From equitable farming to marine conservation: meet the three new social entrepreneurs supported by IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Ashoka

Social entrepreneurs are innovators committed to fostering positive, long-lasting change. Five years ago, IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Ashoka partnered to co-create Dela, a systems change programme that focuses on supporting leading social innovators to scale the impact of their initiatives.

Since then, the Dela programme has connected more than 250 selected experts from the corporate and social innovation sectors. Additionally, the partnership includes the search, selection, and support of new Ashoka Fellows: social entrepreneurs who address the root causes of problems by transforming norms, power dynamics, and mindsets through collaboration and a systemic approach.  

Today, we’re delighted to welcome three new Ashoka Fellows who have received a living stipend for three years through Dela. The stipend, covered by IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, will allow these entrepreneurs to dedicate themselves full-time to the advancement of their social innovation work, driving their venture to a point of sustainability, impact, and growth.  

Read on to learn about their work and how they are creating a positive change in society. 
 

Working for a new, regenerative future 

Winner of the 2023 Climate Breakthrough Award, Gita Syahrani builds a new model of collaboration between the local and national government, private and non-profit sectors, enabling rural districts responsible for Indonesia’s vital carbon capture areas to create sustainable, economic development for their people. 

From a young age, Gita’s life revolved around nature. Her grandmother taught her to speak to plants, instilling a deep connection to the environment that shaped her worldview. A life-changing childhood moment—witnessing an act of cruelty toward a stray dog—ignited her calling and mission: to foster a love for animals and the natural world. This passion guided her academic journey, which later led her to establish an environmental law division at her very first job.  

Over the past 15 years, Gita has played a key role in deploying international funding to combat deforestation and pioneered collaborations with Indonesia's kabupaten (districts) to align conservation efforts with economic growth. As founder of Lingkar Temu Kabupaten Lestari, she empowers communities to create value from natural resources while building pathways for youth leadership and entrepreneurship.  

Now heading the Earth-Centered Economy Coalition (KEM), Gita's vision transcends conservation. She works to unite networks across art, culture, and economics to drive a restorative economy in Indonesia. Her efforts aim to transform not just how resources are managed but also how communities embrace sustainability, ensuring lasting impact for generations to come. 
 

Turning the tide: transforming the fishing industry

Lefteris Arapakis, Ashoka Fellow from Greece, leverages his family's fishing heritage to create sustainable change in the Mediterranean. His memories of working on trawlers date back to his early childhood, developing a deep understanding of the fishing community's unique needs and challenges. This background, combined with his education in economics, inspired him to create Enaleia, an organization aimed at addressing unemployment and environmental degradation in the Mediterranean fishing industry. 

Enaleia began in 2016 with a fishing school to train young fishers in sustainable techniques, cultivating a new generation of fishers attuned to environmental responsibility and shaping long-term change in industry practices. Recognizing the dual threats of overfishing and plastic pollution, Lefteris adopted a holistic approach that blends environmental stewardship with economic incentives: 

An innovation Lefteris brought about is paying fishers not only for their catches but also for the plastic they collect, a strategy that motivates them to reduce overfishing and address plastic pollution.  Through Enaleia's Mediterranean Cleanup Project, plastics retrieved from the sea are repurposed as raw materials for new products. Lefteris’ circular economy initiative has extended beyond Greece to Italy, Egypt, Spain, and Kenya, with plans to expand to Turkey, Morocco, and beyond. 

The organization is rapidly growing and its impact on marine conservation is internationally recognized through awards such as the 2022 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award and the UNEP Young Champion of the Earth title. The support provided by the three-year Dela fellowship stipend has further enabled Lefteris to focus on high-impact initiatives and launch products, such as producing kayaks from recycled plastic.  

With a vision for expanding Enaleia’s reach globally, Lefteris continues to champion a future where fishing communities thrive alongside a healthy marine ecosystem, redefining how the fishing industry can be a force for environmental good.
 

Cultivating Canada’s next generation of farmers 

Sara Dent, co-founder and executive director of Young Agrarians, is reshaping Canada’s agricultural sector by building an economically sustainable and inclusive pathway for new and aspiring young farmers, equipping them with knowledge, resources, and community support.  

Inspired by her family’s legacy of social advocacy, she developed a diverse perspective on social needs. Sara began her work in farming at the age of 26 by documenting farmers and food systems across Canada through photography. She then created Young Agrarians, building an extensive network of support for new farmers. 

Sara’s holistic and youth-focused approach aims to break down social isolation and deepen relationships and trust between new and established farmers. Under her leadership, Young Agrarians is building an intergenerational model that makes farming accessible, viable, and inclusive for the next generation. 

Young Agrarians builds and leverages social capital through community engagement strategies like on-farm events and mixers, farmer-to-farmer support networks, and deep relationship building. Young Agrarians has held over 500 events and matched farmers with over 11,000 acres of land. U-Map, their online resource with more than 87.000 members, connects farmers to land and job opportunities, while policy advocacy aims to address issues like land and capital access at a systemic level. 

To address the systemic barriers faced by young farmers, she encourages and engages key stakeholders like governments and lenders to shift practices and policies. Looking forward, Sara aims to build 10,000 new farms in the next 20 years. Her commitment to policy change, educational outreach, and innovative support systems is setting a strong foundation for a resilient agricultural future in Canada.  

The stipend provided to Sara through the Dela programme has allowed her organization to operate with 28 staff members and actively roll out grants across the country to build equity for young agrarians.