragmentation, the role of social entrepreneurs dedicated to advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is more important than ever. These passionate individuals are committed to creating a better future for all. Through the Dela programme, it will be my honor to contribute to their mission, helping them reach their full potential and make a positive social impact."

"I believe that innovation and big changes start at the edges. I also firmly believe that diversity is the space where the solutions to our most pressing global challenges are to be built, and the way to do it is co-creation. Any systemic transformation towards a more just and fair society begins with empowering and shifting powers to those communities who have been marginalized by the current socio economic system. Therefore, I look forward to supporting entrepreneurs who are closest to the issues they aim to solve, making their solutions more impactful and sustainable by having the necessary conversations and finding together the right questions, tools, and approaches to navigate complexity."

"Working with social entrepreneurs is crucial to unlock market-based approaches to creating a more equitable and inclusive future for all. Through Dela, I am looking to make a contribution towards helping innovative models scale and influence systems change."

"This program allows me an opportunity to meet, get inspired from and support social entrepreneurs who are making meaningful contribution in creating an inclusive world. I would be able to contribute through my experience in for profit organisations as well as in multiple editions of globalizer program over the years."

"Promoting social entrepreneurs advancing ED&I is key to building a world where diversity is celebrated and inclusion is the norm. In the Dela programme, I aspire to contribute by facilitating the strategic thinking process and fostering an environment of shared learning and growth, ensuring the entrepreneurs can reach their full potential."

"Supporting social entrepreneurs who advance Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is essential for creating a fair and inclusive society. During the Dela programme, I aim to contribute my creative skills and collaborative spirit to help amplify their impact and drive meaningful change."

“Life is a marathon with different starting points, and it's okay if we don't all aim for the first prize. What matters is the journey and reaching the end we desire. I won't be the referee or a fellow runner, but I'll be there at different stops to ensure everyone is included. Supporting social entrepreneurs with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is like being a supporter in a marathon, providing necessary supplements along the way. During my participation, I hope to amplify their impact, share resources, and create platforms for their initiatives to thrive, helping build inclusive ecosystems that empower all individuals to succeed.”

"My passion is operating and business models for a regenerative economy, for this to be successful there needs to be systemic change. A big contributor to the mind set shift needed for systemic change to work is driven by social entrepreneurs! I want to support and be part of the solution, creating a better world for the many people."

"Supporting Equality for me is important integrated part of my life, I believe every human being should be given equal opportunity , no matter what all differences are there- we as a society should be able to acknowledge the difference and accept them and treat each other equal with respect and this is impossible without other two arms of the triangle – Inclusivity and Diversity. My contribution limit is bit undefined for me yet, but what I want to do is- to reach many people to tell them how each of us are different and yet we can be together to make a difference. There is a lot to do for us as a community- using resources available to us in a conscious manner, sharing the importance of recycling and re using. It is my dream to visit societies to give them learnings, examples and best practices how we can work together as humans, support & care for people & planet."

"As a changemaker, I believe it is my ethical duty to contribute to the community in which I reside. My goal is to offer guidance and share knowledge, and business expertise to help the partner entrepreneurs refine their strategies and operations to help them scale their solutions and impact for a constructive progression towards a brighter future where everyone is respected and accepted. With my passion for making a difference, I aim to foster creativity and inspire new approaches to problem-solving."

Supporting social entrepreneurs dedicated on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is important to me because they tackle fundamental issues and help create opportunities for everyone. In the Dela Programme, I’m eager to contribute my skills and passion to make a real difference and help build a fairer, more inclusive world."

"I deeply wish to support social entrepreneurs in creating new solutions and contribute spreading as much as possible the positive change around us. Ambition, passion, collaboration are qualities that in my opinion are essential to develop as individual and a team, and therefore succeed in the purpose."

"For me, supporting social entrepreneurs is extending their great impact, so needed in our society, while trying to reshape where we want to grow as a community. I aim to contribute significantly through my passion, energy and solution-oriented and wider approach mindset ensuring a thoughtful and impactful approach within the program."

"Supporting social entrepreneurs dedicated to advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) is crucial because it fosters a more just and inclusive society, where diverse perspectives are valued and embraced. My personal journey from Asia to Europe and my professional background in business development and social entrepreneurship have deepened my commitment to these values. By participating in the Dela programme, I hope to contribute my strategic thinking, creative problem solving skills, and experience in fostering inclusive initiatives to empower and support fellow social entrepreneurs. Together, we can create impactful solutions that drive positive social change."

"Having the opportunity to support entrepreneurs who are working to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion is important to me because, in society, we need to look beyond our current structures and systems to strive together toward a fairer and more inclusive world. The least we can do is lend a hand to support these courageous individuals who have taken a step forward and placed a social mission at the center of their lives. Beyond the support we provide, we can gain numerous insights that can be applied to our daily work and the decisions we make. This knowledge will help us shape our path forward in our mission to create a better everyday life. + the support I am hoping to give."

"I believe in the importance of empowerment of people. No matter what background we might come from we are all human and now more than ever we need the support of each other. We at IKEA believe in “creating a better everyday life, for the many people.” This includes everyone."

