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
👋 PLEASE NOTE: This page is currently being updated.
All
Alumni
Ashoka Fellows
Ashoka Staff
Central-Eastern Europe Region
East Africa Region
Experts+Speakers
Foundations
Mediterranean Region
NGOs
Participants
Private sector
Public sector
Natalia Peryazeva
Doctor of Social Work and Business Administration
Elena Gabriela Ardelean
CEO & Founder of AI4 DevelopmentAgency
Tanja Tamse
Project Manager of Center Noordung
Kerstin Dohnal
Founder of destination: development
Andreja Rosandic
Lecturer at Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences University of Zagreb
Daniela Herneth
Leadership Coach / People & Business Developer
Tomasz Pruszynski
Founder of Captain‘s Nemo Foundation
Karolina Kartus
Co-Founder of Social Held
Hanna Ahere
Special Assistant & Regional Director, Ford Foundation office, Eastern Africa
Teresa Agovino
CEO Faroo, Environmental Engineerand Sustainable Tourism Consultant
Radek Hábl
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of the Institute for Debt Prevention and Resolution in Prague
Yumi Tsoy
Head of Operations at Bethnal Green Ventures
Lenah Gideon
Grant Administrator, Porticus Nairobi
Katarina Banicevic
Teamleader South East Europe, Austrian Red Cross
Milica Aksentic
Head of Communications and CSR at Western Union International Bank
Margarita Rebetskaya
Choreographier, Ballet dancer & Performance Director
Melek Pulatkonak
Founder of the Turkish Women's International Network & BinYaprak
Knight Muteti
Founde & Executive Director, Daughters of Kenya (DoK)
Jindra Marešová
Director, Albatros Foundation
Ernest Namanya Rwendeire
Executive Director, Latek Stay Alliance Uganda
Christina Purrer
Project Manager at Hil-Foundation gGmbH
Rosa Bergmann
Co-founder of Vienna Hobby Lobby
Sumita Kunashakaran
Project Manager at the Zero Project
Krzsytof Rutkowski
Director Magovox
Veronica Pistyur
Co-Founder and CEO of Bridges Budapest Ⅰ General Partner at Oktogon Ventures
Abubaker Musuuza
Ashoka Fellow
Livio Scalvini
Founder & CEO, Venture4Impact
Markus Raffer
CEO of Tec-Innovation GmbH
Beata Jaczewska
Managing Director, Visegrad Fund
Eleonora Cadone
Community Integrator, Ashoka Italy
Irit Zviely Efrat
Chief Operations Officer at Hillel
Ulla Riedle
Co-Team Leader of the Youth&ICT4D department in SOS Children´s Villages International
Raluca Cocuz
Sustainability Specialist Enel Romania
Monika Ségur-Cabanac
Regional Manager Central & West Africa and Latin America at Missio Austria
Karin Haselböck
European Integrator, Ashoka
Stefan van der Swaluw
Program Director at SOS Children's Villages The Netherlands
Ori Shoham
Program coordinator atidim ("home ground", Israel)
Artur Nadcrinicinii
Changemaker from Greece, Founder Artos kai Agapi
Gregor Demblin
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of tech2people GmbH & myAbility Social Enterprise GmbH
Aziza Khabbush
Senior business analyst for public health
Katharina van Zeller
Founder & CEO DreiKreis
Peter Herreiner
Financial Advisor & Supervisory Board Member
Georg Schön
Co-Director Ashoka Austria
Harald Gründl
Managing Partner / Chairman EOOS Design, IDRV - Institute of Design Research Vienna
David Hudelist
Project Coordinator at Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation - 'fairplay initiatve'
Walter Odhiambo
National Director, SoS Children's Villages Kenya
Karina Lackner
Founder & Project Director for Kicken ohne Grenzen
Gabriela Vondrusova
Change Manager and Community Mobilizer at Ashoka Czech Republic
Michael Lorz
Managing Director at EnableMe Foundation
Michael Kowatschew
Initiator of NOVID20
Nicola Fraccaroli
Consultant for marketing strategies & business model changes
Sheila Alumo
CEO & Founder, Eastern Agricultural Development Company LTD (EADC)
Ojok Okello
Founder and CEO of Okere City
Susan Muchemi
Business Development Manager, TRACE Eastern Africa
Hisham El Rouby
Ashoka Fellow, MENA Regional Director The Synergos Insitiute
Marie Ringler
Member of Ashoka's Global Leadership Group, Leading Ashoka's work in Europe
Diana Ninsiima
