Dela Programme
A collaboration between Ashoka and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship
Ashoka & IKEA Social Entrepreneurship have co-created a global accelerator, Dela, to support leading social entrepreneurs develop their impact and scaling strategies. In this second edition of the programme, twelve social entrepreneurs will participate and embark on a journey to accelerate their ideas, supported by IKEA co-workers, business leaders, and the social entrepreneurs themselves.
Together, we share knowledge, perspectives and networks to support social entrepreneurs, and to engage IKEA co-workers.
Åsa Skogström Feldt
Head of IKEA Social Entrepreneurship at Inter IKEA Group
“Social entrepreneurs are often pioneers and pathfinders who address social challenges and work to create better opportunities using an entrepreneurial approach and, in many cases, tackling the root causes of poverty and inequality in the process. In a world with big challenges, collaboration and mutual learning is key.”
Fernando Assad
Ashoka Fellow & Dela Accelerator Participant
“For me, the Dela Accelerator programme is a one way trip.
Once you are invited to structure and implement a system change
strategy in order to reach much more impact, the way you used to
think and see your work changes completely.
It is a radical revolution.”
Accelerator Programme
The accelerator programme supports leading social entrepreneurs whose solutions redefine the underlying root cause of social problems.
The second edition of the Dela programme features an Accelerator for 12 selected social entrepreneurs.
The Accelerator will focus on enhancing the system change strategies of the social entrepreneurs and identifying the organisational milestones required to attain them.
Co-Worker Engagement
The Dela Programme directly involves IKEA co-workers as advisors to support the social entrepreneurs with their strategic and implementational challenges. By adding new advice to their efforts, the accelerator aims to further increase the impact of the social entrepreneurs’ work.
At the same time, it offers the IKEA advisors an opportunity to learn from the social entrepreneurs. With the support of Ashoka, IKEA co-workers and Thought Partners will present their new strategies to a group of hand-picked top-level executives who will challenge their assumptions and refine their strategies.
Adding Social Entrepreneurs
Through this partnership, we also source and select the latest, most innovative and leading social entrepreneurs who are working on the topic of livelihood and circularity. Circularity means looking beyond the current take-make-dispose model and focus on positive society-wide benefits. The social entrepreneurs inspire IKEA to work in new, smarter and sustainable ways.
The social entrepreneurs also get the option to join a Scoping and Experimentation phase. This will see them paired with ‘Experimenting Partners’ & experts to further test the feasibility, viability and desirability of their systems change ideas.