June 2, 2020: King Felipe and Queen Letizia held an audience with a representation of technological and social innovators, who have expressed their way of seeing the future and the role of innovation, in different sectors, to improve the recovery of Spain after the COVID pandemic. Specifically, the meetings on the one hand were held with seven “estartaperos” (founders of “start-ups”) related to the South Summit initiative, who also stressed the importance of finding new paths, through emerging entrepreneurs, for the present and the future of the country; and on the other hand, with seven young social entrepreneurs called by the Ashoka association, based on social innovation as a “social tool to get out of the crisis”.
The president of Ashoka Spain, Maite Arango, and the director of the Ashoka Foundation, Alexandra Mitjans, have also underlined the potential of young people to promote systemic changes.
"The greatest innovation is that all young people can find their power to change their environment," said Maite Arango, at the meeting with Don Felipe and Doña Letizia, which also included Gonzalo Fanjul, founder of porCausa, a communication model focused on bring truthful information to the public about the most vulnerable people; Clara Jiménez Cruz, journalist and co-founder of Maldita.es, a non-profit media outlet dedicated to fighting disinformation; and Pablo Santaeufemia, founder of Bridge for Billions, a network of online and accessible entrepreneurship programs to accompany new entrepreneurs in their first steps.Guzmán Fernández, 20, and creator of Opinion20, who has worked since leaving school so that the voice of young people is heard by those who make the decisions that will affect their future, have also attended the event; Alejandra Acosta, 23, founder of Break the Silence, an NGO raising awareness of human trafficking; and Eduardo Fierro, 27, a member of the LEINN Mondragon Team Academy network and co-founder of Kuvu, a new model of coexistence based on relationships between generations that reduces loneliness and isolation for older people. The three young people are part of the Ashoka advisory group, which this year will launch an initiative for the selection, accompaniment and visibility of young change agents under the age of 21.who has worked since leaving school so that the voice of young people is heard by those who make the decisions that will affect their future; Alejandra Acosta, 23, founder of Break the Silence, an NGO raising awareness of human trafficking; and Eduardo Fierro, 27, a member of the LEINN Mondragon Team Academy network and co-founder of Kuvu, a new model of coexistence based on relationships between generations that reduces loneliness and isolation for older people. The three young people are part of the Ashoka advisory group, which this year will launch an initiative for the selection, accompaniment and visibility of young change agents under the age of 21.who has worked since leaving school so that the voice of young people is heard by those who make the decisions that will affect their future; Alejandra Acosta, 23, founder of Break the Silence, an NGO raising awareness of human trafficking; and Eduardo Fierro, 27, a member of the LEINN Mondragon Team Academy network and co-founder of Kuvu, a new model of coexistence based on relationships between generations that reduces loneliness and isolation for older people. The three young people are part of the Ashoka advisory group, which this year will launch an initiative for the selection, accompaniment and visibility of young change agents under the age of 21.23-year-old founder of Break the Silence, an NGO raising awareness of human trafficking; and Eduardo Fierro, 27, a member of the LEINN Mondragon Team Academy network and co-founder of Kuvu, a new model of coexistence based on relationships between generations that reduces loneliness and isolation for older people. The three young people are part of the Ashoka advisory group, which this year will launch an initiative for the selection, accompaniment and visibility of young change agents under the age of 21.23-year-old founder of Break the Silence, an NGO raising awareness of human trafficking; and Eduardo Fierro, 27, a member of the LEINN Mondragon Team Academy network and co-founder of Kuvu, a new model of coexistence based on relationships between generations that reduces loneliness and isolation for older people. The three young people are part of the Ashoka advisory group, which this year will launch an initiative for the selection, accompaniment and visibility of young change agents under the age of 21.The three young people are part of the Ashoka advisory group, which this year will launch an initiative for the selection, accompaniment and visibility of young change agents under the age of 21.The three young people are part of the Ashoka advisory group, which this year will launch an initiative for the selection, accompaniment and visibility of young change agents under the age of 21.
"The current crisis has not only shown the terrible effects of a health pandemic, but has also highlighted deeper social problems, such as apathy, disinformation, inequality or the lack of opportunities to contribute to a better society," he explained. Alexandra Mitjans, Director of Ashoka Spain.
Ashoka has been identifying social innovators who solve problems effectively and systemically for more than 40 years. Its founder, Bill Drayton, received the Prince of Asturias Award for Cooperation in 2011. Its global network has 3,600 Social Entrepreneurs in more than 90 countries. According to a study organized by the organization in 2019, 74% of these innovators who work for the common good manage to change the legislation or public policies of their country to make them fairer. In addition, 90% have facilitated the replication of their idea by other entities, within or outside their countries. And nine out of ten recognize that Ashoka has helped them strengthen their leadership.
"Our proposal is to activate these 'antibodies', these agents of change, as a vaccine for social challenges," adds Mitjans. "We are facing an opportunity to promote social innovation as a fundamental tool to overcome the crisis. The six people who have sat here today are an example of this. It is not just about supporting their projects, or giving them visibility, but putting them in charge of social change so that their power is shared and spread, ”concluded Mitjans.
The three Social Entrepreneurs of the foundation and three young agents of change specialized in different sectors have shared today with Their Majesties the Kings that the objective of Ashoka and its network of leaders in social innovation is to activate Spanish society with a common purpose, guided for empathy, and having the necessary skills to change their environment for the better. Ashoka has transferred in the meeting the 10 keys that they propose to achieve prosperity in society through social innovation, with a systemic approach: before this new game we re-imagine the role of citizens, and especially of young people, in the society, where all people discover their power to contribute to the common good and feel the responsibility to act.