"I am very excited to support social entrepreneurs working on advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion because for many years this has been a great personal focus of mine. In my personal and professional life, I am constantly working on improving Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in my environment, focusing on women’s rights, physical and mental disabilities, and animal rights. By participating in the Dela programme, I am hoping to bring my passion and energy to the table, as well as my ideas and knowledge, but also to learn from the entrepreneurs and other partners, so I can grow professionally and personally in these very important and life changing topics."

"We all deserve and can benefit from a more equal, more diverse and more inclusive society, so let’s be part of the change that we wish to see."

"I am a passionate advocate for human connections and they impact they can create. Although we have made strides towards inclusivenes and equity, much work remains and it is our collective resposability to continue this journey. Programs like this one are key elements to create a lasting change in our current society and communities. I am thrilled to be part of it. I am hopping to contribute with my experience in Innovation training and innovative mindsets as well as the work I have done coaching teams in their own projects from inception to market. Looking forward to it."

"I am passionate about positive change and social impact, to be part of Dela programme gives me the opportunity to support with my experience, social entrepreneurs to develop and strengthen their strategies to achieve bigger impact."

"In today's world, and maybe more than ever, we need to come together and stand in solidarity with each other, celebrating and embracing our rich diversity as humanity. We all have a role to play in continuously advancing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - aspirations which strengthen us as a business, and are at the heart of creating a better everyday life for the many people. I am so excited to be part of the DELA programme, and to learn and support social entrepreneurs on their important journeys to create tangible change for those who need it the most."

With her international retail and expansion experience, Linda would like to bring in her knowledge and competence how to explore and penetrate existing and new markets, create possibilities and maximize sales and social impact.

"Lets fix the broken system together and make the impossible possible!"

Annette is a strategic business leader experienced in building portfolios, high performing teams and sustainable growth in global markets.

She has a background in marketing, product and business development.

"I’m hoping to help social entrepreneurs on solving most critical issues they are facing from an external perspective. I have been helping the Ashoka Globalizer for 5 years and find it very rewarding to use my knowledge to help others working on a high impact cause."

"It’s great to have the opportunity to apply my professional skills and contribute with my time to support one of the Ashoka fellows, who all aim to change our society and world for the better."

"A combination of developing business, people and co-creating new opportunities, with true meaning and purpose. All at once is present in social entrepreneurship, which delivers towards a better everyday life for the many, in many different fields.  

I hope that I can contribute with listening and coaching skills, enabling a fruitful and valuable collaboration along the program.  

As well as bringing different perspectives into our work group and hold our values together, having them present in the decisions that lay in front of us”

"I want to support the Dela Programme, Ashoka social entrepreneurs to scale their impact more broadly and deeply by bringing my experience in the social and business sector to leverage their system changing strategies into greater impact."

“Social impact work is a great and fun learning experience, and helpful for the entrepreneurs: is a win-win situation”

“I want to contribute my grain of sand to help social entrepreneurs to build a better world, to give back a little of what I have fortunately received. From my place I will try to bring a different vision and my passion for making an impact.”

Ximena García is a Business Analyst at Kearney with a consulting and strategy analysis background. 

“I admire social entrepreneurs who founded a company to solve an environmental, social or economic problem with the intention of making the world a better place. This is why I’m interested in participating in this initiative – it will allow me to contribute my own resources and knowledge to support them, grow their idea and, as a result, support social good.” 

Judy is a Retail, Purchasing and Logistics Senior Financial Executive and Company Officer with broad experience in all aspects of finance, treasury, tax, accounting, auditing, business controlling, operations, legal affairs, governance, compliance, and risk management. 

"In my view, social entrepreneurs are the trailblazers that prioritize humanity and social change ahead of corporate establishment to bring a better future for all of us, and in particular for those people and domains that need change the most. It’s a privilege to learn, enjoy the energy and vision, engage and try to give back where I can to empower those who work with little safety net to make the world a better place."

"I try to give my time and talents to the organizations and communities that are in my local area.  This was a great opportunity to hopefully utilize my talents to bring a positive impact to people that I will never meet in another part of the world.

Noopur Inani is a Product Manager at UiPath with a background in Sales engineering, consulting for enterprises, and Agile Delivery Methodologies. 

"I am very happy to again be part of the Dela program as a Thought Partner and to be matched with Rafael Rincón Magro from Fundacion Gastronomia Social. I like to be part of a force for positive change, and if I can, make a lasting impact, today and for the coming generations."

Toopan has a background in retail, innovation and consumer goods growth strategy. In Toopan's words: 

"I strongly believe in the potential for social entrepreneurs to drive sustainable, systemic change around big problems and hope to contribute learnings from my experiences developing strategy and innovation for retail and consumer goods firms, as well as work with prior Dela Globalizer Fellows."

Alfonso Compean is an Associate at Kearney and has a background in business analytics and finance

Adolfo is passionate about solving business problems and collaborating with people; constantly looking for new global trends, innovative business models and technological tools in order to transform data into valuable insights for clients and businesses.

