Our alumni
The Ashoka Visionary Alumnae*i Network provides alumni with the opportunity to stay connected, to contribute to the program and to deepen their experience in follow-up events and projects. Ultimately, our alumni expand their network within the social entrepreneurship scene and keep finding solutions. Read more at “Our network“. Also, here you can view all Ashoka Fellows (speakers & participants) at one glance.
Meet our 300 visionaries from three continents, in the regions: Central and Eastern Europe, Mediterranean and East Africa. Click on the photos to learn about their stories
All
Alumni
Ashoka Fellows
Ashoka Staff
Central-Eastern Europe Region
East Africa Region
Experts+Speakers
Foundations
Mediterranean Region
NGOs
Participants
Private sector
Public sector
Artur Nadcrinicinii
Changemaker from Greece, Founder Artos kai Agapi
Hélène Menapace
Founder, WeLovePinkPlanet - SanFem
Milica Aksentic
Head of Communications and CSR at Western Union International Bank
Simona Sinesi
Ashoka Fellow, Founder & Vice President NEVER GIVE UP Onlus
Tina Eckert
Founder and Managing Director of Karmalaya
Christof Gruber-Harrich
Consultant, Austria
Julian Juen
Founder of One4One Social Business
Ole Kassow
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of Cycling Without Age and Copenhagen Cycling
Nicola Fraccaroli
Consultant for marketing strategies & business model changes
Urška Starc-Peceny
Chief Innovation Officer, lead Tourism 4.0 at Arctur
Goran Medakovic
Senior advisor at the National Foundation for Civil Society Development, Croatia
Johanssen Obanda
Executive Director, Jabulani Youths for Transformation
Abubaker Musuuza
Ashoka Fellow
Elena Tanase
Founder, Mousse Pamplemousse
Andrea Babčanová
HR Manager, Visegrad Fund
Manuela Achitz
Blühendes Österreich
Violeta Philippitsch
Leitung Kundenbereich EU & International, Umweltbundesamt - Environment Agency Austria
Birgit Straka
Managing Director at Viva con Agua Österreich
Obayda Abo Asbeh
Founder Sanad Yoth Association (Israel)
Vadim Poluga
"i3" (I-Cube) Information Engineering Incubator
Danny Mucira
Eastern Africa Managing Director of Trace
Verena Ahne
Head of Knowledge Transfer & Dissemination, Complexity Science Hub Vienna (on educational leave)
Karina Lackner
Founder & Project Director for Kicken ohne Grenzen
Jeremy Druker
Ashoka Fellow, Founder and Executive Director of Transitions (TOL)
Julia Culen
Managing Partner, Culen Mayrhofer Partner
Magdalena Lima
Project assistant & communication manager, Ashoka Italy
Jose Morales
Founder & Manager; Aurora Coworking Network, Lincoln Island Initiatives, European Rural Coworking Project
Lenah Gideon
Grant Administrator, Porticus Nairobi
Rosa Bergmann
Co-founder of Vienna Hobby Lobby
Cornelia Sima
Account Director at Ketchum
Andrea Kretschmer
Manager Accenture
Arianna Tripodi
Child and Youth Participation Advisor, SOS Children’s Villages International
Giuseppe Nigro
Consultant on Project Design & Project Evaluation, also: Ashoka Italy
Sonja Betschart
Madeleine Pawlowicz
Project Lead Saving Angel, Germany
Teresa Agovino
CEO Faroo, Environmental Engineerand Sustainable Tourism Consultant
Andrea Mörike
Social Business Consultant, Alumna of the Visionary Program
Elik Almog
Changemaker from Israel, VP Dualis social investment fund
Babu Edton
Acting Manager Livelihoods, CARE Uganda
Walburga Fröhlich
Ashoka Fellow, Co-Founder & CEO of atempo
Joan Mwachi
Regional Director East Africa at World Reader
Karsten Ottenberg
