in partnership with

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SocialInnovationtoTackleFuelPoverty:thebestEuropeanpracticesawardedinRome

Ashoka and the Schneider Electric Foundation, under the aegis of the Fondation de France, inpartnershipwithEnel,presentthemost innovativesolutionstopromoteenergysustainability inEurope at the final summit of the 2017-2018 “Social Innovation to Tackle Fuel Poverty”programme,onthe24thMay2018inRome.

In November 2017, 15 social entrepreneurs were selected by the Schneider Electric Foundation,under the aegis of the Fondation de France, and Ashoka for the 2017-2018 “Social Innovation toTackle Fuel Poverty”programme, launched in June2017 to select themost creative and systems-changingsolutionstotacklefuelpovertyandpromoteenergysustainabilityinEurope.The15selectedsocialentrepreneurswillgather inRomefora two-daysaccelerationprogramme,andthe5mostinnovativeprojectswillbepresentedatIstitutodell'EnciclopediaItalianainRome,onThursdaythe24thMayat5pm.TheSchneiderElectricFoundationandAshokawillintroducetheeffort made to promote energy sustainability in Europe and discuss the best practices currentlyavailable, with the speakers: Arnaud Mourot (Ashoka Europe Co-Director), Alessandro Valera(Ashoka Italy Director), Gilles Vermot Desroches (General Delegate of Schneider ElectricFoundation), Fabrizio Furbini (Enel) and Marylin Smith (The Energy Action Project). The 5 mostoutstanding social entrepreneurs will be awarded with an extra grant to further develop theirprojects.Theeventisopentothepublic.Linktoregistration:http://bit.ly/tfp24may.Fuel poverty is amajor issue in Europe,whereby tens ofmillions of people struggle every day toensure adequate heating, light, and cooking power in their dwelling at an affordable price. Thisseverelyaffectstheirhealthandwellbeingandultimatelyhasanegativeimpactonsociety.Ashoka

in partnership with andtheSchneiderElectricFoundationarebuildingacommunityincludingadiversecohortofsocialinnovatorsfromGermany,Greece,Italy,Portugal,andSpain,committedtotacklingfuelpovertyandpromotingenergysustainabilityintheircountriesandinEurope.Theevent ispartofatwo-dayEuropeanSummit,notopentothepublic, thatgatherthe15socialentrepreneurs working on fuel poverty who were selected for an intensive 12-week advisoryprocess: Marlene Potthoff, Marco Borghesi and Stephanie Kosbab from Germany; ApostolosDimopoulosandArgyroStavroulakifromGreece;MarinaVarvesi,GiuliaDetomati,AlbertoGastaldoandFabioGerosafromItaly;AntónioBello,NunoBritoJorgeandJoãoPedroGouveiafromPortugal;CeciliaForonda,JoséLuisLópezFernandezandJuanSancristanAntonifromSpain.Thementorsandadditionalstrategythought-partnerswilltakepartinthesummittoprovidetheentrepreneurswithfeedbackontheirscaling-upstrategies.Thispowerfulexchangewillelicitexperiencesthathelpthesocialinnovatorstosolvecriticalissuesaswellastobegintobuildconnectionsandopportunitiestocollaboratetoadvancedcommoncauses.NetworkPartnersAephoria, AISA, APREN, Aster, BCSD Portugal, Beyond CSR, Bologna Startup, B1-AKT, RenewableEnergies Chair, Clean Tech Energy InnovationHub, Elpedison, EPIS, EIT Climate-KIC,Global EnergyTransition, Global Shapers Milan, Global Sustain, Gridmates, IACACT, IES Social Business School,ImpactHubLisbon,InternationalCenterforClimateGovernance,IPES,Kilowatt,KyotoClub,LaCittàVerde,Mazinnov,OrangeGrove,PatrasSciencePark,Sustainability Intelligence inAction,SectorB,Social Innovation Exchange, Social Entrepreneurship Akademie, Social Impact, Socialidarity,SolidarityMission,SourceInternational,andSympraxis.MediaPartnersEnergyPress,Enorm,GoodImpact,ItaliaCamp,ItaliaCheCambia,SKAI,StartMeUp,andtbd*.Should you have any questions, feel free to contact:Ashoka-EnricaCornagliaatitaly@tacklefuelpoverty.comSchneiderElectricFoundation-PatriciaBenchennaatpatricia.benchenna@schneider-electric.com