Help affect social change by learning about Ashoka's Senior Fellow initiative, a search for leading social entrepreneurs with global impact. Read about them and nominate your own leading social innovator.

1. There are extraordinary individuals changing the way we see things

2. Social Entrepreneurs whose ideas have gained momentum, altitude and visibility

3. Leaders who’ve already had a “scratch on history”

4. Ashoka provides them with the catalyst to affect social change, globally

5. Presenting ASHOKA’S 2008 SENIOR FELLOWS And more…

6. 28 Ashoka Senior Fellows elected in 2008 12 3 3 2 8

7. 4 education 1 environment 5 civic engagement 7 human rights 6 economic development all 28 creating systematic social change What are they working on? 3 health 2 communications/media

9. Who she is: Founder of the US-based national teachers corp, Teach for America. What she’s done: At age 21, Wendy launched her educational model with the mission of recruiting non-traditional teachers to improve schools that serve low-income youth in the United States. This year over 25,000 applicants competed for 3,700 new Teach for America positions. Website: www.teachforamerica.org WENDY KOPP teach for america

10. ROBERTO SABA asociación por los derechos civiles Who he is: Founder of civil rights organization, Asociación por los Derechos Civiles (ADC). What he’s done: Before Roberto co-founded ADC, there was no other organization in Argentina using litigation and communications to advocate for civil and minority rights. His work has significantly improved the accessibility and transparency of information to citizens. Website: www.adc.org

11. URSULA SLADEK elektrizitätswerke schönau Who she is: Founder of the citizen-owned energy company, EWS (Elektrizitätswerke Schönau or “Energy Plants of Schönau.”) What she’s done: Ursula’s EWAs have broken the pricing and policy monopoly of large utility companies by supplying municipalities and businesses with green energy. Ursula has pioneered and scaled the green energy movement; to date, there are 75,000 private EWS customers across Germany. Website: www.ews-schoenau.de

12. JIMMY WALES wikipedia Who he is: Founder of free online, multilingual, open-source encyclopedia, Wikipedia. What he’s done: Jimmy has engineered one of the largest mass online collaborations attempted to date and in doing so, has radically democratized the act of information collection. Since its creation in 2001, the reference Web site Wikipedia has grown rapidly, with 75,000 active contributors working on more than 10,000,000 articles in more than 250 languages. Website: www.wikipedia.org Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia

13. Who he is: Founder of media and network for women and children, AINA. What he’s done: After working for 30 years as a photojournalist, Reza founded AINA to overcome decades of psychological and cultural destruction amongst Afghanis through education and media training. More than 90 percent of people trained by AINA are now employed using media and communications skills. His new initiative -“Open Mind”- will introduce AINA’s strategies in countries affected by conflict and disasters. Website: www.ainaworld.org REZA DEGHATI aina

14. JOHN MARKS search for common ground Who he is: President and Founder of citizen-owned business company, Search For Common Ground (SFCG) What he’s done: John Marks has pioneered the use of radio soap operas as an approach to peacebuilding and conflict resolution around the world. SFCG specializes in the use of popular culture to create understanding among ethnic communities and to achieve measurable changes in behaviors and attitudes. In the last 26 years, SFCG has grown to become not just the world’s biggest citizen sector peacebuilding organization but also the world’s largest producer of radio soap operas after the BBC. Website: www.sfcg.org Photographs courtesy of SFCG

15. GARTH JAPHET heartlines / soul city Who he is: Executive Director and Founder of multi-media social change projects, Heartlines and Soul City. What he’s done: Garth is managing one of the world’s leading campaigns for health education. Through its ground-breaking drama series, Soul City has empowered viewers by fusing the fields of education and popular entertainment in an emerging field known as “edutainment.” Garth then founded Heartlines, a multi-media platform to engage South Africans in public debate about values. Website: www.heartlines.co.za/www.soulcity.org.za