Former CEO of BSH Home Appliances Group and Innovater and Purpose-driven leader by heart
Elisabeth Pipic
Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF)
Yumi Tsoy
Head of Operations at Bethnal Green Ventures
Nazareth Seferian
CSR and Social Entrepreneurship trainer, educator & consultant
Walter Odhiambo
National Director, SoS Children's Villages Kenya
Markéta Pěchoučková
Head of Social Innovation Unit at Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Czechia
Franziska Wizany
Cultural advisor
Christina Matuschka-Baumann
Head of Projects at YEP Youth Empowerment Participation
Astrid Saxl
Head of Information & Reporting in SOS Children's Villages International
Verena Riedler
Initiator, "Steady Steps";Organisational Consultant, Coach
Mikhail Rodin
Project Lead Developing Neighborhood Institute
Emilie Romon
Partnership Manager Ashoka
Masha Djordjevic
Program Manager Open Society Foundations
Elisabeth Campestrini
CEO of Progressive Health Consulting
Ilya Yacevich
Founding Director, Global Trauma Project (GTP); Ashoka Fellow
Dagmar Kotzmuth
Co-Founder & CEO DAHIR
Edit Schlaffer
Ashoka Fellow, Founder and Executive Director of Women without Borders
Rana AlZoubi
National Director, SOS Children's Villages Jordan
Marie Ringler
Member of Ashoka's Global Leadership Group, Leading Ashoka's work in Europe
Mikhail Krivonos
Co-Founder, Rabota-i LLC; Chief Executive Officer, RAOUL charity foundation (till Feb '23)
Katharina Jeschke
Austria Secretary General at IMZ International Music + Media Centre
Ojok Okello
Founder and CEO of Okere City
Zeina Awaydate
Assistant to VIP & Exhibitor Relations
Linda Stucbartova
Partner ATAIRU company, Founder Diversio
Michael Hilbert
Head of Business Unit Banking
Anastasia Noskova
Founder of "SWOP market - Let's swop"
Mustapha Jazar
Founder and Director, Lebanese Association for Scientific Research (LASeR)
Tanja Tamse
Project Manager of Center Noordung
Monika Hrochova
Program Manager, Educhange Foundation
Anna Greil
Co-Founder & COO at Minimist, an award-winning social entrepreneur in the field of circular economy
Emmanuel Tamakloe
Founding President and CEO of Atomic Gateway Sporting Academy
Natalia Peryazeva
Doctor of Social Work and Business Administration
Flavian Majenga
Senior Project Manager CARE Tanzania
Simon Rutar
Founder Moonshot Pirates
Katharina Kruppa
Ashoka Fellow, Founder and Chairwoman Grow Together
Eva Pavlikova
CEO of Česko.Digital
Isaya Yunge
Ashoka Fellow, Executive Director of the SomApp Foundation
Elisabeth Siencnik
Startup Coach; Co-founder & CFO reha buddy
Alicia Rodriguez
Youth and ICT4D Project Coordinator at SOS Children’s Villages International
Kristina Kroyer
Program Coordinator at HORIZONT3000
Peter Herreiner
Financial Advisor & Supervisory Board Member
Helmut Rauth
Head of Finance & Service, Österreichische Caritaszentrale
Gregor Ruttner-Vicht
CEO of Lower Austrian entity of Sindbad
Sebastian Fagarazzi
Co-founder, Venezia Autentica
Jane Waithera
Founder Positive, Exposure Kenya
Abla Al Alfy
Ashoka Fellow, Founder & President of the Egyptian Members Association of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Angelika Bartholomäi
Director of the coordination office, StartNet Italy
Margarita Rebetskaya
Choreographier, Ballet dancer & Performance Director
Tomasz Pruszynski
Founder of Captain‘s Nemo Foundation
Clarissa Rhomberg
Co-Leader of EU-funded ERASMUS+-project “Society in motion”
Tomas Reminek
Member of the board of directors, Eduzměna foundation fund
Christophe Cuny
Individual Giving Department Lead, SOS Children's Villages International
