Ashoka U
Ashoka U is the higher-education arm of global nonprofit Ashoka, partnering with 600+ colleges and universities to embed social innovation through a Changemaker Campus Designation Program, proprietary assessment tools, certificate programs, and annual convenings.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Ashoka U firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ashoka U
- Legal name
- Ashoka
- Website
- https://ashokau.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Ashoka U is the higher-education arm of global nonprofit Ashoka, partnering with 600+ colleges and universities to embed social innovation through a Changemaker Campus Designation Program, proprietary assessment tools, certificate programs, and annual convenings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ashoka U industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Social Innovation Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Change Management & Transformation Leadership (EDABAAAD), Change Management & Transformation (Org/HR) (BPACAJAD)
Keywords
Where Ashoka U is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ashoka U business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Changemaker Campus Designation Fees: Institutions pay staged fees for the Designation Journey: Stage 1 (Catalyze) $10,000, Stage 2 (Visionary Leadership) $15,000, Stage 3 (System-Level Transformation) $25,000, plus $25,000 for final designation and onboarding.
- Event Registration Fees: Revenue from registration fees for annual events including Change Leader Retreat (Early Bird $339-$549), Transforming Business & Education Week (Early Bird $339-$798 depending on organization type), and high-level convenings.
- Certificate Programs: Revenue from learning journeys and certificates including Leading Changemaking Ecosystems certificate and Collaborative Changemaking Certificate offered in partnership with National Peace Corps Association.
- Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for events such as Gold Sponsorships ($20,000 for Change Leader Retreat major sponsorship, $10,000 for Meet & Greet reception) and meal/coffee break sponsorships ($1,000-$3,900).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Change Leader Retreat 2025 - Early Bird (through March 19) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Change Leader Retreat 2025 - Regular (March 20-April 19) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Change Leader Retreat 2025 - Late (April 20+) |
| Subscription | Annual | Transforming Business & Education Week 2024 - Early Bird Business |
| Subscription | Annual | Transforming Business & Education Week 2024 - Early Bird Changemaker Campus |
| Subscription | Annual | Transforming Business & Education Week 2024 - Early Bird Academic/NGO |
| Subscription | Annual | Transforming Business & Education Week 2024 - Ashoka Fellow |
| Subscription | Annual | Leading Transformation in Turbulent Times 2025 - Partners |
| Subscription | Annual | Leading Transformation in Turbulent Times 2025 - Non-Profit/Academic |
| Subscription | Annual | Leading Transformation in Turbulent Times 2025 - Business |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Changemaker Campus Designation Journey - Stage 1 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Changemaker Campus Designation Journey - Stage 2 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Changemaker Campus Designation Journey - Stage 3 + Designation |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Change Leader Retreat 2025 Major Event Sponsorship - Gold |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Change Leader Retreat 2025 Meet & Greet Reception - Gold |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Ashoka U product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ashoka U partners with colleges and universities globally to embed social innovation and changemaking as core institutional values through a structured three-stage Changemaker Campus Designation Journey ($10,000-$25,000 per stage). The organization also delivers certificate programs, online courses (Changemaking 101), annual events, and a research forum for higher education institutions seeking to transform their culture, curriculum, and operations around changemaking.
Product overview
Ashoka U offers a comprehensive ecosystem of programs, certificates, events, and publications focused on developing changemaking capacity in higher education institutions. The core offerings include the Changemaker Campus Designation Program (a three-stage journey to become a recognized Changemaker Campus), the Changemaker Index (a measurement tool for social innovation skills), Changemaking 101 (foundational online course), the Changemaker Education Research Forum (CERF), and various certificate programs including the Collaborative Changemaking Certificate and the Leading Changemaking Ecosystems Learning Journey. These are complemented by recurring events such as the Change Leader Retreat, High-Level Convenings, Transforming Business & Education Week, and the Exchange Collective & Studios. A suite of free publications provides knowledge resources including 'Becoming a Changemaker Institution,' 'Evaluating Changemaker Education,' and curriculum guides. The #MillionsOfChangemakers campaign represents a major initiative to recruit institutional partners globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Exchange Collective: The Ashoka U Exchange was the annual global convening for higher education changemaker practitioners, now evolved into Exchange Studios/Collective
- #MillionsOfChangemakers
- Changemaker Education Research Forum (CERF)
Products and services
- Changemaker Campus Designation Program A three-stage designation journey enabling colleges and universities globally to become recognized Changemaker Campuses that lead social innovation and changemaking through higher education. Includes ecosystem mapping, coaching, visionary leadership development, and culminates in formal designation. Stages: Stage 1 Catalyze ($10,000), Stage 2 Visionary Leadership ($15,000), Stage 3 System-Level Transformation + Designation ($25,000).
