In 2002, when Simon Stumpf left Pierz Healy High School and took a year’s worth of classes at Central Lakes College, he was already embracing change. Advocacy was in his nature. In 2006 he graduated with honors from Yale University, majoring in anthropology and African studies. This academic path has led his good intentions to work for an organization that is creating meaningful social impact in the world. Stumpf is a change-manager for the non-profit organization Ashoka founded almost 30 years ago by Bill Drayton, a former Environmental Protection Agency official, in order to build an army of social entrepreneurs. Ashoka, with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is dedicated to helping create global justice through farming. Across Sub-Saharan Africa and India, rural communities that rely on agriculture for their food and income are facing increasingly complex challenges. Social entrepreneurs pioneer solutions to overcome systematic obstacles facing small farmers. Stumpf’s assignment as a manager is to assist with rural innovation and farming. “I believe in the power of engaged global citizenship,” he explained. He and his wife head to Kenya Sept. 16 for at least two years, perhaps longer, as part of the Ashoka commitment. For more information, go to www.ashoka.org
Aug 27, 2010
Social entrepreneur
In 2002, when Simon Stumpf left Pierz Healy High School and took a year’s worth of classes at Central Lakes College, he was already embracing change. Advocacy was in his nature. In 2006 he graduated with honors from Yale University, majoring in anthropology and African studies. This academic path has led his good intentions to work for an organization that is creating meaningful social impact in the world. Stumpf is a change-manager for the non-profit organization Ashoka founded almost 30 years ago by Bill Drayton, a former Environmental Protection Agency official, in order to build an army of social entrepreneurs. Ashoka, with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is dedicated to helping create global justice through farming. Across Sub-Saharan Africa and India, rural communities that rely on agriculture for their food and income are facing increasingly complex challenges. Social entrepreneurs pioneer solutions to overcome systematic obstacles facing small farmers. Stumpf’s assignment as a manager is to assist with rural innovation and farming. “I believe in the power of engaged global citizenship,” he explained. He and his wife head to Kenya Sept. 16 for at least two years, perhaps longer, as part of the Ashoka commitment. For more information, go to www.ashoka.org