Niki Griller
Managing Director, Griller Kabel
Ninon Ndayikengurkiye
CARE USA Impact and Innovation Team
Hisham El Rouby
Ashoka Fellow, MENA Regional Director The Synergos Insitiute
Vera Penêda
Director of Programmes European Journalism Center (EJC)
Martin Lupa
Founder of Young Public Affairs Leaders Academy
Karin Haselböck
European Integrator, Ashoka
Oleg Belezhenko
Founder
Mani
Human Rights Lawyer
Susanne Gahleitner
Co-founder Parola, Austria
Sabine Pümpel
Initiator & Head of aws Sustainable Food Systems Initiative
Gernot Jochum-Müller
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of Zeitpolster
Matthias Weichhart
Austrian Research Promotion Agency
Nilton Rubio
Innovation and Sustainability Coordinator, S.C.S. Armonia Work Onlus
Maurizio Ramonda
SAI (Sistema Accoglienza Integrazione) project for the integration of refugees
Maike Kauffmann
Founder at Purpose Foundation, Germany
Paulina Braun
Founder Intergenerational Dancing Poland
Claudia Lingner
Managing Director Ludwing Boltzmann Gesellschaft
Nicole Nassar
Project Management SOS Children’s Villages International
Johanna Kerber
Co-Founder and CEO, DreiKreis Consulting GmbH
Jihad Shoja'eyeh
Founder of “Youth without Borders Network”
Gabriele Hampson
Managing Director at W*ORT
Fabian Scholda
Regional director of the social enterprise Sindbad
Raphaela Toncic-Sorinj
Co-Director Ashoka Austria and Nordics; Director Ashoka Visionary Program
Katerina Bursikova Jacques
Executive Director, Educational and business centre Sněmovní 7
Aris Tufexis
Educator and project manager, AG Di Donato
Clara Conrad-Billroth
Venture Creation Lead University of Vienna
Gil Tsabari
CEO GTS - Technologies Ltd (Israel)
Ursula Miller
Partnership Expert at Light for the World
Irit Zviely Efrat
Chief Operations Officer at Hillel
Agnes Schillhuber
Communications neunerhaus; formerly: Ashoka Austria
Matěj Bulant
Director of Department National Pedagogical Institute, Czechia
Sabrina Stepanian
Founder, STEPANIAN CONSULTING e.U.
Michal Sadeh Goldvasser
Director of the Employment and Economic Program in the village of Jisr al-Zarqa (Israel)
Evans Njoro
Director, Futures Infinite
Katharina Okulski
Head of scholarship program, NOW: International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
Susan Mugera
Manager in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Public Sector Group
Abbass Abbass
Ashoka Fellow, Founder and Director of AlManarah
Stella Parris
Account Manager at RxWare
Alexandra Nitzlader
Senior Project Manager HYPO NOE Gruppe Bank
Heidrun Gruber-Größwang
Marketing expert; Founder, Gruber-Größwang Consulting
Tina Deutsch
Co-founder and Board Member, Klaiton; Strategic Advisor, CoachHub
Knight Muteti
Founde & Executive Director, Daughters of Kenya (DoK)
Stefan van der Swaluw
Program Director at SOS Children's Villages The Netherlands
Stefan Lilischkis
Senior consultant, empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbH
Rebekka Dober
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of YEP – Voice of the Youth
Agnieszka Franeczek
Head of Consumer Lending Processes at UniCredit Bank Austria
Andrea Martens
Andrea Martens
David Hudelist
Project Coordinator at Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation - 'fairplay initiatve'
Abebaw Abebe
Ethiopia Program Manager at African Disability Forum
Kirsten Tangemann
Managing Director of Social Business Hub Styria
Francesca Vannini Parenti
Co-founder and Product manager, Addiopizzo Travel
Father Charles Chilufya