Andrea Plasencia Camargo is a Business Analyst at Kearney and has a background in Business Analytics and student leadership. In Andrea's words:

“It is often said that social entrepreneurs just identify resources where people only see problems. I believe that they are much more; they’re the driven and creative individuals that will remake the world for the better. If we are privileged enough to have a certain set of skills or certain knowledge that can contribute to this change, it is our duty to contribute as much as we can. I hope I can be that contributor for my team”

Martyn Brache leads the prioritised expansion approach, enabling business development across IKEA to capture the total people and market potential in existing and new IKEA countries in a sustainable way. 

“In an ever-changing world where the world feels more divided and challenged than ever, it always brings me great humbleness and energy that social entrepreneurs take on the challenge to build a social enterprise which also considers so many factors affecting society today. Even though I have worked for IKEA for so long I very much believe in the vision of IKEA (creating a better everyday life for the many people) and how we are driven to be entrepreneurs in the business we do. I believe I therefore share the same values and direction which excites me to support and participate in the programme. 

Really looking forward to being part of the programme and as our founder says! Many things remain to be done, Glorious Future!” 

Monica is an experienced facilitator of integral development for individuals and organizations. She is passionate about supporting top teams through culturally-aware journeys that create places of work where individuals can be at their best and bring their whole self to work, unlocking high organizational performance.

She is also a certified coach who believes that deep understanding and acceptance of self and others can bring contentment and happiness. 

"My personal motivation to support the Dela program and social entrepreneurs is to enable them as system change leaders which requires the involvement of all stakeholders and perspectives – I am grateful for getting the chance to bring in one of these perspectives to tackle the problem holistically."

Carolina is an experienced leader with a dynamic personality, strong interpersonal skills, and communications acumen. Driven to explore, develop and implement innovative solutions to complex problems at the intersections of business, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.  

 
She is qualified in working with private and public partnerships, international organizations, and multistakeholder collaborations over the last decade. Her skills are facilitated by a background in leadership, sustainability, communications & social and medical sciences. 

Since 2018, Silvia works for IKEA France as COO leading a team of 9 managing directors and 2000 Coworkers in 9 markets in the Northeast of France like Lille or Strasbourg. Her current challenges are the implementation of the omnichannel strategy in a fast paced and agile way to increase even more market penetration in Furniture business, digital transformation and sustainable retail system. 

 
She is certified as executive coach for ICF until August 2021, and she also works as a mentor with IE Business School and coach volunteer in www.forcefemmes.com 

Helen Chorlton has been with the Cities and Urbanisation team in PwC Cape Town, South Africa since February 2019, working on Internationally funded cities projects. Working to PwC’s Africa leader for Cities & Urbanisation, Helen is working with the team to support bespoke City improvement initiatives, including supporting cities with their climate and sustainability needs. Helen is also leading on community outreach and is engaged in PwC’s enterprise and supplier development work and internal diversity and inclusion initiatives. 

Prior to this, Helen worked as a Senior Programme Manager for a South African based NGO that focused on children and adolescent HIV running a programme on clinic community collaboration. For more information on this, please see: www.teampata.org/C3. 

From 2014-16 Helen worked for the Treatment Action Campaign (South African health sector NGO) as their Chief Operations Officer. This position involved leading change to enable the organisation to refocus its delivery in a changing health policy and donor environment as well as enabling the organisation to diversify its fundraising. The role also entailed exercising managerial oversight of operations to effectively implement improvements to policy (and policy implementation) in the health sector for people living with HIV/TB. Before coming to South Africa in 2014, Helen worked for the UK Government (Foreign and Commonwealth office). 

Her roles included effectively managing wide ranging UK Government programme and project portfolios across different countries (e.g. managing civilian led programmes in Iraq and Afghanistan; and a large communications campaign in Pakistan). Helen is originally from near Manchester in the UK and has been in South Africa since 2014. In her spare time, she loves the outdoors and spending a lot of time hiking in particular. Helen also loves photography, cycling and travel, most recently visiting Nepal to hike to Everest Base Camp. 

“I'm starting the program with a humble student mindset. From the first couple of meetings I'm already learning so much from Ashoka and their amazing work on distilling systems change practices from thousands of social entrepreneurs' work worldwide, from the great team on the ground moving forward e-waste recycling in Africa and from my fellow Thought Partners. Amazing variety of experiences and backgrounds, systems perspective and a genuine spirit of service and determination. Such a drastic difference from so many pitch-deck oriented accelerator programs I've been to as a social entrepreneur myself!

I'm honoured to be part of this journey and hope my experience in both e-waste recycling and complexity work can support the much needed work Evariste and Daniel are doing.” 

Lars-Erik is an experienced Talent Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the retail industry. Skilled in Negotiation, Talent Management, HR Consulting, Coaching, and Employee Engagement, he is a human resources professional graduated from Lunds University. 

"I believe that Inclusion will be one of the essential parts of developing a better world and supporting social entrepreneurs is one aspect of Inclusion that contributes to a positive social impact. I think I can contribute with my experience in building high-performing and inclusive teams in many different parts of the world."

