Ashoka & Boehringer Ingelheim: A Transformative Partnership
We are convinced that equitable health requires that the social and business sectors work together. We recognize that our strengths are complementary. We look to achieve shared impact, building on social entrepreneurship to create sustainable mindsets through changemakers.
Our network of social entrepreneurs
The Ashoka & Boehringer Ingelheim partnership has built a strong network of over 130 system-changing social entrepreneurs—Ashoka Fellows—across 42 countries. These dedicated individuals are at the forefront of driving innovative solutions in the health sector.
Ashoka & Boehringer Ingelheim: A Transformative Partnership
Our network of social entrepreneurs
Making More Health: Sustainable Impact through Innovation and People
Making More Health was initiated in 2010 by Boehringer Ingelheim in collaboration with Ashoka to identify new and better ways of improving health globally for underserved communities, and has since grown to include other partners that collectively catalyze social impact
Current health systems need to evolve to meet future health challenges. Since 1982, Ashoka has partnered with social entrepreneurs focused on healthcare, access, and well-being.
Through these collaborations, we have enriched our collective understanding of effective organizational strategies and are now ready to empower individuals and communities to take charge of their health.
Effective health systems should be grounded in the concept of health agency. This means empowering individuals and their communities to lead, direct, and actively participate in their own health journeys, as well as in the health journeys of others.
Equal, Integrated Partnerships
We are dedicated to developing, supporting, and advocating for integrated and social healthcare solutions. Our goal is to foster equal and collaborative partnerships among individuals, communities, medical care stakeholders, and social care workers. Together, we strive to empower everyone to take charge of their health.
Ashoka Changemaker Companies
Boehringer Ingelheim is part of Ashoka Changemaker Companies, an Ashoka-led initiative that brings over 45 years of social innovation expertise into the corporate world.
We partner with companies and their employees to embed a culture of systemic change and changemaking into their business models and value chains, going beyond Corporate Social Responsibility efforts.
Collaborating with the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs, Changemaker Companies works with and connects leading global brands to accelerate the transition to an inclusive, regenerative economy.
Through the partnership with Ashoka, employees get inspired by the social entrepreneurs and, in close collaboration with these enterprises, Boehringer Ingelheim can find solutions for societal and healthcare challenges in underserved communities.
Tanja Vermeer
Associate Director Sustainability & Culture, Boehringer Ingelheim
Thanks to this partnership, thousands of Boehringer employees have been engaged in various ways. This represents a significant achievement and a powerful realization: with a critical mass of internal changemakers, it becomes possible to begin shifting the trajectory of entire organizations.
Arnaud Mourot
VP, Ashoka. Changemaker Companies Global Lead, and Co-founder of Making More Health
This partnership has been a remarkable journey of mutual growth and discovery. It brought together the corporate and social entrepreneurial worlds, fostering shared learning, co-creation, and impactful change. Together, we built bridges that enabled collaborative solutions to drive lasting…
Manuela Pastore
Associate Director Making More Health Community Activation, Boehringer Ingelheim
This partnership has supported a deep evolution in Ashoka's Health knowledge and thought leadership. From expanding our cohort of Ashoka Fellows at the intersection of social entrepreneurship and health innovation to improving our ability to co-build collaborations with health sector actors…
Yeleka Barrett
Change Leader & Global Health Agency Lead, Ashoka
Something very special about this partnership is that we have a lot of freedom to pilot, to test. Because we have a strong agreement on the overall umbrella and on what we want to achieve.
Discover the inspiring journey of Making More Health. From its inception to its ongoing impact, this initiative has fostered collaboration, leadership, and transformative ideas to address critical healthcare challenges. Explore the rich history of the Ashoka and Boehringer Ingelheim partnership, and see how it continues to shape the future of health and well-being
The Ashoka & Boehringer Ingelheim partnership offers a comprehensive suite of initiatives designed to foster health agency, youth activation, and leadership development. These programs encompass mentorship opportunities, online courses, and events aimed at empowering individuals and communities to drive positive change in the health sector.