Director for Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) Tanzania
Anikó Cserjes
Country Representative of Ashoka Hungary
Edit Schlaffer
Ashoka Fellow, Founder and Executive Director of Women without Borders
Amanda Sundell
Co-Director of Ashoka Nordics
Eman Bsoul
Changemaker from Israel, Assistant General Director Municipality of Nazareth
Sonja Betschart
Niki Griller
Managing Director, Griller Kabel
Dan Driscoll
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of The Anou Cooperative
Klara Michel
Co-Founder, Michel Foundation; Yoga teacher & Coach
Selene Orellana
Communications Lead at Planeterra Foundation
Silvia Silvozzi
Manager Bottega Terzo Settore - Fondazione Carisap
Katharina Kruppa
Ashoka Fellow, Founder and Chairwoman Grow Together
Mikhail Krivonos
Co-Founder, Rabota-i LLC; Chief Executive Officer, RAOUL charity foundation (till Feb '23)
Elisabeth Pipic
Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF)
Simone Pies
Business Angel & Mentor
Matthias Weichhart
Austrian Research Promotion Agency
Elena Tanase
Founder, Mousse Pamplemousse
Andrea Babčanová
HR Manager, Visegrad Fund
Pavel Hrica
Founder, Cesta von; Ashoka Fellow
Mariella Gebhardt
Founder, Babyou
Walburga Fröhlich
Ashoka Fellow, Co-Founder & CEO of atempo
Judith Schneider
Cultural advisor
Abraham Gossaye
Head of Country Office, Austrian Red Cross in Ethiopia
Florin Stoican
Ashoka Fellow Romania
Verena Ahne
Head of Knowledge Transfer & Dissemination, Complexity Science Hub Vienna (on educational leave)
Pascal Wambua
Regional Fund Development Director, SOS Children's Villages International, Eastern & Southern Africa Region
Clemens Mulokozi
Ashoka Fellow, Founder & CEO of the NGO NGO Jambo Bukoba
Simona Sinesi
Ashoka Fellow, Founder & Vice President NEVER GIVE UP Onlus
Claudia Lingner
Managing Director Ludwing Boltzmann Gesellschaft
Benjamin Dragolj
Founder of Igramo Zajedno Inicijativa – IZI
Rachel Onyango
Development Specialist fpr NGOs
Mustapha Jazar
Founder and Director, Lebanese Association for Scientific Research (LASeR)
Torsten Engelage
Risk Management and Compliance for the PwC Advisory
Franziska Wizany
Cultural advisor
Marsha Forbes
Global Lead Funding Advisor at Joining Forces Initiative by World Vision
Charles Karimbu Kimathi
Head of Corporate Affairs & Partnerships The Standard Group PLC
Susan Mugera
Manager in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Public Sector Group
Pascal Kayiranga MD
Rwanda Red Cross Society
Ursula Miller
Partnership Expert at Light for the World
Agnieszka Franeczek
Head of Consumer Lending Processes at UniCredit Bank Austria
Armand Colard
ESG Plus GmbH
Christophe Cuny
Individual Giving Department Lead, SOS Children's Villages International
Klára Rundová
Project Managar Česká spořitelna foundation
Birgit Straka
Managing Director at Viva con Agua Österreich
Astrid Lendel
Communications and Marketing Expert
Elodie Ravion
Finance Manager Ashoka Austria, Visionary Program Manager & Communication
Isaya Yunge
Ashoka Fellow, Executive Director of the SomApp Foundation
Christina Matuschka-Baumann
Head of POS Design & Digitalization in A1
Anna Schaden
former Operations Manager Ashoka CEE
Ricardo Parger
Founder of PHÖNIX - Training For Life
Zahra I. Lethome
Office Manager, Ashoka East Africa
Hélène Menapace
Founder, WeLovePinkPlanet - SanFem
Maurizio Ramonda
SAI (Sistema Accoglienza Integrazione) project for the integration of refugees
Astrid Saxl
Head of Information & Reporting in SOS Children's Villages International
Manisha Joshi
Account Director at ketchum Publico
Jeremy Druker
Ashoka Fellow, Founder and Executive Director of Transitions (TOL)
Andrea Mörike
Social Business Consultant, Alumna of the Visionary Program
Giuseppe Nigro
Consultant on Project Design & Project Evaluation, also: Ashoka Italy
Muthoni Kanga
Tangaza University
Eduard Trampusch
Head of International Programmes, Austrian Red Cross
Katerina Bursikova Jacques
Executive Director, Educational and business centre Sněmovní 7
Anna Greil
Founder and CEO of Uptraded
Sonja Nita
European Commission/Centre of Thematic Expertise on Civil Society Support