"I worked all my life in the consumer good industry and happily retired 10 years ago from my corporate life where I was a senior executive. I am an ASN since 2012 with Ashoka and love the Globalizer experience"

“I see myself as a “Privileged Insider” as described by the Embedding Project whereby I have gained a great advantage from my education, socio-economic background, and citizenship. It is my responsibility to use this privilege to support and share my expertise with those looking to shift our system towards a more just and sustainable society for all to flourish.

As a thought partner, I hope to bring my curiosity first and foremost to learn with and from the project, to share insights that I might hold based on my 10 years’ experience teaching and mentoring changemakers and to ask wise questions to support the social entrepreneur to explore system change.  

"I believe in supporting social entrepreneurs as they address problems that our society faces with a profound passion and conviction of their idea. They do not have a primary focus on profit, but on improving the state of this world. I am delighted to join the Dela programme as a Thought partner! I am curiously looking forward to supporting Thorkill Sonne from Specialisterne Foundation. 

I particularly admire social entrepreneurs, as when mounting and running a social organization one usually has to overcome more adversities in comparison to a for-profit. 

I hope to contribute to the Dela programme in different ways: First and foremost with my strong intrinsic motivation for driving positive change on this planet, but also my energy level and passion, professional background both in the for-profit, as well as the non-profit sector and helpful knowledge and skills I have been allowed to gain to date." 

"Being a part of a movement for what I respect is always a great joy of my life. I want to contribute to Jenny (my social entrepreneur partner) to design her step by step plans and of course I am dreaming of being able to give what she needs!"

Isabelle Martin is a member of the Ashoka Support Network in France. She has taken part in several Globalizer Programs in France, Bangladesh and India.

The Dela programme is a great opportunity for her to stay tuned with innovative environmental and social projects and to meet extraordinary people.

Her professional experience in strategic thinking and change management has been useful to provide support to the fellows during the Globalizer program.

Usha is a driven strategist with insight into Business change:

"I have held multiple roles spanning strategy, finance, advisory, and training for both start-ups and enterprise organizations."

"Social entrepreneurs are creating unique ripples of change on Earth and I find it extremely meaningful to be able to support activities that are in their own unique ways contributing towards a better world.

I´m hoping to contribute to the process by asking powerful questions, having a whole systems perspective, holding space for all cycles of the process, and walking alongside."

"We need to develop a new approach to growth, the Good Growth that will promote long-term possibilities for humankind to live sustainably on what one planet can possibly provide for. Good growth will create value beyond the traditional financial conventions, good growth delivers long term and redefines value for all parties, society at large and humankind.

I hope to contribute in Dela with my wide background from many roles in organisations for profit and non-profit. I hope to be able to formulate a viable business by being curious humble and true to doing good."

Andrea is the founder of Sales4Good, a Social Enterprise Consulting Company with Focus on Scaling Business & Impact; seasoned Globalizer Thought Partner. 20+ys of experience with B2B Sales and Building Startups (Open Source Software Company Co-Founder). In Andrea's words: 

"It is important for me to support Social Entrepreneurs because the real innovation the world needs comes from them, not from the Venture Capitalized “Unicorns”.

I hope to contribute all my energy, creativity, experience and passion to make the Dela Program a success and above all the Social Entrepreneur I will support even more successful in changing broken systems!” 

Megan Frischmeyer is a NOHA Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree in International Humanitarian Action Student with a background in International Humanitarian Rights, Civil Rights and Social Action and social work and disaster management. In Megan's words: 

"I am really looking forward to learning the motivations for the entrepreneur and using their ideas to further the work of their organization. Social change brings phenomenal benefits to many people and I am excited to be a part of the Dela programme and meet many other people with the same passion for bettering the world. I hope to use my prior nonprofit experience and current humanitarian insight to contribute valuable input for my team, as well as providing plenty of positive energy throughout the process.”

Paolo Romano is a Business Navigation Manager at IKEA Supply in Italy with a background in Strategic Sourcing, management, strategising, operational management and production planning. In Paolo's words: 

"Creating and developing a sustainable business model where the Community can also benefit from."

Orlando has 10+ years of experience in strategy and service operations, building organizational capabilities for business transformations and new ventures, with a focus on service operations strategy, customer experience and digital transformation on service and technology companies. 

Currently, he enjoys working with leaders in technology, corporate innovation and social impact that are building new businesses in dynamic ecosystems in several activities including education, media, consumer goods, retail, healthcare, tourism, and insurance. 

"The Dela programme is a great opportunity to contribute my skills in business and human rights and explore innovative ways for social entrepreneurs to have the greatest social impact."

"Social entrepreneurs create the better every day for the many people, as we do in IKEA.  With impact created to support people with jobs, be creative and innovative and create business opportunities in parallel to the traditional industry and business, and give opportunities to people who are talented, innovative and determined to make a positive movement for people and planet. 

I hope I will be able to contribute with my experience, open minded approach and focusing at opportunities, with pinch of support-challenge mix."