Discover a wealth of valuable resources from the Ashoka & Boehringer Ingelheim partnership. Whether you're an entrepreneur, healthcare professional, or changemaker, our curated tools, case studies, and insights can empower you to drive sustainable impact in communities worldwide.
Catalyzing Change: Ashoka Fellows Tackling Global Health Challenges
At the heart of the Ashoka & Boehringer Ingelheim partnership is our shared commitment to identifying, investing in, and supporting Ashoka Fellows who are leading pioneering efforts across a wide range of health-related areas. These include health equity, access to healthcare for underserved populations, animal health, nutrition, environmental health, mental health and well-being, awareness and access to specialized care, decarbonization, and water management.
These Fellows apply social entrepreneurial solutions and expertise to address health challenges with systemic, sustainable approaches.
Javier Lozano has created a low-cost, one-stop-shop clinic to treat diabetes and prevent the complications associated with the disease. With advanced technology and diagnostic and treatment innovations, his clinic offers high-class yet extremely affordable medical care for populations that could otherwise not access it.
Muthi is changing the governance of groundwater and shifting the way it is understood and managed to ensure sustainable water supply, especially to rural communities.
Frustrated by how deficit-based models of mental healthcare can leave clients feeling broken and disempowered, Markus has developed a new approach that prioritizes clients’ passions and strengths so that they can co-create with and feel connected to peers, re-discover a sense of purpose and agency, and find tools and skills to apply for school and work.
Mireia is leading a deep transformation in the food loss and waste system working with farmers, policymakers, civil society organizations, agri-food companies, and schools creating solutions in every link of the food chain extending the life cycle of food.
Raúl Lucero is integrating people with disabilities into mainstream society by developing their capacities and encouraging their autonomy to become socially independent.
Reyna is unlocking the changemaking potential of the fastest growing demographic in the United States – Latine youth – via a new model that cultivates community resilience and skilled leadership for undocumented and mixed-immigration status young people.
Umra is at the forefront of transforming healthcare in remote Kenya, delivering high-quality services directly to underserved communities. Through youth health ambassadors leading outreach and mobile clinics, she is forging a future where equitable healthcare access knows no boundaries.
Mariasole preserves Italy's marine areas by innovating the marine conservation system through the model she created, SEATY, to contribute to the international 30X30 goal. She achieves large-scale public policy change through a systemic methodology of mindset shift and building an alliance of many stakeholders to transform our relationship with the ocean.
Indonesia ranks second in food waste worldwide. Yet, 16.2 million people in Indonesia still face hunger, 21.6% of Indonesian toddlers are stunted, and almost half of Indonesia's elderly are at risk of malnutrition. To fight the issue, Wida creates a volunteer-based movement consisting of housewives, teachers, local communities and private companies to process and distribute food excess from the family and food industry to the vulnerable community.
In a country where the persistence of lingering stigma about persons with disabilities impacts far too many, their rights are still a long way from where they should be. Lizzie dedicated the past decade to understanding the negativity around the term “disable” and after years of exploration, she finally found the specific intersection where she could bring significant change in the world. Lizzie is amplifying the voices, building capacity, and creating visibility for women and girls with disabilities across Kenya and beyond.
Doris is developing in Tanzania and the region a previously non-existing comprehensive system for prevention and improving the survival and well-being of premature births.
Shona McDonald is addressing the challenges of children with mobile disabilities who live in peri-urban and rural areas of South Africa with an approach that puts postural education on the agenda of community-based clinical services, along with a range of tailor-made mobility products that can be assembled and maintained even in conditions with limited resources.
The Ashoka & Boehringer Ingelheim partnership is always looking for passionate changemakers, innovative ideas, and new collaborations to drive impact in healthcare and beyond. If you know an inspiring social entrepreneur who could be a great fit for the Ashoka Fellowship, have bold ideas to improve health systems, or are interested in building meaningful partnerships, we’d love to hear from you!
