Dela Program

A collaboration between Ashoka and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship

We live in a world characterized by deep divides and rapid change. Solving deep-rooted, as well as new social problems, calls for a joint approach across sectors. Together, IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Ashoka will work with social entrepreneurs and learn from their work and approaches while supporting them to achieve a bigger impact.

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.”

Accelerator Program

The accelerator program supports leading social entrepreneurs whose solutions redefine the underlying root cause of social problems.

In Swedish 'Dela' means 'to share'. That’s exactly what the IKEA Social Entrepreneurship B.V. and Ashoka accelerator is all about.

Sharing knowledge, perspectives and networks to support social entrepreneurs who are striving to make positive impact on society and improve the lives of vulnerable and marginalized people

Co-Worker Engagement

The accelerator 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.

Adding Social Entrepreneurs

Through this partnership, we will 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 will inspire IKEA to work in new, smarter and sustainable ways.

Strong candidates must have new ideas, creativity, social impact, entrepreneurial skills, and be ethical.

Our News

Meet the Social Entrepreneurs and their respective IKEA Advisors

Liisa Smits

Ashoka Fellow | Ignitia

Liisa is sending small farmers in Ghana climate data sets that allow them to increase their yield and efficiency by timing planting, cultivating, and harvesting.

Helena Nilsson

IKEA Advisor | Inter IKEA

Helena wishes to learn, to contribute and develop mutual insights alongside the social entrepreneurs, but also to bring a connection back to IKEA.

Andrew Johnson

IKEA Advisor | INGKA Services

Andrew is interested in developing people & products that create a better life for the many & have positive impact on the planet.

Arnaud Crapie

IKEA Advisor

He started his career at IKEA in 1995 in a store in Lyon. Here he learnt about customer satisfaction and the importance of good quality products.

Daniel Kerber

Ashoka Fellow | More Than Shelters

Daniel prototypes and disseminates holistic concepts by bridging three crucial stages of a refugee's journey: arrival centers, transit zones and refugee camps.

Yasushi Kusume

IKEA Advisor | New Business Innovation

Yasushi believes that people-focused design and design competence can contribute not only to the creation of business success, but also to making the world a better place in which to live.

Inga Urbonaviciute

IKEA Advisor | IKEA Industry

Inga feels lucky that she has met a lot of outstanding people in her life, from whom she learnt a lot. Now she wants to share this knowledge with others, and has a desire to support people.

Parinaz Pakmehr

IKEA Advisor

To achieve sustainable change she believes that people need to be empowered by providing them with better living conditions, knowledge and equip them with the right tools.

Nani Zulminarni

Ashoka Fellow | PEKKA

Nani is reversing the pattern of discrimination against women by educating and enabling them to generate resources to provide for their families.

Yuhaeti

IKEA Advisor

Yuhaeti is keen to share her learnings from many years at IKEA and at the same time embrace the opportunity to broaden her perspective.

Nirmala Singh

IKEA Advisor

Nirmala strongly believes in supporting smaller businesses with innovative perspective as well as self-help. Empowerment is hugely needed and important.

Neelkanth Mishra

Ashoka Fellow | Jaljeevika

Neelkanth is building the inland fisheries industry in India, run and owned by landless farmers who can become forces that will spur growth in their communities.

Orféo Croese

IKEA Advisor

Strengthens brands through Digital Ethics. He believes that moral values are key drivers for responsible and sustainable innovation.

Vaishali Misra

IKEA Advisor | Next Generation, IOS

Vaishali sees this as an opportunity to share her learnings with other budding social entrepreneurs and increase their impact and business reach.

Scott Stiles

Fellow | Fair Employment Agency

Scott shifts traditional domestic worker agency models to one that eradicates fees to workers and re-aligns incentives at each link along the recruitment chain.

Petra Carlberg

IKEA Advisor | Purchasing & Logistics

Petra sees the advancement of social entrepreneurs as the perfect combination of developing business and doing good for society.

Allison Silva

Fellow | Fundacion Empreender Futuro

Allison improves the social mobility of vulnerable people by democratizing access to business information and services.

Ann-Sofie Gunnarsson

IKEA Advisor

Ann-Sofie sees an opportunity to contribute with tactics and tools for scale and market reach, in order to increase the social and business impact.

Ricardo Pinhero

IKEA Advisor | IKANO, Mexico

Ricardo has a personal desire to support the local communities and entrepreneurs, so they can have bigger, positive impact.

John John

Fellow | Grassroot Tea Corporation

John is creating a new model for small tea growers to organize themselves, manufacture and sell tea to markets directly while influencing policy.

Adina Pasula

IKEA Advisor

Adina sees this as an opportunity to contribute to a project that develops business while making a difference in people’s lives, and as a great learning experience for herself.

Christina Enocson

IKEA Advisor | IKEA Food

Christina is driven by results and by making a difference and also, by the IKEA vision - a better everyday life. She believes that social initiatives can contribute to a better IKEA.

Suraiya Haque

Ashoka Fellow | Phulki

Suraiya addresses the issue of work place based day care convinced that economic emancipation for a woman is possible if her child remains safe while she is at work.

Becky Potter

IKEA Advisor

Becky is an award-winning social entrepreneur and communicator. She now run an ethical jewellery business and works with some of the most known brands globally.

Susanne Waidzunas

IKEA Advisor | Purchasing & Logistics

Susanne truly believes that we have a great opportunity and responsibility to make sure that our footprint becomes smaller and that we support the development of people and society.

Fernando Assad

Ashoka Fellow | Programa Vivenda

Fernando creates affordable kits which include all of the components necessary for a successful home renovation to cope with the alarming housing situation in Brazil.

Cecilia Bengtsson

IKEA Advisor | Purchasing & Logistics

Cecilia is interested in sharing her knowledge and experience with the social entrepreneur, and be true to IKEA’s vision to “create a better everyday life for the many people”.

Alexander Carlesson

IKEA Advisor

Alexander loves renovating in his free time and he always has some project going. He fells very proud and happy for being part of this journey.

Wietse van der Werf

Ashoka Fellow | Sea Ranger Service

Wietse combines empowerment of unemployed youths and reintegration of navy veterans to provide a solution to the monitoring of marine protected areas.

Kim Tabell

IKEA Advisor | Ingka Group

Based on his experiences from various business fields and academics, Kim has learned to see the big picture without losing focus on the details. He also possess a genuine curiosity.

Klas Ekman

IKEA Advisor

Klas has strong strategic skills, but also special skills in purchasing and logistics. Klas would now like to share this with others, to support those who need it and "pay it back" in the best way.