Raj is a partner involved in providing assurance (audit) services, with a focus on entities in the Government and Public Sector within the African South Market Area. He also drives the enterprise and supplier development programme within the South African practice.

"Social entrepreneurs are truly purpose-driven with a focus on making an impact on societal challenges through innovative and practical solutions. Their purpose is noble and touches on issues that change people's lives. The commitment is quite often indicative of their resolute beliefs in making the world a better place in the area they are focused on and their success is generally the success of the society at large.

How can anybody not want to be part of enabling such activity? In joining this programme I hope to bring my skills and experience to make a humble contribution in supporting a leader amongst us in the fellow that has been embraced by the programme. The opportunity to accelerate the good work done to date is one I wish to contribute to making a reality."

"Working with Ashoka Globalizer is usually a highlight of my year. This program has not only helped me contribute to great social causes but also to learn so much about the social sector, develop a network of passionate individuals and hone my lateral thinking skills. 

All the Ashoka Fellows and their teams I have worked with over the last 4 years were fabulous, and we have kept in touch even after the program."

Isha is a social impact professional with eight years of diverse experience. Her role's common thread includes partnership management, donor engagement, communication, and operations.

"“I would like to help as others will help further”

"Social entrepreneurs have an exciting and challenging role in creating pre-conditions for change that improve life and wellbeing on the planet, now and in the future.

It is important for a wide range of stakeholders to support them in such pursuit. I believe I can offer my experience and connections to help them having a stronger and more systemic impact."

Maya is the Co-founder of Holon Perspectives and Business Development Lead with a background in diverse roles such as Team Leadership, Business Analysis, multi-sectoral Research, Program Design and Monitoring & Evaluation.

Maya Narayan is bringing to the table a decade of work experience in diverse roles such as Team Leadership, Business Analysis, Multi-sectoral Research, Program Design and Monitoring & Evaluation.

Mishri Jain is a Collaborations Co-ordinator at Catalyst 2030 with a background in law,  research ,deep analytics, marketing and designing content strategy. In Mishri's words: 

"It's easy to get drowned in the despair of the many problems the world is facing. It is often disheartening, frustrating and alarming. But social entrepreneurs are at the frontline of change, they have iterated and reiterated and found tried and tested solutions.

To support social entrepreneurs in their journey to scale impact and to amplify their voice and work is how the world will come to achieve the SDGs”

Sridhar is looking forward to enhancing the impact of IKEA by engaging with more parts of the ecosystems they operate in across the world:

"I would like to learn, contribute and make a difference."

"Working with Ashoka Globalizer is usually a highlight of my year. This program has not only helped me contribute to great social causes but also to learn so much about the social sector, develop a network of passionate individuals and hone my lateral thinking skills. All the Ashoka fellows and their teams I have worked with over the last 3 years were fabulous, and we have kept in touch even after the program."

Social entrepreneurs play a crucial role for many societal and developmental topics. Above all, they allow people to improve their lives themselves independently without creating dependencies. At the same time, they have to manage the balancing act between entrepreneurial thinking and social added value. Working in public development cooperation, I want to contribute my knowledge in structuring and scaling developmental programmes.

"It is important for me to support social entrepreneurs to be able to extend my learning and experience to diverse sectors within the development space. I am hoping to expand my network and contextualize my professional experience to best suit the entrepreneurs' needs."

Cecilia is looking forward to being part of a bigger context and being able to contribute to change in the society, through the network in IKEA and based on her experience: 

"It broadens your perspective and also make you grow as a person."

"It is important to me to be part of the Dela program as I feel that I am living a very priviliged life and I want to give back. I very much believe in Ashoka and its goal of helping social entrepreneurs scale."

As Co-founder, Holon Perspectives and Business Development Lead, Maya would love to connect with the Dela social entrepreneurs and support their organisations in solving complex problems, using a holistic approach. Maya Narayan is bringing to the table a decade of work experience in diverse roles such as Team Leadership, Business Analysis, Multi-sectoral Research, Program Design and Monitoring & Evaluation.

"Social entrepreneurs bring the right harmony of impact, livelihood creation and financial sustainability to ensure impact at scale can be achieved while ensuring sufficiency for those involved in the process. We need many more climate entrepreneurs in every region to tackle their local challenges. I bring my interests in the intersectionality of sociology & climate action, social impact consulting, on-ground community engagement and implementation support to the Dela program."

"I am inspired by Social Entrepreneurs who strive to create a better world for our future generations. I specifically look for opportunities to support entrepreneurs who balance solid understanding of community needs with establishing a scalable business model that can deliver the needed impact in a future-ready manner. I, myself, have been a business builder and an intrapreneur in all my previous professional stints across diverse industry sectors. I am hence looking forward to leveraging my past work experiences, my strategic bent of mind and my ability to structure business problems into actionable frameworks, towards helping SDI Academy scale up to its next level of growth."

"Life is more beautiful and meaningful when you can be part of creating a better everyday life for the many people."

With 5 years of work experience in Education, Decentralised Renewable Energy, Agri value chains & Sustainable Livelihoods sectors put together, Anshul has worked with different stakeholders in project implementation as well as consultancy roles.

