Ashoka’s Collective Response to COVID-19 Across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and South Asia
Changemakers United
About the initiative
A Historic Moment: When the World Needed Social Entrepreneurs Most
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented disruption to communities around the world. Healthcare systems were overwhelmed, educational pathways were interrupted, livelihoods disappeared overnight, and existing inequalities deepened. The crisis exposed vulnerabilities across nearly every sector of society while creating urgent challenges that demanded rapid, adaptive, and locally rooted responses.
At the same time, the pandemic revealed something equally important: social entrepreneurs were often among the first to respond. Across countries and communities, they mobilized networks, adapted existing solutions, leveraged technology, and created new ways to support those most affected. They filled critical gaps where traditional systems struggled to act with sufficient speed and flexibility.
Yet the challenge was larger than any individual organization. The moment called for a different kind of response—one that could connect innovators, accelerate learning, unlock resources, and enable collaboration across sectors and geographies. This was the context in which Changemakers United was born.
Ashoka and Its Partners Stepped Forward
In April 2020, Ashoka and Zalando launched Changemakers United to identify, support, and connect social entrepreneurs responding to the COVID-19 crisis in real time. What began as an urgent initiative in Europe quickly demonstrated something larger: when changemakers are connected to resources, expertise, visibility, and one another, their impact can accelerate exponentially.
As momentum grew, Beiersdorf joined the effort, helping expand the initiative globally, to Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Soon after, Target Foundation became a strategic partner, supporting the work even deeper in India and Central America.
The initiative was designed not only to help communities navigate an immediate crisis, but also to strengthen the relationships, capacities, and collaborative infrastructure needed to build a more resilient future. Thanks to all our partners, Changemakers United evolved from an emergency response into a global ecosystem-building initiative spanning four regions.
The Changemakers United Model
Changemakers United was designed as a collaborative ecosystem that could identify, support, connect, and amplify social entrepreneurs responding to challenges intensified by COVID-19.
Identify
Outstanding social entrepreneurs creating solutions to urgent and emerging challenges.
Connect
Changemakers with peers, mentors, corporate leaders, funders, policymakers, and ecosystem allies.
Strengthen
Organizations through leadership development, systems-change learning, communications support, and strategic guidance.
Amplify
Solutions through storytelling, media visibility, regional summits, and global campaigns.
Scale
Collaboration, replication opportunities, and partnerships capable of accelerating impact across systems.
Between 2020 and 2022, Changemakers United evolved into a global movement connecting changemakers and supporters across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and South Asia.
The initiative engaged actors across healthcare, education, economic inclusion, climate, democracy, gender equity, and mental health, creating new opportunities for collective action during one of the most challenging periods in recent history.
Europe
From Emergency Response to Systems Collaboration Europe was the birthplace of Changemakers United and served as a testing ground for an approach that would later expand globally.
Two implementation phases spanning emergency response and solutions acceleration (2020) and collaboration booster to shape the new reality (2021-2022).
More than 50 social entrepreneurs from 17 countries supported through learning modules, networking and funding.
Partnerships with cities, corporations, investors, and policymakers.
Systems Insight Europe demonstrated that social entrepreneurs can move faster and further when embedded within collaborative ecosystems that connect innovation, resources, and partnerships. Learn more about the European chapter in ▶️this video.
Latin America
Strengthening Recovery Through Social Innovation In Latin America, Changemakers United focused on strengthening social entrepreneurs and changemakers developing solutions for communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Regional learning communities connecting leaders across countries.
Capacity-building and mentorship opportunities.
Communications and storytelling support.
Regional summits and ecosystem convenings.
Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Systems Insight The region demonstrated the power of solidarity and cross-border collaboration as mechanisms for accelerating social innovation and strengthening resilience.
Africa
Strengthening Visibility, Collaboration, and Ecosystem Support Across Africa, Changemakers United brought together social entrepreneurs, funders, ecosystem allies, and thought leaders to respond to urgent community needs while strengthening long-term systems-change efforts.
Continental online ▶️summit attracting more than 1,000 participants.
Regional communications campaigns.
English-French accessibility and cross-country engagement.
Strategic media partnerships reaching millions.
