Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Between Global North and Global South: The Ashoka Case

Social entrepreneurship and social innovation are key phenomena in interpreting the change towards a sustainable economy. This chapter aims at exploring geographical differences in the structure and characteristics of social initiatives. After having analyzed the role of social entrepreneurship and social innovation in the Global South and in the Global North, we focus on the Ashoka network, the largest worldwide support organization for social innovators and social entrepreneurs. Triangulating data from the Ashoka network and publications from academia (Yale and Columbia Universities) and international institutions (such as the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum) we compare the two global areas in terms of alignment between the most urgent needs of the countries therein and the actions of the local Ashoka fellows. Results inform policymakers, social and business actors on the importance of sustaining social innovation and social entrepreneurship initiatives that align with the most pressing needs of the country, especially in economies that belong to the so-called Global South.