Asha Curran: Using Social Media and Innovative Technology to Help Other NonProfits Affect Change
Chief Innovation Officer, 92nd Street Y
Twitter: @RadioFreeAsha
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashacurran
Website: http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Bio/Asha-Curran.aspx
Bio: Chief Innovation Officer and Director, Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact, 92nd Street Y; Director of Special Initiatives, 92nd Street Y; Publicity Manager NYU Press.
Innovating in Field of Work:
- “The Center for Innovation leverages the power of new and social media, partnerships with outside orgs, and collaboration within 92Y’s diverse programming centers to strengthen and extend the reach of 92Y’s core values–intellectual exploration and dialogue, community, thought leadership and innovation as a driver of social change.”
- Created programming at the Y to empower women and entrepreneurs and provide support to grow their own careers and companies
- Built other programs to facilitate mentorship at the individual and group level, and programming around women’s issues
- Leads #GivingTuesday, ‘Opening Day to the Giving Season’
Impact:
- Has led #GivingTuesday to become the day of giving in US a social movement that has expanded to 70+ other countries
- Social Good Summit held at 92Y/ 3 day multidisciplinary conference drawing on innovation as a driver of social change, and 7 Days of Genius, a global, distributed festival which took place last year in 26 countries
- Work supports thousands of nonprofits by sharing best practices and helping them leverage #GivingTuesday for their own success
Role Model:
- Social Impact Consulting Mentor, NYU Stern School of Business
- 2015 Business Journals Women of Influence Honoree
- Independent Sector C-Suite Advisory Committee
- Aspen Institute Executive Seminar
Reinvention / Risk / Momentum:
- Winner, Social Capital Hero Award, 2015
- Introducing multiple initiatives to accomplish 92Y’s mission
- Also a certified parenting and prenatal educator
- Center for Innovation recently named by 92Y board member Laurence Belfer for a $15.5M gift. It is now the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact
“Asha is building programs at 92Y that impact people all over the world….[Her] work is developing a whole new area of focus for 92Y.”