Lenovo’s Kind City Initiative is a crowd-sourced vision for a more empathetic and empowering future.

Fueled by global research, an interactive podcast, and a council of inspiring visionaries, Lenovo applied artificial intelligence (AI) to transform global submissions into 10 founding principles of a more inclusive and kinder city—made possible through technology. 

The Kind City campaign, through its main objective to empower greater kindness and empathy and use the power of technology to make this come to fruition, connects very well with Ashoka’s vision to create a world where everyone is a changemaker, where everyone has the agency and leadership skills to make positive change in their communities. Thus, Lenovo and Ashoka identified the opportunity to leverage Lenovo’s funding to foster new “chapters” and create new inspiring stories. 

The four chapters selected by Lenovo and Ashoka were the following, together with four system-changing social entrepreneurs: 

Chapter 1

Guadalajara, Mexico. Changemaker: Christina Martinez, PIT Policy Lab

 

 

Chapter 2

Puerto Princesa, Philippines. Changemaker: Jessica Labaja, LAMAVE , Ashoka Fellow. 
 

Chapter 3

Salta, Argentina. Changemaker: Pierre Yves Herrouet, Solar Inti, Ashoka Fellow. 
 

Chapter 4

Johannesburg, South Africa. Changemaker: Thembiso Magajana, Social Coding, Ashoka Fellow. 

 

 

 

Lenovo employee engagement

Impact

Lenovo employee engagement was not a specific objective of this Kind City Initiative, but it offered two opportunities:  

  • One, in line with the broader Ashoka Lenovo collaboration, to connect local Lenovo offices with local Ashoka offices to raise awareness on social innovation and inspire employees about the opportunities this could bring to Lenovo business.  

  • Two, identify potential ways to support these local activities with the expertise and insights of Lenovo in tech and generate valuable opportunities for mutual learning and growth. 

In total, 30 Lenovo employees from Global and from the different countries of the selected chapters have been engaged in the Kind City Initiative!