Portfolio of Solutions: Spain
Hello Europe in Action
Spain has become one of Europe’s key destinations for migration, with more than 7 million people arriving between 2002 and 2014. While this transformation brought new opportunities, it also created challenges around integration, particularly in the context of economic recession. Addressing these challenges has become a shared priority across public institutions, civil society, and the private sector.
Since its founding in 2005, Ashoka Spain has been working to identify and scale solutions that improve the lives of vulnerable populations, including migrants and ethnic minorities. Through Hello Spain, this work has focused on leveraging social innovation and systems change to support integration and build a more inclusive society.
The Hello Spain Festival, held on April 9–10, 2019 at Medialab Madrid, brought together more than 120 participants from across sectors. The event showcased eight social entrepreneurs working at the forefront of migration and integration, alongside policymakers, journalists, and people with lived experience. It created a space for dialogue, collaboration, and the co-creation of strategies to scale proven solutions across the country.
Throughout the sessions, participants explored key areas critical to improving integration, including access to employment, education, housing, legal support, financial inclusion, and the strengthening of formal and informal support networks. The programme combined solution presentations, storytelling, and collaborative working sessions, emphasizing the importance of activating both empathy and agency—recognising people on the move not only as beneficiaries, but as contributors and changemakers.
By connecting local and global solutions—from initiatives like SPEAK, SINGA, and ComParte to broader ecosystem actors—Hello Spain strengthened the foundation for replication and scaling. It also reinforced the importance of narrative change, highlighting the need for more inclusive and evidence-based public conversations around migration.
Ecosystem of Solutions
ACAF/ WINKOMUN| Founded by Jean Claude Rodriguez (Fellow) & Abdoulaye Fall
THE PROBLEM
Migrants and refugees are often excluded from formal financial systems, limiting their ability to build stability, access capital, and integrate economically.
THE SOLUTION
ACAF creates self-financed community groups that enable migrants to save, invest, and support each other financially. Through its methodology, Winkomun, small groups contribute regularly to shared funds, building both financial resilience and social networks. The model is designed to be easily replicable across different contexts.
THE IMPACT
Winkomun has expanded to more than 15 countries across four continents, supporting over 500 groups and directly benefiting more than 9,000 people. Through its open-access platform, the model continues to scale globally, strengthening financial inclusion and community resilience among migrant populations.
MIGRATION VENTURES (UPWARDLY GLOBAL) | Founded by Ashoka Fellow Jane Leu
THE PROBLEM
Highly skilled migrants frequently face unemployment or underemployment due to barriers in credential recognition, networks, and local labour market access.
THE SOLUTION
Upwardly Global connects skilled migrants with professional job opportunities by combining training, mentorship, and employer partnerships. It helps individuals translate their experience into local contexts while enabling companies to access untapped global talent.
THE IMPACT
Upwardly Global has supported thousands of migrants into skilled employment, placing over 5,000 professionals from 169 countries into jobs with significant income increases. Its model is now expanding internationally, demonstrating how inclusive labour markets benefit both individuals and economies.
SPEAK | Founded by Ashoka Fellow Hugo Menino Aguiar
THE PROBLEM
Social exclusion, language barriers, and lack of interaction between migrants and locals create divisions and limit integration opportunities.
THE SOLUTION
SPEAK creates community spaces where people meet through language exchange and cultural sharing. Through peer-to-peer interactions, it fosters belonging, builds relationships, and supports informal integration pathways.
THE IMPACT
More than 5,700 people have participated in SPEAK activities, with measurable increases in participants’ sense of belonging and reduced language barriers. The model continues to expand internationally, strengthening community cohesion.
UNIVERSITY OF LA LAGUNA / JUNTOS EN LA MISMA DIRECCIÓN | Founded by Vicente Manuel Zapata Hernandez
THE PROBLEM
Rapid demographic change in regions like Tenerife creates challenges for social cohesion, particularly in contexts of unemployment and limited intercultural dialogue.
THE SOLUTION
This initiative develops an island-wide strategy for intercultural coexistence, bringing together public institutions, civil society, and communities to co-create solutions that promote inclusion and shared understanding.
THE IMPACT
Over 1,000 activities have engaged around 8,000 participants, making it one of the most comprehensive approaches to diversity management in the region and a recognized model at the European level.
COMPARTE | Founded by Maria Minas
THE PROBLEM
Integration processes often exclude migrants from decision-making, reinforcing top-down approaches that fail to reflect lived realities.
THE SOLUTION
ComParte enables participatory processes that bring migrants and decision-makers together to co-design policies and solutions. It shifts integration from a one-sided expectation to a shared responsibility.
THE IMPACT
The initiative has strengthened individual confidence, improved collaboration between communities and institutions, and influenced more inclusive policies—demonstrating the value of participatory governance.
FUNDACIÓN PORCAUSA | Founded by Ashoka Fellow Gonzalo Fanjul
THE PROBLEM
Public discourse around migration is often shaped by misinformation, leading to fear, polarization, and ineffective policies.
THE SOLUTION
PorCausa combines research, journalism, and storytelling to reshape narratives around migration. It works with a global network of journalists to produce evidence-based content and challenge misinformation.
THE IMPACT
Reaching over 40 million people, PorCausa has significantly influenced public discourse and contributed to more informed and balanced conversations on migration.
MALDITA | Founded by Ashoka Fellow Clara Jiménez
THE PROBLEM
Misinformation spreads rapidly through media and social platforms, distorting public understanding and deepening divisions.
THE SOLUTION
Maldita uses fact-checking and data journalism to combat misinformation and promote media literacy. It builds engaged communities that actively participate in identifying and correcting false narratives.
THE IMPACT
With over 500,000 followers, Maldita has created a strong, participatory community that plays a key role in improving information quality and public awareness.
BARCELONA ACTUA | Founded by Laia Serrano
THE PROBLEM
Migrants face barriers to integration, while many citizens willing to support inclusion lack accessible ways to contribute meaningfully.
THE SOLUTION
Barcelona Actua connects migrants, volunteers, and organisations to build inclusive communities through shared activities, housing initiatives, and volunteer programmes.
THE IMPACT
With over 13,000 members and 1,600 volunteers engaged annually, the initiative has supported thousands of individuals and fostered meaningful connections that accelerate integration and shift perceptions.