Nilton Rubio
Innovation and Sustainability Coordinator, S.C.S. Armonia Work Onlus
Sabine Pümpel
Initiator & Head of aws Sustainable Food Systems Initiative
Cornelia Faisst
Senior lecturer and co-academic Director at the University of Liechtenstein
Nazareth Seferian
CSR and Social Entrepreneurship trainer, educator & consultant
Gil Tsabari
CEO GTS - Technologies Ltd (Israel)
Alice Emasu
Founder and Executive Director,The Association for Rehabilitation and Reorientation of women for Development-TERREWOD, Ashoka fellow Uganda
Alicia Rodriguez
Youth and ICT4D Project Coordinator at SOS Children’s Villages International
Carina Linzer
formerly: Communications for Ashoka Austria
Johanna Kerber
Co-Founder and CEO, DreiKreis Consulting GmbH
Ole Kassow
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of Cycling Without Age and Copenhagen Cycling
Jihad Shoja'eyeh
Founder of “Youth without Borders Network”
Diana Mwai
Program Director at Educate!, Kenya
Angelika Bartholomäi
Director of the coordination office, StartNet Italy
Joana Breidenbach
Br. Dr. Jonas Yawovi Dzinekou
Director, Institute for Social Transformation Tangaza University College
Elisabeth Siencnik
Startup Coach; Co-founder & CFO reha buddy
Stefan Kainz
Co-founder and Managing partner of Growth Ninjas
Julia Culen
Managing Partner, Culen Mayrhofer Partner
Linda Stucbartova
Partner ATAIRU company, Founder Diversio
Tina Eckert
Founder and Managing Director of Karmalaya
Martin Hollinetz
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of tech2people GmbH & myAbility Social Enterprise GmbH
Valeria Duflot
Co-founder of Venezia Autentica
Johanssen Obanda
Executive Director, Jabulani Youths for Transformation
Katharina Okulski
Head of scholarship program, NOW: International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
Ole Kassow
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of Cycling Without Age and Copenhagen Cycling
Wellington Nogueira
Maribeth Aquino
Founder of Coding School for Underserved Women
Urška Starc-Peceny
Chief Innovation Officer, lead Tourism 4.0 at Arctur
Verena Riedler
Initiator, "Steady Steps";Organisational Consultant, Coach
Birgit Radl-Wanko
Managing Director of younus
Raphaela Toncic-Sorinj
Co-Director Ashoka Austria and Nordics; Director Ashoka Visionary Program
Mani
Human Rights Lawyer
Michael Marchetti
Founder of wetransformpilots®
Helmut Rauth
Head of Finance & Service, Österreichische Caritaszentrale
Evans Njoro
Director, Futures Infinite
Danijel Baturina
Assistant professor in University of Zagreb
Marcelina Biro
CEO, Kijana Jasiri-Resilience Organization
Heidrun Gruber-Größwang
Marketing expert; Founder, Gruber-Größwang Consulting
Cornelia Sima
Account Director at Ketchum
Michal Sadeh Goldvasser
Director of the Employment and Economic Program in the village of Jisr al-Zarqa (Israel)
Lisa Binderberger
Founder of Boom Creative Lab
Karsten Ottenberg
Former CEO of BSH Home Appliances Group and Innovater and Purpose-driven leader by heart
Ahmad Abdelgalil
Changemaker from Egypt, Staff Ashoka Arab World
Christina Kauer
CONCORDIA Sozialprojekte
Masha Djordjevic
Program Manager Open Society Foundations
Barbara Mayrhofer
Regional Manager for the Institute for Inclusive Education
Oleg Belezhenko
Founder
Jane Waithera
Founder Positive, Exposure Kenya
Gernot Jochum-Müller
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of Zeitpolster
Agnes Schillhuber
Communications neunerhaus; formerly: Ashoka Austria
Bernhard Hofer
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of talentify.me
Kseniia Stepanenko
CEO of ANO “Territory”, founder of “Social Lab: city for life” Novokuznetsk, Russia
Josep Maria Miró Pascual
Social Innovation Consultant JovesLab (Spain)
Aris Tufexis
Educator and project manager, AG Di Donato
Simon Rutar
Founder Moonshot Pirates
Ilya Yacevich
Founding Director, Global Trauma Project (GTP); Ashoka Fellow
Claire Wavamuno
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of Hill Preparatory School
Eszter Harsanyi
Ashoka Fellow, Owner of Nestingpplay
Sabrina Stepanian
Founder, STEPANIAN CONSULTING e.U.
