Speaker Bio

Competitions can get change unstuck. Changemakers.com leverages the power of competitions to create an online marketplace that connects innovations from around the world with new ideas, networks and investment. These connections not only connect but spur innovation to solve the world's most challenging social problems. Charlie Brown is the Executive Director of Ashoka's Changemakers, an online community that open sources innovative solutions to entrenched problems worldwide and builds communities of action to support them. Before Changemakers, Charlie spent three years building the architecture for Ashoka's global community of over 2,200 Ashoka Fellows and directed three policy focused Ashoka initiatives. In addition to Ashoka, Charlie has worked on environmental issues related to climate change, tourism, and innovations for national parks in the U.S. and Jamaica. Charlie received a business degree from Virginia Tech and MBA from the University of Denver. Charlie is an avid outdoorsman and a fan of Appalachian literature.