Anshul has expertise in applying systems thinking for designing sustainable and scalable solutions to bring about systems change.  They offer systems thinking for problem diagnostics, network analysis, actor mapping, and solution design for tackling wicked problems. Also, Anshul has been experimenting with Agent-Based and Systems Dynamics modelling simulations for scenario planning and data-driven insight generations.

Through Dela, Prateek wishes to be a participant in effecting social change across the world: 
 

"I hope to assist social entrepreneurs by supporting them strategic thinking workshops and helping them express their vision through tangible illustrations."

Mission ICU offers systems thinking for problem diagnostics, network analysis, actor mapping, and solution design for tackling wicked problems. Lubaina has been experimenting with Agent-Based and Systems Dynamics modeling simulations for scenario planning and data-driven insight generations.

"I am very happy to be part of Dela III and support social entrepreneurs because I believe it is the Social Entrepreneurs and all involved People who initiate change and this is what we need for a sustainable future of the next generations to come. I do hope I can contribute with my knowledge and experience of working in various managerial roles in 7 countries for a global corporate business for 3 decades, my fairly good analytical skills and challenging thoughts and ideas."

The system change social entrepreneurs of today is a breed with real chance of impact change on scale. Supporting them supports making a real sustainable positive impact difference. Sustainable change-rings on the water where it matters the most, for groups for whom it matters the most and on SDGs where it matters the most. I hope that I will be able to contribute with dialogue, experience, network and perspective that in one way or another can help contribute in making a positive, concrete, contributing and sustainable difference, however small, for the social entrepreneur and its activities. At the same time through my learning, exposure and participation in the Dela Programme, I hope to contribute to its development and continuation.

"I support social entrepreneurs as a way of leveraging my unique background to contribute in supporting various social and environmental causes that drive nations' development and progress forward. I hope that my skills in data analytics, finance, and general management can help support the fantastic work that Telepak is doing."

"It has been a transformational learning experience for me to work with social entrepreneurs across various sectors in my professional journey. It has been hugely instructive to look at the ecosystem from their lens, and also jointly explore other perspectives and approaches that can expand their impact footprint. I look forward to listening, co-creating strategies that are contextual, nimble, and ambitious, and ensuring that their story is represented in a way that does justice to the excellent work that they are already doing on the ground."

"Linear approaches are passé. today’s challenges need systems thinking to unlock super-linear change, and co-option of the power of the enterprise, led by committed changemakers."

"The Covid pandemic had huge impacts on the world we live in. It affects all segments of the population and particularly detrimental to members of those social groups in the most vulnerable situations in many countries. I hope as a Thought Partner in Dela Program, I will make positive contribute with my IKEA value chain experience, particularly in sustainable growth with ecosystem thinking to support social entrepreneurs to scale up for a bigger social impact. I have no doubt I will also learn and grow as an individual along this journey too. Thank you IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Ashoka!"

Isabelle Martin is a member of the Ashoka Support Network in France. She has taken part in several Globalizer Programs in France, Bangladesh and India.

The Dela programme is a great opportunity for her to stay tuned with innovative environmental and social projects and to meet extraordinary people.

Her professional experience in strategic thinking and change management has been useful to provide support to the fellows during the Globalizer program.

"It’s great to have the opportunity to apply my professional skills and contribute with my time to support one of the Ashoka fellows, who all aim to change our society and world for the better."

"I believe it's important to support social entrepreneurs because they are the world's future. So many have taken up the reins that have been left dangling by our global leaders to find new innovative solutions to social issues which will create sustainable impact for the communities they serve. I am hoping to contribute to the pool of knowledge, expertise and experience around the table to create an ocean of learning that we can all swim in."

"IKEA's vision to create a better everyday life for the many people is stronger than ever and over the years I have seen how taking social responsibility really creates a change. To be able to support a Social Entrepreneur and at the same time I learn new things is such a privilege and I just want to be a part of it. I hope to contribute with using the experience and knowledge I have gained when it comes to People & Business Development and Social responsibility."

"I’m glad about the opportunity offered by the Dela programme to support social entrepreneurs. They have an essential role in making our world a better one and deserve a wide participation to improve their impact. I look forward to put my business experience and passion at their service while at the same time learn from different ways of driving change."

"As a development professional, I believe in the power of individuals and the importance of taking initiative to solve emerging social challenges of our time. The social entrepreneur ecosystem is flourishing with ground-breaking ideas and I believe we could truly maximise the impact if global multi-disciplinary expertise is pooled in to support social entrepreneurs in advancing their solutions to fruition, through a collaboratively designed system change journey. Given my experience of working in International Development, I hope to contribute strategic and practical elements of system design that are crucial to delivering effective and efficient services with high value for money in complex environments."

"Supporting entrepreneurs to even further increase their societal impact is a chance for me to give back to society - a society where only a few are as privileged as I am. While I hope to contribute strategic thinking and best practices I gained during my job as a management consultant, I strongly believe I can learn a lot from the program as well."

