The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has named Ashesi President, Dr. Patrick Awuah as Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2014. Dr. Awuah is one of thirty-seven Social Entrepreneurs selected in recognition of their innovative approach to social entrepreneurship and potential for global impact.
“Social entrepreneurs are the driving force behind innovations that improve the quality of life of individuals around the world, and they represent an integral and dynamic community of the World Economic Forum,” said Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. “It therefore gives me great pleasure to announce the 2014 Schwab Social Entrepreneur awardees. The 37 outstanding social entrepreneurs we have selected into the Schwab Foundation community this year are designing transformative models in collaboration with government and business partners to generate truly inclusive growth.”
Other 2014 awardees include: Richard Barth & Mike Feinberg of KIPP Foundation (USA); Shelly Batra of Operation ASHA (India); Ashifi Gogo of Sproxil (Nigeria); Martin Kariongi Ole Sanago of Institute for Orkonerei Pastoralists Advancements, IOPA (Tanzania); Jay Kimmelman and Shannon May of Bridge International Academies (Kenya); Sasha Kramer of Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (Haiti); Javier Armando Lozano of Clinicas del Azucar (Mexico); Nancy Lublin of Dosomething.org (USA); Gbenga Sesan of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (Nigeria); Merula Steagall of Associação Brasileira de Linfoma e Leucemia (Brazil); Chetna Vijay Sinha of Mann Deshi Bank and Mann Deshi Foundation (India); Charles Edouard Vincent of Emmaus Défi (France); and Allen Wilcox of VillageReach (Mozambique).
“I am proud to accept this award on behalf of the Ashesi community,” said Dr. Awuah. “Africa – actually, the world – needs more people to commit to improving the lives of the communities around them, and I hope organisations like the Schwab Foundation will inspire more entrepreneurs who will positively impact the world.”
Dr. Awuah and other 2014 awardees will become part of the broader Schwab Foundation community of Social Entrepreneurs, which includes 250 outstanding social entrepreneurs from 60 countries. Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurs are fully integrated into the events and initiatives of the World Economic Forum. They contribute actively to and benefit from peer-to-peer exchanges with other social entrepreneurs as well as interactions with top leaders in business, government, civil society and the media.