- Changemaker Index An assessment tool designed to nurture and measure growth in social innovation skills and mindsets. Used by Change Leaders at Changemaker Campuses to develop strategies at their colleges and universities and to help individuals identify as changemakers. Provides longitudinal data on changemaking skills across member institutions.
- Changemaking 101 A self-paced online foundational course introducing changemaking concepts. Offered in partnership with the Humanistic Leadership Academy (HLA), it helps participants understand how they are already changemakers and how to improve their changemaking knowledge and skills.
- Changemaker Education Research Forum (CERF) A global forum bringing together practitioners and scholars to enhance the knowledge base of social innovation and changemaking education. Hosts virtual annual gatherings and produces special issues of the Social Innovations Journal.
- Change Leader Retreat An annual invite-only retreat exclusively for Change Leaders at Changemaker Campuses. Provides networking, capacity-building, and strategy development opportunities for advancing social innovation across institutions.
- High-Level Convenings High-level roundtable discussions and convenings bringing together leaders from higher education, business, foundations, and citizen-sector organizations to explore transformation of higher education and the future of work.
- Collaborative Changemaking Certificate A certificate program for college and university students, developed in partnership with the National Peace Corps Association and Collaborative Changemaking Labs. Enhances skills in collaboration, empathy, equity, and empowerment for changemaking efforts.
- Executive Leadership Academy A leadership program focused on Changemaking Leadership in Higher Education, running from October 2025 to March 2026 virtually.
- Leading Changemaking Ecosystems Learning Journey & Certificate A global learning journey focused on catalyzing cross-sector collaboration for collective impact. Includes 5 self-paced modules, live interactive webinars, discussion forums, and a certificate of completion. Aims to deepen understanding of changemaker education and strengthen leadership capacity.
- Transforming Business & Education Week An annual week-long event held in New York City in collaboration with Fordham University and UN PRME. Explores how to transform business and education through conferences, workshops, and convenings.
- #MillionsOfChangemakers Campaign A global call launched in 2019 with Schmidt Futures support, recruiting colleges, universities, and higher education innovators to make commitments to activate and support changemakers. Generated 73 commitments from institutions across 14 countries to activate over 200,000 changemakers.
- Exchange Collective & Studios The evolution of the Ashoka U Exchange, reimagined as a constellation of Exchange Studios — small, curated convenings focused on timely issues, bringing together universities, Ashoka Fellows, and strategic partners for ecosystem-building gatherings.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 4,000 Ashoka Fellows launched globally since 1981
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ashoka U
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ashoka U technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Ashoka U partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Fordham UniversitycoreChangemaker Campus that co-hosts major annual events including Transforming Business & Education Week and Change Leader Retreat 2024. Fordham's Gabelli School of Business serves as venue and co-convener for these events.
- UN PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education)coreStrategic partnership for Transforming Business & Education Week, combining Ashoka U's changemaking focus with UN PRME's responsible management education mission. Part of UN Global Compact.
- Humanistic Leadership Academy (HLA)majorPartnership for Changemaking 101 online course and co-hosting of Transforming Business & Education Week events. Provides humanistic leadership framework integrated into changemaking education.
- National Peace Corps AssociationmajorPartnership to deliver the Collaborative Changemaking Certificate for college and university students, enhancing skills for effective collaboration, empathy, equity and empowerment.
- Conscious CapitalismminorPartner organization for Transforming Business & Education Week, contributing to discussions on purpose-driven business and stakeholder capitalism.
- Harvard Human Flourishing ProgramminorAcademic partner contributing to Transforming Business & Education Week research and curriculum transformation discussions.
- B Lab (B Corporation)minorPartner for Transforming Business & Education Week, contributing expertise on benefit corporations and stakeholder governance.
- Prosocial WorldminorPartner for Transforming Business & Education Week, bringing evolutionary perspective on cooperation and prosocial behavior to business education discussions.
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH)minorParticipating organization in capacity-building roundtable discussion on transforming higher education alongside World Bank Annual Meeting.
- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)minorParticipating organization in higher education convenings focused on future of work and workforce development.
- Teach for AllminorParticipating organization in capacity-building roundtable discussion on transforming higher education systems.
- International Humanistic Management AssociationminorPartner organization for Transforming Business & Education Week and high-level discussions on humanistic management in education.
- Council of EuropeminorInternational organization that presented recognition to Ansan City during Hanyang University's intercultural city symposium. Validated intercultural integration efforts.
- Ansan City (South Korea)minorMunicipality partnering with Hanyang University ERICA campus on intercultural city model, creating globally relevant frameworks for inclusive urban development.
- University of California San DiegominorChangemaker Campus whose Change Leaders presented at ISIRC 2023 Conference in Portugal on cultivating new skills in higher education.
- Tulane UniversityminorChangemaker Campus whose Change Leaders presented at ISIRC 2023 Conference, contributing to social innovation research discussions.
- International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC)minorAnnual academic conference where Ashoka U Change Leaders present research on changemaking education and social innovation in higher education.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ashoka U competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- B Lab: Nonprofit certifying B Corporations and developing stakeholder-governance frameworks. Comparable as a movement-builder in social-impact business with a designation-like certification model — and an actual Ashoka U event partner.
- Minerva University: Higher-education institution built around transformative, outcomes-focused learning and interdisciplinary changemaking competencies. Comparable as an alternative higher-education model focused on changemaker skill development at the curricular level.
Direct peers
- Teach For All: Global network of independent partner organizations working to expand educational opportunity. Comparable as a network-of-institutions model with staged designation-like journeys, peer learning, and global convenings — and an actual Ashoka U partner.
- Acumen Academy: Acumen's leadership and learning arm offering courses and programs for social-sector leaders. Comparable mission of building changemaker leadership capacity through structured learning journeys, certificates, and community — overlapping target audience of social-impact leaders.
- PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education): UN Global Compact initiative focused on transforming business and management education through principles and frameworks. Directly comparable as a UN-affiliated, framework-driven network transforming higher-education institutions — and an actual Ashoka U partner.
- Net Impact: Student-led organization with chapters on hundreds of campuses focused on social and environmental impact in careers and business. Comparable as a campus-based changemaker community network that partners with higher-education institutions.
- Echoing Green: Global nonprofit that identifies and invests in social entrepreneurs through fellowships and leadership development. Comparable as a fellowship/network-driven nonprofit supporting changemakers with similar beneficiary base and nonprofit funding model.
Others
- Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR): Definitive publication covering cross-sector solutions to social problems. Comparable as a thought-leadership and research-adjacent channel in the social-innovation ecosystem — and an actual Ashoka U content partner.
Broad incumbents
- Conscious Capitalism: Movement and association advancing purpose-driven business and stakeholder capitalism. Comparable in promoting values-based business education and an actual Ashoka U Transforming Business & Education Week partner.
- Skoll Foundation: Major social-entrepreneurship funder supporting innovators and ecosystem-building initiatives including Skoll Centre at Oxford. Comparable as a broader social-entrepreneurship ecosystem incumbent with overlapping constituency of social entrepreneurs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ashoka U social profiles
Digital presenceAshoka U financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ashoka U leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Ashoka U funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ashoka U M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ashoka U
What does Ashoka U do?
Ashoka U partners with colleges and universities globally to embed social innovation and changemaking as core institutional values through a structured three-stage Changemaker Campus Designation Journey ($10,000-$25,000 per stage). The organization also delivers certificate programs, online courses (Changemaking 101), annual events, and a research forum for higher education institutions seeking to transform their culture, curriculum, and operations around changemaking.
Is Ashoka U a public or private company?
Ashoka U is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ashoka U founded?
Ashoka U was founded in 1981. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Ashoka U based?
Ashoka U is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ashoka U make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Changemaker Campus Designation Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Registration Fees, certificate Programs and sponsorship Revenue.
Who are Ashoka U's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are B Lab and Minerva University. Direct peers are Teach For All, Acumen Academy, PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education), Net Impact and Echoing Green. Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Conscious Capitalism and Skoll Foundation.
Does Ashoka U have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ashoka U.
What industry is Ashoka U in?
Ashoka U's product category is Higher Education Social Innovation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAGAC, Change Management & Transformation Consulting, with a secondary code of EDABAAAD, Change Management & Transformation Leadership. Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8742.