"A better everyday life for the many people is a part of our vision at IKEA and it gives me a lot of energy too. Social entrepreneurship is a way to live our vision in reality. Bring new perspectives and ideas to the organization I will work with is what I aim for, and to learn myself."

"As other Thought Partners, I am privileged to get the education I have and live and work where I do. Changing the status quo is an obligation and supporting social entrepreneurs who have the will and put the "skin in the game" to improve others' lives is a meaningful way to contribute to improve the livelihoods of my peers. Regarding what I am hoping to contribute to the program is to achieve that the solution that the Fellow is developing is scalable and can lead to systemic change, my experience in transformations and new business models hopefully can contribute to that end."

"I believe that all we create should contribute towards a more sustainable future and society. Contributing my experience from a consulting background, I am looking forward to jointly creating a sustainable and realizable strategy."

"Through my current job, I've come to understand the importance of sharing knowledge to help others improve and grow. I'm excited and honoured to be able to share my expertise now with the Social Entrepreneurs that are part of the Dela Programme, who are having tangible positive impacts on the world we live in, changing it for the better."

"I am delighted to have been accepted as a Thought Coach to support Social Entrepreneurs in their important and admirable work to create better conditions for vulnarable people as well as having a positive impact on the environment. I hope that with my experience, competence and critical thinking I can support and positively contribute in the Strategy development phase for the Social entrepreneurs."

"Social enterprises are generally driven by entrepreneurs who have a focus on impact. Their purpose is noble and touches on issues that change people's lives. The commitment is quite often indicative of their resolute beliefs in making the world a better place in the area they are focused on and their success is generally the success of the society at large. How can anybody not want to be aprt of enabling such activity? In joining this programme I hope to bring my skills and experience to make a humble contribution in supporting a leader amongst us in the fellow that has been embraced by the programme. The opportunity to accelerate the good work done to date is one I wish to contribute to making a reality."

Helen Chorlton has been with the Cities and Urbanisation team in PwC Cape Town, South Africa since February 2019, working on Internationally funded cities projects. Working to PwC’s Africa leader for Cities & Urbanisation, Helen is working with the team to support bespoke City improvement initiatives, including supporting cities with their climate and sustainability needs. Helen is also leading on community outreach and is engaged in PwC’s enterprise and supplier development work and internal diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Prior to this, Helen worked as a Senior Programme Manager for a South African based NGO that focused on children and adolescent HIV running a programme on clinic community collaboration. For more information on this, please see: www.teampata.org/C3.

From 2014-16 Helen worked for the Treatment Action Campaign (South African health sector NGO) as their Chief Operations Officer. This position involved leading change to enable the organisation to refocus its delivery in a changing health policy and donor environment as well as enabling the organisation to diversify its fundraising. The role also entailed exercising managerial oversight of operations to effectively implement improvements to policy (and policy implementation) in the health sector for people living with HIV/TB. Before coming to South Africa in 2014, Helen worked for the UK Government (Foreign and Commonwealth office).

Her roles included effectively managing wide ranging UK Government programme and project portfolios across different countries (e.g. managing civilian led programmes in Iraq and Afghanistan; and a large communications campaign in Pakistan). Helen is originally from near Manchester in the UK and has been in South Africa since 2014. In her spare time, she loves the outdoors and spending a lot of time hiking in particular. Helen also loves photography, cycling and travel, most recently visiting Nepal to hike to Everest Base Camp.

"Supporting others on their journey of shaping our society for the better is something that energizes me and gives me great joy – I am hoping to contribute to the team by providing a fresh outside perspective, lots of passion and positive energy, as well as, structured problem solving experience!"

"I have a great concern for social impact and contributing for the future is my dream. I want to contribute to this program with my energy and my passion to make a better world, in a simple way and always through people. I think Dela III comes at the right time in my personal and professional life, after learning how to collaborate in an NGO and after understanding the importance of social entrepreneurship. When motivation and knowledge come together, anything is possible. And if I can be part of it, with a small grain of contribution, everything is better. My life purpose is in line with what I do in my day to day through my leadership, and with what I contribute outside of IKEA as well. This program is one more seasoning for a tasty and nutritious recipe for life."

"I’m hoping to help social entrepreneurs on solving most critical issues they are facing from an external perspective. I have been helping w globalizer for 5 years and find it very rewarding to use my knowledge to help others working on a high impact cause."

"Social entrepreneurs are solving society's most pressing social problems. They are looking where no VC, innovation fund, or big corps are. Resources are limited, they need all the help they can get, I love using my time to help them solve these problems."

"Social entrepreneurs can drive sustainable system changes and as a Thought Partner I hope to accompany Camilo on the way to more impact at scale."

"Meaningful contribution to creating a better world is and has always been an important goal in my life. Ever since I was a teenager this passion translated in engaging in various social initiatives. Creating awareness and advocating for social justice, inclusion and equity are the red thread throughout this journey. Also in my professional career I have always been committed to engage in, or to initiate, social and environmental projects with a focus on creating meaningful and sustainable change in local communities and the society at large. Supporting social entrepreneurs is for me another opportunity to do my part to create that better world. I am eager to listen & learn and to contribute with my knowledge and experience in the area of strategic thinking & planning, organizational structures, stakeholder & government relations as well as a compassionate female leadership approach."

