We are the people who make up the Changemaker Index™ team
Our team is committed to helping you discover and develop your changemaking potential. With insights from over 40 years of working with changemakers worldwide, we bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to support your journey. Whether through our innovative Changemaker Index™, tailored resources, or personalized support, we're here to guide you every step of the way.
Product Manager - Global Impact & Evidence Team
Shai Basys is passionate about using technology to empower the social sector. She has developed CRM and data analytic products for the federal government and international organizations like the United Nations. She is a former U.S. diplomat, who worked on human rights and environmental sustainability issues in Lithuania, India, Indonesia, and a portfolio of countries in the Arabian Peninsula. She has a bachelor’s degree in international politics from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in public policy from Duke University.
President Emerita, Leadership Team, Global Impact at Ashoka
Diana joined Ashoka after graduating from Brown University in 1988 with a degree in South Asian Studies. As an undergraduate, her year-long study abroad in Varanasi, India led her to see the need for local solutions to solve global problems. This insight inspired her to pursue an internship at Ashoka, where she created one of its core programs, Fellowship Support Services, (now Fellowship) which expanded the resources available to Ashoka’s social entrepreneurs to connect them to one another. When Diana took a leave to pursue a Ph.D. in anthropology from New York University (2000), she was named both a Fulbright and Woodrow Wilson scholar. Her ethnographic research on understanding how social change happens as a local articulation of a global social movement resulted in her dissertation: 'Between the Difference: The Emergence of a Cross Ethnic Women’s Movement in Trinidad and Tobago.'
Product Lead
Dian graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Indonesia, where she developed a deep environmental consciousness and a love for nature. Actively engaged in student activism, she led grassroots education initiatives in rural areas and participated in various sustainable development projects, fostering her empathy and passion for social entrepreneurship. In 2022, Dian joined Ashoka as a Venture and Fellowship intern, where she embraced the "Everyone a Changemaker" (EACH) movement and found a sense of belonging. After completing her degree, she returned to Ashoka as a Metro Activation Associate, dedicated to activating four priority metro areas in Indonesia.
Partnerships Impact Analyst at Ashoka
Alyssa has spent the past decade using research to improve the social sector. Before joining the Impact & Evidence Team at Ashoka, Alyssa worked on research teams at the Duckworth Lab at the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Social Impact Initiative. Most recently, Alyssa has served as an evaluator at ImpactED, an impact-evaluation center serving nonprofits and government agencies, housed within the University of Pennsylvania. At Ashoka, Alyssa is a member of the Impact & Evidence team. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to use data to advance Ashoka’s Everyone a Changemaker vision. Regarding the Changemaker Index™, Alyssa is responsible for leading the continuous improvement of this measurement tool and conducting analyses for teams interested in understanding their changemaker abilities.
Lead Developer
Product Lead
Mariana Nakajuni is the coordinator of the Youth Communication Agency at Ashoka Brazil. A journalism graduate from Faculdade Cásper Líbero, she co-led Coletivo CasperÁsia, a group that unites students of Asian descent in a safe space for debate and reflection. This collective also fosters collaborations with other groups at the institution, engaging in intersectional dialogues. Mariana is a firm believer in the power of communication as a tool for paradigm shifts, actively contributing to the co-creation of narratives that highlight changemaking in practice and inspire individuals to harness their potential to drive positive change for the common good.
Lead UX/UI Designer
Mi is a seasoned UX/UI and Product designer with a rich 12-year journey dedicated to crafting impactful digital experiences, particularly for non-profit organizations. Her academic foundation includes a Master's degree in Business from the University of Sorbonne Panthéon Paris 1, where she first discovered her passion for design and product development. Combining this business acumen with a deep-seated love for user-centered design, she specializes in transforming intricate challenges into intuitive solutions. Her work is driven by a profound commitment to effecting positive change, manifested in designs that not only resonate with users but also empower non-profits to achieve their missions with efficiency and effectiveness. Her dedication to this field is rooted in the belief that thoughtful design can be a catalyst for meaningful societal impact.
Digital Communications Strategist, Ashoka's Integrated Technology Initiative
Stephen Outlaw is an Institutional Strategist at Ashoka and a member of Ashoka's Integrated Technology Initiative (ITI). Stephen is a digital tool and platform evangelist - building strategies and sharing best practices for leveraging Ashoka's digital communications properties to maximize engagement with changemakers around the world. He has been working for social change for over two decades - collaborating with technologists, communications teams, and marketing experts to advance the goals of citizen sector/non-profit organizations.