Andrea Martens
Andrea Martens
Elik Almog
Changemaker from Israel, VP Dualis social investment fund
Emilie Romon
Partnership Manager Ashoka
Tina Deutsch
Co-founder and Board Member, Klaiton; Strategic Advisor, CoachHub
Julia Obereder
Founder and Executive Director of BRAVE Aurora
Father Charles Chilufya
Director of the Justice and Ecology Office of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM)
Haron Wachira
Ashoka Fellow, Akili Holdings
Khalila Mbowe
Founder and CEO of Unleasehd Africa Social Ventures
Abebaw Abebe
Ethiopia Program Manager at African Disability Forum
Corinna Geissler
Head of Advocacy & Child Rights, UNICEF Austria
Veronica Marin
Founder and Vice President of De-a Arhitectura Association Ⅰ Ashoka Fellow
Karin Ondas
Sozialwirtschaft Steiermark
Adnane Addioui
Ashoka Fellow, Co-Founder of the Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Weirong Li
Founder and CEO of Raw Culture
Manuela Achitz
Blühendes Österreich
Asetila Koestinger
Founder of the GoodStartup School
Katharina Jeschke
Austria Secretary General at IMZ International Music + Media Centre
Jana Krajcovicova
Private Sector Development Specialist at the World Bank
Francesca Cavallini
Professor, Founder of Tice
Mikhail Rodin
Project Lead Developing Neighborhood Institute
Rebekka Dober
Ashoka Fellow, Founder of YEP – Voice of the Youth
Giannis Vikas
Social Entrepreneurship Development Officer Athens Development and Destination Management Agency
Gregor Ruttner-Vicht
CEO of Lower Austrian entity of Sindbad
Andra Slaats
Founder of Younited Cultures
Magdalena Dul-Komosinska
CEE Director, Climate KIC
Katja Teuchmann
Founder Safa East Venture e.U. (Austria)
Nikolay Mihaylov
CEO & co-founder of CastFolio (Bulgaria)
Monika Hrochova
Program Manager, Educhange Foundation
Kirsten Tangemann
Managing Director of Social Business Hub Styria
Danny Mucira
Eastern Africa Managing Director of Trace
Nikole Stolz
Head Of Department Development at SWISSAID
Stella Parris
Account Manager at RxWare
Federico Garcea
Ashoka Fellow, Co-Founder of Treedom
Tamara Höfer
Prison Research Consultant at United Nations
Stefanie Kirwald
Consultant Alumnae*I Network
Lesley Pennington
Founder of multiple social initiatives
Alexandra Nitzlader
Senior Project Manager HYPO NOE Gruppe Bank
Svetlana Nalepova
Founder and Manager of the Social Enterprise for the Elderly Creative Workshops "Silver Years"
Fabian Scholda
Regional director of the social enterprise Sindbad
Walter Emberger
Ashoka Fellow, Founder & CEO´of Teach For Austria
Zeina Awaydate
Assistant to VIP & Exhibitor Relations
Abbass Abbass
Ashoka Fellow, Founder and Director of AlManarah
Elin Baranyai-Ulvestad
Project Manager, Austrian Red Cross
Abla Al Alfy
Ashoka Fellow, Founder & President of the Egyptian Members Association of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Radoslav Pittner
Co-Country Representative Czech and Slovakia, Facilitator & coach for social impact
Gabriele Hampson
Managing Director at W*ORT
Andreas Papp
Emergency Response Director SOS Children’s Villages International
Irene Drodzowski
Landschaftspflegeverein Thermenlinie-Wienerwald-Wiener Becken
Vadim Poluga
"i3" (I-Cube) Information Engineering Incubator
Alexander Wostry
Social Entrepreneur & Co-Founder, Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT)
Walburga Frölich
Ondřej Zapletal
Executive Director, Depositum Bonum Foundation Prag
Bas van Abel
Founder, Fairphone
Desiree Li Bassi
Executive Assistant and head of the Hospitality department, Museo Diffuso dei 5 Sensi di Sciacca
Christiane Holzinger
Managing Partner, 360° Business Planner GmbH, Start-Up Stars GmbH
Ruba Warwar
TV host The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation
Stefan Lilischkis
Senior consultant, empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbH
Andrew Spyrou
Changemaker from Greece, Consultant Costas M. Lemos Foundation
Cecilia Toncic-Sorinj
Finding sustainable solutions in gastronomy.
