THE TEAM

Yeleka leads Ashoka’s largest and longest corporate partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim. With a focus on the health sector, her expertise is in designing and implementing corporate sector engagements and connecting social entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. Prior to her tenure at Ashoka, Yeleka worked in Toronto in international finance, specializing in wealth management and qualified intermediary management.  She has also spent time building capacity-building initiatives for social intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs in Tanzania. Yeleka holds degrees in Kinesiology and Public Health.

Paulina has a background in the nonprofit sector with a focus on marginalized communities—from incarcerated women to youth in transition. She brings this experience to managing impact partnership work. She also leads business development efforts, identifying market trends and new allies for systemic change.  

Valentin fosters long-term partnerships between Ashoka and leading companies committed to social change. With a background in Management and Sustainable Development, he supports training, workshops, collaborations, and other engagements between employees and social entrepreneurs from Ashoka’s network. Before joining Ashoka, he worked in ESG consulting and sustainable event management. He is also an active volunteer for humanitarian NGOs.

Romina has experience across the corporate, nonprofit, and academic sectors. She brings this diverse perspective to her role at Ashoka Changemaker Companies, where she leads global partnerships and creates spaces for cross-sector collaboration to drive social impact. She holds a Master’s degree in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Leadership (OBS Business School – University of Barcelona). 

Olivier drives transformative connections between companies and social innovators, leading Ashoka’s Changemaker Companies Community—a space for corporate leaders championing purpose. He previously served as Director for Ashoka Switzerland and co-founded Sustainable Finance Geneva. With a background in Management and Sustainable Development, he specializes in cross-sector collaboration that tackles social challenges at scale. 

Daniela’s career spans corporate, public, and social innovation sectors — including work with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. She led teams and programs in her previous role as Country Director for Ashoka Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Originally from Buenos Aires and now based in Basel, she holds a Business Management degree and a Master's in Local Development. She is also trained in Eurythmy, a movement art that fosters self-awareness and team collaboration. 

Claire leads strategic partnerships and ensures operational success for Changemaker Companies. After 12 years in financial controlling, she shifted toward social impact, bringing her expertise from both corporate and nonprofit sectors. Claire is passionate about building inclusive workplaces and empowering employees as changemakers.

Since launching Ashoka in France, Belgium, and Switzerland in 2005, Arnaud has played a key role in positioning social entrepreneurship in Europe. A former Olympic wrestler and graduate of ESCP Business School, Arnaud also founded and chairs Play International. He has supported multiple social enterprises focused on inclusion and employment and continues to champion purpose-driven business leadership. 

Festus oversees planning, compliance, and reporting. He aligns financial strategy with program goals and supports key partnerships across initiatives. He has extensive experience in finance and grant management and brings a solution-driven approach to operations. Festus is passionate about building robust financial systems that enable mission-driven teams to deliver sustainable social impact. 

Renata combines a background in international affairs with a strong commitment to turning complex global challenges into meaningful action. She has worked across human rights and the corporate sector, helping organizations drive positive social impact. She holds a Master’s in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action (Sciences Po) and a Master’s in Sustainability and Social Innovation (HEC Paris).

Filip has a background in youth empowerment and international collaboration both in the NGO and private sectors. He has managed various multi-year, multi-stakeholder partnerships and is experienced at uniting corporate leaders, social entrepreneurs, and young people toward a common vision.