Ashoka
Next Now advances the new frontier of social change
We face significant challenges from climate change and technological shifts to evolving demographics and social divides. Many traditional institutions struggle to keep pace. Yet, social entrepreneurs and communities are bringing innovative solutions and building a brighter future. The real task is to rapidly implement solutions.
Next Now is Ashoka’s strategic initiative to build the future before it arrives. We focus on fields urgently in need of new paradigms, reimagining what’s possible and creating roadmaps to get there. Our strategies drive collective action, not just advancing single solutions but transforming entire systems. By harnessing Ashoka’s global network of leading social entrepreneurs, Next Now moves beyond isolated innovations to achieve deep, lasting change.
Our Next Now Fields
For the first time in history, more people are over 65 years old than under five – a seismic demographic shift affecting all aspects of our lives and economies. How can we all live purposeful, healthy lives as we age? How can we reverse age segregation? How can we reinvent retirement and value care work?
We need to fundamentally rebalance our relationship not only with nature, but as part of it. How can we help all children fall in love with the natural world (and therefore protect it)? How can our economic systems prioritize shared wellbeing on a healthy planet? How can we bring unlikely allies on board?
More and more aspects of our lives are impacted by technology. How will humanity anticipate, mitigate, and manage the consequences of algorithms, artificial intelligence, robots, and more? How do we ensure tech works for the common good? And empowers everyone?
Discover Insights
Ashoka Fellows work at the leading edge of tech and humanity, lifelong contribution, environmental innovation, and other rapidly evolving fields. Follow the world’s leading social entrepreneurs via weekly conversations throughout the year and find out what’s working, what’s next, and the role we can all play. And below, explore recent interviews with a few our 4,000 Ashoka Fellows in 90+ countries.
Making the most of the multi-generational moment
Marc Freedman is the founder and co-CEO of CoGenerate, a company seeking to bridge the divides between people of different ages. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on how to make the most of the multi-generational moment.
How one organization is aiming to counter ageism
Ximena Abogabir felt an emotional sting around age 70 when her colleagues in Santiago, Chile, began to treat her less as an asset and more as a liability. Her own experience, along with rising stereotypes about older people’s value in the workplace and society, inspired her to co-create “Travesía Cien,” an organization to help counter ageism in her country and beyond.
The healing power of grandmothers
Dixon Chibanda brought the two together by founding “The Friendship Bench,” an organization that recruits and trains older women in cognitive behavioral therapy and then connects them with clients dealing with “kufungisisa,” or depression. In this episode, Dixon describes the things he’s learned while witnessing the healing power of grandmothers–and of sharing stories.
Women don't LEAVE, they evolve: How motherhood changes careers
Riccarda Zezza was one of them. When she discovered her role had disappeared, she didn’t just see a setback—she saw a missed opportunity. Motherhood, she realized, had equipped her with powerful professional skills that too many workplaces overlook.
Designing better lives for all
Emi Kiyota is an internationally recognized thought leader on healthy aging. Inspired by her grandmother’s experience, Kiyota helps create elder communities with spaces that accommodate everyone. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on designing better lives for all.
Memory loss and healthy aging
DY Suharya is the founder of Alzheimer's Indonesia and the regional director of Alzheimer's Disease International for the Asia Pacific region. When her mother was diagnosed with dementia, Suharya became her caregiver. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on memory loss and healthy aging.
Next Now is where the shift begins
Turning points take societies by surprise. This represents a significant shift: from a few individuals making all the decisions to everyone being empowered.