"I believe in supporting social entrepreneurs because their work is inspiring and driving sustainable, systemic change significantly multiplies the impact of their efforts. I hope to contribute through my experience in strategy development and, where applicable, knowledge of consumer products and retail markets."

More information about Daniel can be found here.

"We are interconnected, when we support other Social Entrepreneurs, we support the whole and we then co-create a bigger ripple effect throughout the world. I hope to support Social Entrepreneurs to approach systems change and their strategies in a regenerative way that gives life to all on Earth."

Tie Wang-Jones is an immigrant from Beijing, China who nationalized in San Francisco, USA but is now an expat living in Europe with her wife and their crazy cats. Her values and experiences in life has guided her career calling to the field of equity. She holds a dual PhD in business and clinical psychology, and has worked in many industries from NGOs, to academia, to the private sector doing equity work in primary research and data analytics, consulting, and enterprise strategic planning. During her career in IKEA (Ingka Group), she has helped to establish a combination of 4 centers of expertise (CoE) and company-wide initiatives.

She was on the inaugural Group People & Culture Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion (ED&I) CoE that established the foundational concepts, matrix organisation, and company strategy for ED&I. Now she is spearheading the establishment of the new Group Digital CoE called Inclusive Design, Equity, & Accessibility (IDEA CoE). The purpose of this emerging field is to ensure that we design technology and digital experiences as forces of good that will reduce bias and increase digital inclusion for the many more. Tie believes that organizations must ignite their passion and commitment to fostering ethical business growth around the world to improve the lives of people and the longevity of our planet.

"I want to support the Dela Programme, Ashoka social entrepreneurs to scale their impact more broadly and deeply by bringing my experience in the social and business sector to leverage their system changing strategies into greater impact."

"I am passionate about creating & scaling social and/or environmental impact in the world. I founded my consulting firm, CiTTA Partnership, with that same mission at its core. Supporting an Ashoka Fellow through the Dela Program is another small way for me to share my experiences and apply my skill sets towards making the world a better place."

"The Dela Programme is an amazing opportunity to help scale the positive impact of a social enterprise while learning and co-creating together with a diverse group of people. I cannot wait to be part of the team helping Melissa reflect on key strategic moves for her enterprise to maximize Motion Light Lab’s impact."

"Social Entrepreneurs have an amazing positive impact on society, people and the environment. I consider it as privilege to contribute as Thought Partner with my knowledge, experience and passion to build and implement strategies that they can accelerate their positive impact."

"In my view, social entrepreneurs are the trailblazers that prioritize humanity and social change ahead of corporate establishment to bring a better future for all of us, and in particular for those people and domains that need change the most. It’s a privilege to learn, enjoy the energy and vision, engage and try to give back where I can to empower those who work with little safety net to make the world a better place."

"I have been working for over 2 decades in higher education to develop students into change agents and social entrepreneurs. That work is incredibly rewarding because these students, like the Ashoka Fellows, will be the ones who make the world a better place. For the Dela program, I see myself as learner and partner. I’m excited to learn more about the Ashoka Fellow, her vision, and about the process. I look forward to partnering in ways that help activate new ideas and new plans for achieving her vision".

"Supporting social entrepreneurs, especially involved in systems change, is critical given the myriad of issues facing the world and developing countries in particular. My past experiences with Ashoka were amazing, and I'm looking forward to bringing strategic insights to the brilliant entrepreneurs in the program."

Betinna's vision is a world where all people have the same opportunities no matter which pre-condition they are facing. 

With his 30 years of working for IKEA in 3 continents, in business and people roles, Peter hopes to share his learnings and experience during the programme.

With her 30 years of experience, Jessica believes that we perform, transform and grow with purpose, we have the ammunition to make a difference. 

Paolo considers it a privilege to support social entrepreneurs with his experience of leading major changes, coaching and digital transformation across geographies and cultures.

Ramune is really interested in supporting a social entrepreneur working in her area of expertise and sharing IKEA People experience. 

Carmen deeply believes that the main role of a leader is to develop the people around them, sharing knowledge and experiences.

Elena is contributing to the Dela programme by leveraging her knowledge and passion for the topic to benefit the participating social entrepreneurs.

Cristiana is supporting social entrepreneurs in reaching their goals of both economic and social development towards a fairer world. 

Fredrika hopes to contribute with her knowledge and experience of developing business and people in line with a good purpose.

Doris considers it a privilege to support social entrepreneurs who create value beyond economic purpose. She wishes that her competence and experience in building and implementing strategies will support social entrepreneurship. 

Lars hopes to contribute with dialogue, experience, network and perspective to  help contribute in making a positive, concrete and sustainable difference.

Neetu hopes to add her experience, passion, knowledge, openness and strategic advice to enable good ideas to flourish into impactful actions.

Rob finds it valuable to give back and support social entrepreneurs. He commits to give and take responsibility, renew and improve, lead by example, and care for people and the planet.