Director of the Justice and Ecology Office of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM)
Eduard Trampusch
Head of International Programmes, Austrian Red Cross
Michael Lorz
Managing Director at EnableMe Foundation
Judith Schneider
Cultural advisor
Melek Pulatkonak
Founder of the Turkish Women's International Network & BinYaprak
Ernest Namanya Rwendeire
Executive Director, Latek Stay Alliance Uganda
Christina Purrer
Project Manager at Hil-Foundation gGmbH
Klara Michel
Co-Founder, Michel Foundation; Yoga teacher & Coach
Stefanie Kirwald
Consultant Alumnae*I Network
Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková
Ashoka Fellow, Chairwoman of the Czech Expert Society for Inclusive Education
Aziza Khabbush
Senior business analyst for public health
Eghosa Erhumwunse
National Director SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria
Heidemarie Messnitzer
Senior Expert Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport
Beata Jaczewska
Managing Director, Visegrad Fund
Simone Pies
Business Angel & Mentor
Astrid Lendel
Communications and Marketing Expert
Veronica Marin
Founder and Vice President of De-a Arhitectura Association Ⅰ Ashoka Fellow
Karolina Kartus
Co-Founder of Social Held
Sarah Deckenbacher
Social Responsability Specialist at Sparkasse Oberösterreich
Andra Slaats
Founder of Younited Cultures
Gabriela Vondrusova
Change Manager and Community Mobilizer at Ashoka Czech Republic
Andrej Fric
Director at Kino Zona, Croatia
Andrew Spyrou
Changemaker from Greece, Consultant Costas M. Lemos Foundation
Maribeth Aquino
Founder of Coding School for Underserved Women
Charles Karimbu Kimathi
Head of Corporate Affairs & Partnerships The Standard Group PLC
Petra Wűnschová
Founder Centrum LOCIKA, Czech Republik
Sonja Nita
European Commission/Centre of Thematic Expertise on Civil Society Support
Claire Wavamuno
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of Hill Preparatory School
Christiane Holzinger
Managing Partner, 360° Business Planner GmbH, Start-Up Stars GmbH
Eva Petrová
Head of Implementation Unit Ministry of Justice, Czech Republik
Desiree Li Bassi
Executive Assistant and head of the Hospitality department, Museo Diffuso dei 5 Sensi di Sciacca
Stefan Kainz
Co-founder and Managing partner of Growth Ninjas
Svetlana Nalepova
Founder and Manager of the Social Enterprise for the Elderly Creative Workshops "Silver Years"
Bas van Abel
Founder, Fairphone
Danijel Baturina
Assistant professor in University of Zagreb
Abdikadir Dakane
National Director SOS Children’s Villages Somalia
Katarina Banicevic
Teamleader South East Europe, Austrian Red Cross
Samuel Chambi
Coordinator – Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), CARE International in Tanzania
Alice Emasu
Founder and Executive Director,The Association for Rehabilitation and Reorientation of women for Development-TERREWOD, Ashoka fellow Uganda
Elena Gabriela Ardelean
CEO & Founder of AI4 DevelopmentAgency
Julia Obereder
Founder and Executive Director of BRAVE Aurora
Benjamin Dragolj
Founder of Igramo Zajedno Inicijativa – IZI
Marcelina Biro
CEO, Kijana Jasiri-Resilience Organization
Birgit Radl-Wanko
Managing Director of younus Mentoring
Anna Schaden
former Operations Manager Ashoka CEE
Florin Stoican
Ashoka Fellow Romania
Radoslav Pittner
Co-Country Representative Czech and Slovakia, Facilitator & coach for social impact
Bernhard Hofer
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of talentify.me
Magda Pohec
Co-Funder Feminist Fund, Ashoka Fellow, Poland