Systems Insight Africa highlighted the power of social entrepreneurs shifting public narratives and the importance of combining local leadership with ecosystem-wide support to unlock scalable and sustainable solutions.
South Asia
From Emergency Relief to Long-Term Resilience In India, Changemakers United supported social entrepreneurs responding to immediate humanitarian needs while creating conditions for resilience, economic opportunity, and inclusive development.
Ashoka Fellows collectively reached more than 9 million people.
Expansion of technology-enabled solutions.
New partnerships with governments and institutions.
Innovative models for education, livelihoods, and community resilience.
Systems Insight India demonstrated how social entrepreneurs can turn moments of crisis into opportunities to redesign systems that better serve communities over the long term.
Changemakers Spotlight
Learn directly from their experience in these short video capsules:
▶️Steffi Biester: Practicing empathy, teamwork and creating belonging
During the pandemic, David and César mobilized a global network of more than 20,000 makers to produce personal protective equipment. Together with partners including Zalando, the initiative contributed to the distribution of nearly five million face masks across Spain, Africa, and Latin America…
David Cuartielles & César García Sáez
MasQueMakers (Spain)
Melina and her team expanded opportunities for young women across Latin America through training, mentorship, scholarships, and pathways into technology careers, helping reduce gender gaps in the digital economy.
Melina Masnatta
Chicas en Tecnología (Argentina)
Neo expanded access to healthcare through a smart medication collection system that allowed patients to receive chronic medication through automated lockers, reducing pressure on clinics and improving continuity of care.
Neo Hutiri
Pelebox (South Africa)
Deep Jyoti transformed emergency relief efforts into a strategy for long-term community resilience by empowering local youth and strengthening food systems, health awareness, and livelihoods in vulnerable communities.
Deep Jyoti Sonu Brahma
Farm2Food Foundation (India)
Using storytelling and community dialogue, Jimmy's work helped reduce stigma surrounding mental health and foster connection during a period marked by isolation and uncertainty.
Jimmy Westerheim
The Human Aspect (Norway)
Through a digital community banking platform rooted in the Banco Palmas model, Joaquim expanded access to financial services for vulnerable populations while advancing broader conversations about community banking and economic inclusion.
Joaquim de Melo
Instituto e-Dinheiro Brasil (Brazil)
By leveraging trusted community leadership and local networks, SHOFCO delivered health information, essential services, and emergency support to underserved communities while strengthening long-term resilience.
Kennedy Odede
SHOFCO (Kenya)
Priya helped young people navigate educational and economic disruption through hybrid learning models, digital career guidance tools, and partnerships with government agencies that expanded access to opportunity.
Priya Agrawal
Antarang Foundation (India)
More Than a Program: Building the Infrastructure for Changemaking
Changemakers United demonstrated that responding to crises requires more than isolated innovation. It requires ecosystems.
Throughout the initiative, social entrepreneurs gained access not only to funding and expertise, but also to relationships, trust, visibility, and opportunities for collaboration. These elements often become the conditions that enable innovations to scale and systems to change.
By connecting entrepreneurs, companies, funders, policymakers, and community leaders, Changemakers United helped create the infrastructure necessary for collective problem-solving.
The initiative reinforced a simple but powerful insight: Systems change happens faster when changemakers do not work alone.
The Legacy Continues
While Changemakers United emerged as a response to the COVID-19 crisis, its most enduring contribution may be the model it demonstrated for collaborative systems change.
The initiative showed that when social entrepreneurs, companies, philanthropies, public institutions, and communities work together around shared challenges, they become capable of transforming systems rather than simply addressing symptoms.
The lessons, methodologies, and relationships developed through Changemakers United continue to inform Ashoka’s work around the world. Across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and South Asia, they have influenced new ecosystem-building efforts, cross-sector collaborations, and initiatives that strengthen the capacity of changemakers to lead systemic transformation. One example is Ashoka’s migration initiative Hello World.
The spirit of Changemakers United also lives on through convenings, partnerships, and regional collaborations that continue connecting innovators across generations, sectors, and geographies.
What began as an emergency response became something larger: A blueprint for how societies can navigate complexity, build resilience, and accelerate systems change by investing in the people, relationships, and ecosystems that make changemaking possible. Because lasting change is never created by one organization alone. It is created by communities of changemakers working together.
