Social Innovators Honored by the Americas Business Council

The Americas Business Council Foundation, a unique think-do-tank that seeks to find solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges, has chosen three social entrepreneurs for their exemplary work in their respective communities.

The three winners were chosen from among 100 Ashoka Fellows from North America. These winners are implementing socially innovative solutions that hold a strong promise to make a positive impact on the lives of the maximum number of people.

The Americas Business Council short-listed 34 finalists who presented their work at the 3-day Continuity Forum 2011 held in Miami. Three final winners were announced at the end of the forum and honored by the ABC Foundation. These winners will receive one year's media and advisory assistance to scale up their projects in their respective regions.

One of the winners is "The Chef's Table" led by Ashoka Fellow Jean-Francois Archambault from Canada. This unique social enterprise brokers leftover food from tadiums and hotels in Montreal, and redistributes it to more than 60,000 people living in the poorest areas of Montreal. The enterprise manages to deliver 700 meals a day, each day of the year.

Another winner is "Citizen Pathway" led by Ashoka Fellow Carlos Alberto Cruz Santiago from Mexico. This social enterprise runs a comprehensive program of social inclusion, education and jobs to create legal income opportunities for more than 75,000 youth who live as a part of organized crime in Mexico.

The third winner is Colombian Agri-Biotechnology, which is led by Ashoka Fellow Luis Orlando Castro Cabrera of Colombia. This social enterprise has patented an organic biodegradable fertilizer called Natur-Abono. The enterprise also produces bio-insecticide and bio-pesticide products that achieve the agricultural goals for farmers without making a harmful impact on the environment. It even makes organic products by way of transforming material from waste management plants.

Photo Credit: arte_ram