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eBay Foundation and Ashoka’s Changemakers Launch Competition to Power Economic Opportunity through Market Innovations

Monday April 04, 2011 , 3 min Read

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eBay Foundation and Ashoka’s Changemakers launched a new online competition to source the world’s most innovative market-based solutions that create economic opportunity and generate employment for disadvantaged populations. The Powering Economic Opportunity: Create a World that Works competition will recognize innovators who are creating economic and social opportunity through job creation.

The competition seeks entries that provide creative approaches to job development strategies; disseminate and leverage employment information; and open access to new markets and jobs, so that today’s workers are prepared to meet the rapidly changing needs of the world’s economy. The ideal solutions will expand the qualifications of citizens and increase access to lasting employment for individuals and communities. This global competition is open to individuals, organizations, and collaborations. Entries will be accepted until 5PM EDT on June 15, 2011.


“Our competition with Ashoka’s Changemakers is a natural extension for eBay and eBay Foundation,” said Lauren Moore, President of eBay Foundation. “By supporting and recognizing organizations that are implementing disruptive social innovations, we have the ability to help create economic opportunities and generate employment for people who otherwise face barriers to participating fully in the global economy.”


The competition will take place on Changemakers.com where visitors can enter the competition, discuss and share ideas related to economic opportunity and generating employment, comment on entries, and vote for semifinalists. Top entries will be determined by a vote of the community and will then be evaluated by an expert panel of judges. The judges will select five winners who will each receive US $50,000, based on their innovation, social impact, and sustainability. Selected entries will have the additional opportunity for longer term partnership with the eBay Foundation.


“The Changemakers open-source model provides a way to scale-up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges," said Diana Wells, President of Ashoka. "We are very excited to partner with eBay Foundation to help businesses and social entrepreneurs make the most of untapped talents among their labor forces. This competition will encourage participants to collaborate on high-impact solutions that create economic opportunity and generate employment to alleviate poverty.”


About Ashoka’s Changemakers


Ashoka’s Changemakers is a community of action that connects social entrepreneurs around the globe to share ideas, inspire, and mentor each other. Through its online collaborative competitions and open-source process, Changemakers.com is one of the world’s most robust spaces for launching, discussing, and funding ideas to solve the world’s most pressing social problems. Changemakers builds on Ashoka's three decade history and belief that we all have the ability to be a Changemaker.

www.Changemakers.com


About eBay Foundation and The Opportunity Project


The first corporate foundation to be endowed with pre-IPO stock, eBay Foundation was established in 1998 to stretch the boundaries of eBay’s virtual village, enriching and empowering communities by connecting people to opportunities and resources. Using a unique combination of foundation funding, employee volunteerism, and other resources, The Opportunity Project spreads that same vision to the world’s poorest communities. Inspired by the economic opportunity that eBay has brought to millions of people around the globe who earn a living on eBay’s marketplaces, The Opportunity Project gives people in need the chance to participate in the economy, provide for their families, and build stronger communities.

www.TheOpportunityProject.org