Dela Programme

Today, we showcase Elena Dragulea and Stefania Mastroeni, IKEA co-workers in Italy, who supported social enterprise InVento Innovation Lab. Founded by Giulia Detomati, InVento Lab was one of eleven enterprises in the fifth cohort of the Dela programme, a systems change accelerator co-created by...

This episode brought together Ashoka Fellow B. S. Nagesh, a pioneering social entrepreneur in India’s retail sector and the founder of TRRAIN, a social initiative focused on skilling and employment pathways, and Sridhar Sajja, an IKEA co-worker whose collaboration with Nagesh became a powerful...

An intrapreneur’s guide for shaping the future of business, and an invitation to join the movement.

This session, “Voices of Belonging,” brought together Hugo Menino, Ashoka Fellow and co-founder of SPEAK, and Magnus Stahl, Product Engineering Manager at IKEA Sweden. The conversation explored what it really takes to collaborate across contexts and how belonging is built when relationships come...

By co-creating the Dela systems change programme to find, strengthen, and scale innovative solutions, IKEA and Ashoka work with and support experts from both fields that contribute to equality, inclusion, and decent livelihoods around the world.

Ashoka Fellow Giulia Detomati, founder and CEO of InVento Lab and participant in the Dela programme, launches Breaking the Cycle together with her team, an experiential game that brings gender equity into organizations.

The first episode, “Inclusion in focus”, brought together Ashoka Fellow Melissa Malzkuhn, founder of Motion Light Lab, and Tie Wang Jones, Global Head of Inclusive Design & Accessibility at IKEA. Read on to explore the main takeaways from their conversation, which offered a deep look into...

Six years ago, IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Ashoka joined forces to co-create Dela, a long-term partnership that focuses on supporting social entrepreneurs to scale the impact of their initiatives and create a long-lasting positive impact.

In a world where remote collaboration has become the norm, face-to-face experiences during Ashoka and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship’s Dela accelerator programme reveal something powerful: in-person encounters can be transformative.

As Pride Month 2025 unfolds, we acknowledge the work of social entrepreneurs who are ensuring that no one is left behind, regardless of their sexual orientation, age, identities, or background. Two of these leading social innovators are Ashoka Fellows Federico Armenteros from Spain and Francisco...

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.

In 2019, Sea Ranger Service joined the first cohort of our Dela accelerator programme, co-created with our partner Ashoka, to scale their social impact. The social enterprise is the world’s first, global maritime ranger service. It focuses on constructing specially designed sailing work ships while...

In February 2025, Ashoka staff members from different regions sat down with Dr. Wamuyu Mahinda, Ashoka Fellow & Founding Partner at Collaborative Value Partners Africa (CVPA)​, and Gathoni Mahinda, member of the Ashoka Fellow Legacy network and Partner and Program Lead at Collaborative Value...

This March, IKEA Social Entrepreneurship recognises the work of the many women advancing the moment of social entrepreneurship. Today, we feature Asmaa Ibnouzahir, founder and executive director of Institut F in Canada and Nicole Bjerler, Strategic Topic Developer at IKEA of Sweden.

IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, Ashoka, and Social Innovation Circle (SIC) are excited to announce a new collaboration to support social enterprises in their journey towards investment readiness. The Dela Investment Readiness Programme bridges the gap between social entrepreneurs and the financial...

The Dela Summit marked a key transition in Dela V accelerator programme, co-created by IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Ashoka. Since 2019, Dela has been dedicated to supporting social entrepreneurs around the world in testing and strengthening their systems change strategies. We’re pleased to...

Learnings from Ashoka Fellow Evariste Aohoui, Dela programme participant and Founder of Electronic Waste Africa

Today, as we launch the fifth edition of the Dela systems change programme, we share key insights from the Dela programme's enduring impact on its over 200 participating experts from the global social innovation and corporate sectors.

A virtual meeting with unfamiliar faces kicked off a journey that would challenge my assumptions and ignite a passion for social entrepreneurship. We were tasked with finding a way to shift the mindset of none other than, an entire nation. I had no clue what we were talking about, only that we were...

Christina Enocson on embracing challenges and diving in to make real change