Elin Baranyai-Ulvestad
Project Manager, Austrian Red Cross
Barbara Mayrhofer
Regional Manager for the Institute for Inclusive Education
Adnane Addioui
Ashoka Fellow, Co-Founder of the Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Markus Rhomber
Managing Director of the International Association of Lake Constance Universities
Johannes Guger
Head of the department of social affairs and volunteering at the Red Cross
Ahmad Abdelgalil
Changemaker from Egypt, Staff Ashoka Arab World
Amira Saber
Changemaker from Egypt, Member of the Egyptian Parliament
Armand Colard
ESG Plus GmbH
Christina Kauer
CONCORDIA Sozialprojekte
Eszter Harsanyi
Ashoka Fellow, Owner of Nestingpplay
Katja Teuchmann
Founder Safa East Venture e.U. (Austria)
Harald Gründl
Managing Partner / Chairman EOOS Design, IDRV - Institute of Design Research Vienna
Michael Kowatschew
Initiator of NOVID20
Torsten Engelage
Risk Management and Compliance for the PwC Advisory
Eman Bsoul
Changemaker from Israel, Assistant General Director Municipality of Nazareth
Weirong Li
Founder and CEO of Raw Culture
Klára Rundová
Project Managar Česká spořitelna foundation
Francesca Cavallini
Professor, Founder of Tice
Lynn Ngugi
Humanitarian and human rights specialist
Maurizio Bergia
President of the social & agricultural cooperative I TESORI della TERRA in Cervasca
Daniela Herneth
Leadership Coach / People & Business Developer
Martin Hollinetz
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of tech2people GmbH & myAbility Social Enterprise GmbH
Rachel Onyango
Development Specialist fpr NGOs
Georg Schön
Co-Director Ashoka Austria
Cornelia Faisst
Senior lecturer and co-academic Director at the University of Liechtenstein
Livio Scalvini
Founder & CEO, Venture4Impact
Marsha Forbes
Global Lead Funding Advisor at Joining Forces Initiative by World Vision
Klaus Candussi
Ashoka Fellow, Co-Founder of atempo
Ole Kassow
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of Cycling Without Age and Copenhagen Cycling
Muthoni Kanga
Tangaza University
Amanda Sundell
Co-Director of Ashoka Nordics
Khalila Mbowe
Founder and CEO of Unleasehd Africa Social Ventures
Maria Raczynska
Co-founder, "The Noon" project
Samya El Mousti
National Director SOS Children’s Villages Morocco
Walburga Frölich
Orsolya Ifi-Valde
Anti-corruption and human rights lawyer, Founder Jazzpiknik, Hungary
Nikole Stolz
Head Of Department Development at SWISSAID
Kerstin Dohnal
Founder of destination: development
Pascal Wambua
Regional Fund Development Director, SOS Children's Villages International, Eastern & Southern Africa Region
Claire de Lafarge
Founder and CEO, Dialogue Social Enterprise; Ashoka Fellow
Elisabeth Mayerhofer
Managing Director, Julius Raab Foundation
Johannes Gärtner
CEO Respekt.Net GmbH, Austria
Anikó Cserjes
Country Representative of Ashoka Hungary
Hanna Ahere
Special Assistant & Regional Director, Ford Foundation office, Eastern Africa
Sheila Alumo
CEO & Founder, Eastern Agricultural Development Company LTD (EADC)
Charlotte Steenbergen
COO of the European Forum Alpbach
Karanja Nduta
Social entrepreneur in EdTech, Future of Work Strategist & Trainer
Jana Krajcovicova
Private Sector Development Specialist at the World Bank
Ruba Warwar
TV host The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation
Lisa Binderberger
Founder of Boom Creative Lab
Susan Muchemi
Business Development Manager, TRACE Eastern Africa
Mariella Gebhardt
Founder, Babyou
Cecilia Toncic-Sorinj
Finding sustainable solutions in gastronomy.
