Announcing the 2024-25 Skoll Scholars

We are delighted to welcome Achyut Gautam, A. Driando Ahnan-Winarno, Aisha Raheem, and Sebastián Jaramillo to the Skoll community.

The Skoll Scholarship provides funding for social innovators who are interested in undertaking an MBA to enhance and broaden their skills for more effective social change. Beyond financial assistance, Scholars join the vibrant Skoll Scholar community which offers an opportunity for lifelong learning and connection with other social innovators. 

Achyut Gautam is a co-founder of Khetipati Organics, a Nepali agro-based social enterprise dedicated to empowering rural smallholder farmers and reducing post-harvest loss in the Himalayan region.  His work focuses on creating impactful, community-driven agricultural practices that support the livelihoods of farming and local communities in the Himalayas. Achyut is a CFA Charterholder and completed his undergraduate degree from Ramapo College of New Jersey, USA. He has previously worked in the financial sector in New York and is also a founding member of one of Nepal's first private equity and venture capital firms.

Amadeus Driando Ahnan-Winarno is a food science entrepreneur and activist who is on a mission to provide more people with access to nutritious, sustainable, and affordable foods. In 2018, Amadeus co-founded the UK’s fastest-growing tempeh brand, Better Nature Tempeh. Since pursuing his PhD in Food Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Driando has received thirty-three national and international awards for his work in tempeh fermentation, food science, entrepreneurship, and science communication.

Aisha Raheem is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Farmz2U. Under her leadership, the company has seen significant growth and has won numerous awards for its innovative solutions, most recently the Africa Prize Alumni medal awarded by HRH The Princess Royal. As a Harambean Fellow she is committed to building Africa’s future. She is also a member of the global entrepreneurial networks, Endeavor, NASDAQ Milestone Makers and Techstars. 

Sebastián Jaramillo is the Colombian founder of Tirando X (TxC), where he leverages artificial intelligence for massive and personalised behavioural change interventions, focusing on the intersection of technology and social impact. For example, he is dedicated to reducing the poverty trap caused by teenage pregnancies through AI-enabled interventions. Sebastián has collaborated with the United Nations Development Program, advised the Government of Colombia on the AI for Nations initiative, and worked with various other governmental bodies to address real-world problems using technology. 

Find out more about the Skoll Scholarship and when to apply for next year's cohort.