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Design Blog Design Blog » Design for the Other 90% » Social Changemakers

Social Changemakers


Join in a Twitter-based Social Entrepreneurship Chat organized by Ashoka. The real time discussions on social entrepreneurship issues take place the 1st Wed of the month, 4-6PM US Eastern Time. The next conversation on Wed, July 1, focuses on mobile innovation.

Ashoka is now partnering with the Lemelson Foundation on a new initiative to support social innovators. The initiative AshokaTech now has over 70 fellows, individuals who are effectively aligning social entrepreneurship with technology.

On the Nicaraguan coast AshokaTech Fellow Mathias Craig is working with a local rural community to develop a hybrid wind/solar energy system. The aim is to create new industries resulting in local jobs and increased economic activity for a depressed area while providing basic energy needs.

Godisa’s SolarAid solar hearing aid battery recharger is expanding to other countries beyond Botswana. Transferring what he learned from this successful product AshokaTech Fellow Howard Weinstein is working with other underserved and disabled communities around the world.

In India Village Information Kiosks provide wireless internet access in remote areas. Fellow Amol Goje has developed low cost computer, video-conferencing facilities to help farmers to increase productivity, stimulate growth and educate the next generation. Using interactive communication technologies Amol looks to increase economic capacity beyond the cities; increasingly important as our urban centers grow at unprecedented rates.

About the Author: Cynthia E. Smith is Curator of Socially Responsible Design at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

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Comments

  1. Toilets and sanitation, not a topic that gets a lot of attention, but Jack Sim is changing all that. Jack Sim, Ashoka Fellow and founder of the World Toilet Organization, wants to restructure the field of sanitation worldwide. Providing humanity with clean, safe, and convenient toilets is a familiar goal, but it remains a distant one as the field struggles with cultural taboos, poor funding, and lack of political will.
    You can connect with Jack and explore possible collaborations by joining the conversation that’s taking place this week on Ashoka’s Changemakers at http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/AshokaTech

    Elizabeth | Aug 3, 07:31 PM

  2. I am delighted to come across this organisation through the net. I am interested to know if some work is being carried on in India.

    Madhukar Khera | Sep 1, 03:37 AM

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