Federico Garcea
Ashoka Fellow, Co-Founder of Treedom
Corinna Geissler
Head of Advocacy & Child Rights, UNICEF Austria
Diana Mwai
Program Director at Educate!, Kenya
Nikolay Mihaylov
CEO & co-founder of CastFolio (Bulgaria)
Tamara Höfer
Prison Research Consultant at United Nations
Kseniia Stepanenko
CEO of ANO “Territory”, founder of “Social Lab: city for life” Novokuznetsk, Russia
Br. Dr. Jonas Yawovi Dzinekou
Director, Institute for Social Transformation Tangaza University College
Pavel Hrica
Founder, Cesta von; Ashoka Fellow
Elodie Ravion
Finance Manager Ashoka Austria, Visionary Program Manager & Communication
Manisha Joshi
Account Director at ketchum Publico
Sumita Kunashakaran
Project Manager at the Zero Project
Krzsytof Rutkowski
Director Magovox
Pascal Kayiranga MD
Rwanda Red Cross Society
Harliet Njenga
Founder, Think Opal
Stefanie Kotrba
OPEC Fund for International Development
Karin Ondas
Sozialwirtschaft Steiermark
Eleonora Cadone
Community Integrator, Ashoka Italy
Lesley Pennington
Founder of multiple social initiatives
Monika Ségur-Cabanac
Regional Manager Central & West Africa and Latin America at Missio Austria
Dan Driscoll
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of The Anou Cooperative
Haron Wachira
Ashoka Fellow, Akili Holdings
Andreas Papp
Emergency Response Director SOS Children’s Villages International
Alexander Wostry
Social Entrepreneur & Co-Founder, Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT)
Jindra Marešová
Director, Albatros Foundation
Joana Breidenbach
Abraham Gossaye
Head of Country Office, Austrian Red Cross in Ethiopia
Wellington Nogueira
Sylvia Kaawe
Manager, Women Economic Empowerment Program ,CARE International in Uganda
Ferdinand Pelzlmayer
Human Rights Lawyer, Switzerland/Austria
Katharina van Zeller
Founder & CEO DreiKreis
Guy Beigel
CEO Midot, promoting impact (Israel)
Diana Ninsiima
Director for Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) Tanzania
Caroline Chege
Municipality Director, Kajiado County Kenya
Gregor Demblin
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of tech2people GmbH & myAbility Social Enterprise GmbH
Ahmed Abdelgalil
VP alumnus & Gender and Economic Empowerment Specialist
Selene Orellana
Communications Lead at Planeterra Foundation
Josep Maria Miró Pascual
Social Innovation Consultant JovesLab (Spain)
Milan Medić
President of LEADER Network Croatia
Andreja Rosandic
Lecturer at Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences University of Zagreb
Radek Hábl
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of the Institute for Debt Prevention and Resolution in Prague
Asetila Koestinger
Founder of the GoodStartup School
Clemens Mulokozi
Ashoka Fellow, Founder & CEO of the NGO NGO Jambo Bukoba
Diana Filimon
President Forum Apulum, Ashoka Fellow
Valeria Duflot
Co-founder of Venezia Autentica
Magdalena Dul-Komosinska
CEE Director, Climate KIC
Christoph Soukup
Senior Project Manager HYPO NOE Gruppe Bank
Veronica Pistyur
Co-Founder and CEO of Bridges Budapest Ⅰ General Partner at Oktogon Ventures
Walter Emberger
Ashoka Fellow, Founder & CEO´of Teach For Austria
Ori Shoham
Program coordinator atidim ("home ground", Israel)
Markus Raffer
CEO of Tec-Innovation GmbH
Silvia Silvozzi
Manager Bottega Terzo Settore - Fondazione Carisap
Irene Drodzowski
Landschaftspflegeverein Thermenlinie-Wienerwald-Wiener Becken
Giannis Vikas
Social Entrepreneurship Development Officer Athens Development and Destination Management Agency
Niels Hansa
Community and partner Manager at talentify.me
Ricardo Parger
Founder of PHÖNIX - Training For Life
Zahra I. Lethome
Office Manager, Ashoka East Africa
Ondřej Zapletal
Executive Director, Depositum Bonum Foundation Prag
Carina Linzer
formerly: Communications for Ashoka Austria
Michael Marchetti
Founder of wetransformpilots®
Raluca Cocuz
Sustainability Specialist Enel Romania
Ulla Riedle
Co-Team Leader of the Youth&ICT4D department in SOS Children´s Villages International
Katharina Markovics
Professor of Musicology at New England Conservatory in Boston
