Driving systemic impact: new Ashoka Fellows receive fellowship stipend by IKEA Social Entrepreneurship

Around the world, leading social entrepreneurs are transforming systems to build a more equitable and sustainable world. Through innovative ideas and collaborative action, they address the root causes of some of the biggest challenges we face, shifting mindsets, and enabling change. 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. 

The partnership sources and selects the latest, most innovative social entrepreneurs who are able to focus on their idea full-time thanks to a living stipend provided by IKEA Social Entrepreneurship for three years. Today, we are excited to announce the newest Ashoka Fellows who have received this financial support. Read on to discover how they are transforming the education system, bringing in new economic opportunities, and fostering inclusion in their communities and beyond.
 

Powering a sustainable energy transition for everyone  

According to the UNDP Sustainable Energy Hub, 73% of global greenhouse emissions come from the energy sector. And, in order to meet the climate goals, annual energy-related CO2 emissions need to decline 70% below today's level by 2050. This process is called energy transition, and it consists of long-term energy strategies to reach net-zero emissions.  

However, there is unequal access to the economic resources needed to get started and keep going. According to the European Observatory on Energy Poverty, the combined effect of income compression, rising utility costs, and aging buildings has led to an estimated 52 million people in European countries who are living in energy poverty. Everyone, including the Third sector, is affected by energy poverty. 

Ashoka Fellow Fabio Gerosa, founder of Fratello Sole, is making the transition to sustainable energy possible for the Third Sector. Through Fratello Sole, a consortium of organizations serving vulnerable populations, Fabio helps civil society groups shift their energy habits and renovate buildings to meet environmental standards. His advocacy has influenced national policy, securing access to tax incentives like the 110% Building Bonus for not-for-profits. By the end of 2024, Fratello Sole supported 216 civic organizations and renovated 373 buildings. The model is now expanding globally, with its first project launched in São Tomé, Africa.  
 

Creating pathways for inclusion 

72% of people living in Poland do not know a single person from the Roma community. However, outdated and harmful stereotypes about the Roma community – which often depict them as impoverished, dishonest, and nomadic – are very present in Polish society.  

Compounding this problem is Roma's lack of visibility and opportunity to shape their own narratives. These externally imposed portrayals reinforce societal biases and discrimination, affecting how the Roma are perceived and how they perceive themselves, perpetuating exclusion and limiting opportunities for success. Ashoka Special Relation Fellow Joanna Talewicz's work aims to disrupt these narratives, paving the way for a more accurate and empowering representation of the Roma community.

Joanna's work through Foundation Towards Dialogue fosters meaningful interactions between Roma and non-Roma, enhancing social cohesion and transforming how major institutions operate. This supportive framework also benefits other minority groups, with a focus on key areas such as education, media, employment, and law enforcement to challenge outdated perceptions.  

An example of her work’s impact is a collaboration between the Foundation Towards Dialogue and IKEA, which includes training programs and social campaigns. This partnership highlights the perspectives of successful Roma individuals in a supportive work environment. Through initiatives like this one, Joanna is not only changing narratives but also creating tangible opportunities for the Roma community to engage with and contribute to society. 
 

Tackling and spotlighting racism through communication 

Ashoka Fellow José Antonio Aguilar is dismantling centuries of silence around racism in Mexico. Through his organization RacismoMX, he documents and exposes how racial discrimination continues to shape opportunities, policies, and institutions, despite being largely denied by society. In a country where over 90% of the population is racialized (Indigenous, Afro-descendant, or brown-skinned, i.e., BIPOC), still 85% of leadership roles in companies are held by white individuals. José uses research and multimedia campaigns to shift public narratives and spark debate. The organization works on communication, education, research, and legal counselling, along with social, private, and public institutions, with an anti-racist, human rights, and intersectional perspective. 

With its campaigns and content creation strategy, Racismo has impacted more than 2 million people since 2019. They have also worked with more than 30 companies and impacted more than 5,000 employees, starting an anti-racist movement in Mexico and teaming up with several organizations (indigenous, Afro-descendant, migrant, and brown). Beyond immediate advocacy, José invests in the future by building networks of young leaders who carry the work into new sectors and communities. By weaving together education, data, and structural reform, José is not only changing laws and practices but also ensuring that racialized people reclaim visibility, identity, and leadership in shaping Mexico’s future. 
 

Youth agency to fight against exploitative market practices 

Ashoka Fellow Manel Modelo is the founder of Sinapsis, an organization that transforms the coffee economy in rural Mexico by replacing exploitative market practices with a decentralized model led by youth. Through Sinapsis, Manel builds networks where young leaders co-create economic solutions with producers, offering access to training, financing, and markets.  

More than a technical fix, Manel's model fosters leadership, belonging, and community agency. With 25 active cells and over 400 members, Sinapsis has generated $235K USD in community savings. His next challenge is to expand this impact by increasing women’s leadership in these local economic ecosystems. 

Thanks to the Fellowship Stipend, Manel is having more time to focus on the Dela Investment Readiness Programme, developed by Social Innovation Circle, together with IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Ashoka. 

"I am leveraging that connection for two purposes: to be more investment-ready and further develop my systemic thinking. In addition, I've also been able to focus on an inter-institutional alliance in the Los Altos region of Chiapas, which was a proposal by the Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) to promote communities of practice or action. Our community, in collaboration with three other institutions, is working to strengthen both the productive side of smallholder coffee producers in Chiapas' most underdeveloped municipalities and to define a strategy to market Specialty Coffee."

Global advocacy toward inclusive waste systems 

Ashoka Fellow Soledad Mella is leading a movement to reintegrate grassroots recyclers into Chile's formal waste management system by organizing them into cooperatives with strong business foundations.  

As President of the National Association of Grassroots Recyclers of Chile (ANARCH), she is building a national network of 20 recycling cooperatives under a single organizational umbrella, designed as a large cooperative that offers training, advocacy, and economic empowerment. ANARCH currently represents 2,000 waste pickers and aims to include up to 60,000 across the country.  

Soledad's work supports recyclers in gaining legal certification, improves income through direct municipal partnerships, and challenges exclusionary waste policies. Her organization has established 42 cooperatives entirely run by grassroots recyclers who were previously working informally. On average, the cooperative organizes the work of 3,400 recyclers nationwide, covering 14 of the 16 regions in Chile. The results show that some have tripled their income because their working hours are valued accordingly. She also represents Latin America's recyclers globally through her leadership in the LACRE Network and the Global Alliance of Waste Pickers, advocating for the rights of 20 million informal workers worldwide. 
 

Would you like to know more about the Dela systems change accelerator programme? Read more on this website.