Ashoka Changemaker Summit 2021

A vast majority of Ashoka Fellows have experienced the power of changemaking before the age of 21. How do we ensure that every young person grows up knowing that they can be changemakers? How can we inspire a new generation of powerful young people towards a more inclusive, sustainable, and fair world?

Our economic systems are changing, with new risks and opportunities becoming inextricably linked to our planet’s wellbeing. A majority of CEOs state that sustainability is critical to their company’s success. How do we design for now and forever, ensuring sustainable long-term success and resilience? How can our current systems prioritize creating wellbeing for a healthy planet?

Ninety percent of the world’s data was generated within the past two years alone. How do we ensure tech works for the common good – and empowers everyone - in the age of AI, robots, and algorithms? How do we take advantage of technology without losing human connection?

For the first time in history, there are more people above 65 years old than there are below five. There isn’t an aspect of our lives and economies that isn’t affected by this Big Shift. How can we maintain purposeful, healthy lives as we age? How can we redefine what it means to age today? What roles can arts and culture play?

For most of us, our gender still determines how we grow up, the kinds of jobs we have, who we can love, our health outcomes, and how much power and agency we hold. How do we re-imagine identities and ensure equality in the process? What will we replace patriarchy?

Living through a global pandemic has driven dramatic shifts in the healthcare industry. How has COVID-19 changed the way consumers think about healthcare? What power dynamics must shift to achieve a healthier world for humans and animals? How can we create shared value for a healthier world?

The UN estimates that there are now 281 million international migrants worldwide (about 4 out of every 100 people). How can we help activate the changemaking potential of migrants across the globe? How can we create a new framework for migration where innovation and collaboration lie at the heart of policy change?

The pandemic has revealed and accelerated the world’s deep inequities. How can societies reimagine and redesign better, more equitable systems? How can we design a world free of systemic oppression where everyone has access to resources, voice, power, and safety?

As the rate of change accelerates and new crises emerge, resilient companies will be those who fully embrace change, anticipate new ways of organizing and do business for the good of all. How can companies become drivers of positive change? What priorities must shift to achieve positive impact through businesses?