Bill Drayton

Biography

A native of New York, in the United States, Bill Drayton was born in 1943 to an Australian mother and an American father. A brilliant student, he attended the best universities in the country, including Harvard and Yale, obtaining his doctorate in 1970. During his studies, he met a man who travelled throughout India looking for land to parcel out to the poorest of the poor. His goal: to break the cycle of poverty, an ambitious initiative which thoroughly impressed the young Drayton.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Bill Drayton set up Ashoka, an organization that offers support to entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas which are likely to have a positive impact on society. This principle proved a great success. Today, as head of the organization, Drayton has received many awards and is among the 25 most respected leaders in the United States according to the trade press.