Violeta Philippitsch
Leitung Kundenbereich EU & International, Umweltbundesamt - Environment Agency Austria
Eva Pavlikova
CEO of Česko.Digital
Babu Edton
Acting Manager Livelihoods, CARE Uganda
Michael Hilbert
Partner at Roland Berger
Charlotte Steenbergen
COO of the European Forum Alpbach
Francesca Vannini Parenti
Co-founder and Product manager, Addiopizzo Travel
Markus Rhomber
Managing Director of the International Association of Lake Constance Universities
Emmanuel Tamakloe
Founding President and CEO of Atomic Gateway Sporting Academy
Obayda Abo Asbeh
Founder Sanad Yoth Association (Israel)
Stefanie Kotrba
OPEC Fund for International Development
Flavian Majenga
Senior Project Manager CARE Tanzania
Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková
Ashoka Fellow, Chairwoman of the Czech Expert Society for Inclusive Education
Niels Hansa
Community and partner Manager at talentify.me
Andrea Kretschmer
Manager Accenture
Jose Morales
Founder & Manager; Aurora Coworking Network, Lincoln Island Initiatives, European Rural Coworking Project
Harliet Njenga
Founder, Think Opal
Martin Lupa
Founder of Young Public Affairs Leaders Academy
Elisabeth Campestrini
CEO of Progressive Health Consulting
Elisabeth Mayerhofer
Managing Director, Julius Raab Foundation
Anastasia Noskova
Founder of "SWOP market - Let's swop"
Magdalena Lima
Project assistant & communication manager, Ashoka Italy
Ninon Ndayikengurkiye
CARE USA Impact and Innovation Team
Maria Raczynska
Co-founder, "The Noon" project
Lynn Ngugi
Humanitarian and human rights specialist
Arianna Tripodi
Child and Youth Participation Advisor, SOS Children’s Villages International
Katharina Markovics
Professor of Musicology at New England Conservatory in Boston
Klaus Candussi
Ashoka Fellow, Co-Founder of atempo
Julian Juen
Founder of One4One Social Business
Sylvia Kaawe
Manager, Women Economic Empowerment Program ,CARE International in Uganda
Guy Beigel
CEO Midot, promoting impact (Israel)
Sebastian Fagarazzi
Co-founder, Venezia Autentica
Claire de Lafarge
Founder and CEO, Dialogue Social Enterprise; Ashoka Fellow
Clarissa Rhomberg
Co-Leader of EU-funded ERASMUS+-project “Society in motion”
Ahmed Abdelgalil
VP alumnus & Gender and Economic Empowerment Specialist
Tomas Reminek
Member of the board of directors, Eduzměna foundation fund
Joan Mwachi
Regional Director East Africa at World Reader
Caroline Chege
Municipality Director, Kajiado County Kenya
Amira Saber
Changemaker from Egypt, Member of the Egyptian Parliament
Maurizio Bergia
President of the social & agricultural cooperative I TESORI della TERRA in Cervasca
Sarah Deckenbacher
Social Responsability Specialist at Sparkasse Oberösterreich
Kristina Kroyer
Program Coordinator at HORIZONT3000
Johannes Guger
Head of the department of social affairs and volunteering at the Red Cross
Dagmar Kotzmuth
Co-Founder & CEO DAHIR
Nicole Nassar
Project Management SOS Children’s Villages International
Samuel Chambi
Coordinator – Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), CARE International in Tanzania
Rana AlZoubi
National Director, SOS Children's Villages Jordan
Karanja Nduta
Social entrepreneur in EdTech, Future of Work Strategist & Trainer
Christoph Soukup
Senior Project Manager HYPO NOE Gruppe Bank
