Welcome Change

Aisha Nyandoro: Why direct investment in families works

Ashoka Fellow Aisha Nyandoro has pioneered an approach to ending generational poverty for families. In 2018, she launched a guaranteed income program for Black mothers in Mississippi, and through its success has become a leading champion of federal guaranteed income, including the Child Tax Credit. Across all efforts, she and her team are changing the narrative about poverty and power, challenging long-standing prejudices about who deserves to make it in America, and countering gendered and racialized narratives about why people don’t. Speaking with Aisha is Angelou Ezeilo, an Ashoka Fellow from Atlanta, now living in Lagos, Nigeria.  *Episode records live on April 10, 2024 Welcome Change is Ashoka's news and insight series - short conversations with the world's leading changemakers on what works, what's next, and the role we can play. Browse the series: https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/welcomechange Follow here: https://twitter.com/ashokaus

Tessy Britton: Why cities of the future need to be built on practical everyday participation

Countless examples across the world show us that living in multicultural neighborhoods frequently results in people living side-by-side but in parallel communities. This deprives us of the opportunity to build shared lives, focus on the many things we have in common, and work together on the challenges we experience close to home. We can do all this while treasuring our own cultures and backgrounds. Many people want to be part of creating cohesive communities, but need and want fresh opportunities to connect and build vital understanding and friendship. These opportunities don't emerge spontaneously. New bridging social infrastructures, specifically designed to include as many people as possible, are necessary. Creating practical opportunities built into the fabric of everyday life can be made inclusive and regular rather than extraordinary or infrequent occurrences for a select few. Listen in as we hear from Ashoka Fellow Tessy Britton in the UK, creator of Participatory City and the Every One Every Day project. For over 14 years, she has designed, tested, and refined this inclusive approach with communities. Tessy will share the underpinning principles we can all apply in the places we live – to make them more creative, resilient, and welcoming for all. Speaking with Tessy is Sascha Haselmayer, an Ashoka Fellow in Berlin. *Recorded live on April 3, 2024. Welcome Change is Ashoka's news and insight series - short conversations with the world's leading changemakers on what works, what's next, and the role we can play. Browse the series: https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/welcomechange Follow here: https://twitter.com/ashokaus

Bianca Tylek: Removing the financial incentives for incarceration

The U.S. spends $80B annually to incarcerate more of its people than any other nation in the world — with a hidden ecosystem of corporate and other actors benefiting financially from high incarceration rates. Listen in to hear from Ashoka Fellow Bianca Tylek, founder of Worth Rises, about exposing these financial incentives and creating alternatives. Learn about her team’s unique strategy that has prompted swift local and federal policy change and shifted narratives around the real cost of incarceration and the communities who shoulder that burden. Mentioned in this episode is "The most famous speech never given." You and watch and learn more at: https://endtheexception.com/ *Episode recorded live on March 20, 2024. Welcome Change is Ashoka's news and insight series - short conversations with the world's leading changemakers on what works, what's next, and the role we can play. Browse the series: https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/welcomechange Follow here: https://twitter.com/ashokaus

Ximena Abogabir: Our Travels to 100

People in many parts of the world are living longer, and ideas about aging are evolving, too. Listen in to explore with Ximena Abogabir of Chile what conversations about longevity are missing, how advertisers and the media can be allies in shaping new norms around aging, and what lifelong contribution can look like – for all of us, whatever our age. An Ashoka Fellow since 1995, Ximena is a serial entrepreneur, having most recently founded Travesía 100 (“Journey to 100”).  *Episode recorded live on February 28, 2024.  Welcome Change is Ashoka's news and insight series - short conversations with the world's leading changemakers on what works, what's next, and the role we can play. Browse the series: https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/welcomechange Follow here: https://twitter.com/ashokaus

Mel Young & Michael Sani: Olympic legacy - Moving towards a more responsible sporting world

With the Olympics kicking off, we'll explore how sports can create positive change (if responsibility is built into sporting ecosystems); how major sporting events can drive new norms and lasting change; and of course, what highlights we’re all looking for at this year’s Olympics! We'll be joined by three Ashoka Fellows in the UK: -Mel Young, founder of the Homeless World Cup (the inspiration for the new Netflix film 'The Beautiful Game'), former Chair of Sport Scotland, and former Board member of UK Sport; -Michael Sani, whose latest venture Play Verto looks at how to measure change and engage people in creative ways for authentic responses and actionable insights; -Kelly Davies, former footballer from Wales who co-leads Ashoka's impact on sports as a force for positive change in society. *Episode recorded live on July 24, 2024. Welcome Change is Ashoka's news and insight series - short conversations with the world's leading changemakers on what works, what's next, and the role we can play. Browse the series: https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/welcomechange Follow here: https://twitter.com/ashokaus