Social value activist to head RSA economy team

The activist and social entrepreneur Asheem Singh has been appointed as the new director of economy at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).

Mr Singh was previously the chief executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) and has authored or edited more than 20 influential reports on subjects from welfare to housing, social change and economic justice.

His latest book –  The moral marketplace: How mission-driven millennials and social entrepreneurs are changing our world (Policy Press, 2018) – was published in February.

‘I’m delighted to join the RSA’s world-class team—and to become part of the future of this 260-year old institution,’ said Mr Singh.

‘The RSA’s unique blend of big ideas and practical action has never been more needed than now, as we take on the great unknowns of 2019: Brexit and beyond.

‘From automation to AI; spreading growth to increasing productivity, smarter tax to unleashing entrepreneurship, the RSA Economy team will challenge conventional thinking on the issues that matter. In a time of grotesque wealth inequality and rising anger we will craft ambitious projects and pilots that deliver a true ownership economy—and work to rebuild our fractured system.’

Major projects underway in the RSA economy team include the Future Work Centre, which follows RSA chief executive Matthew Taylor’s employment review for the Prime Minister, and the Forum for Ethical AI, which is engaging the public on the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence.

Planned work for 2018-19 includes a review into the role of data rights in the new economy and major new strands of inquiry into spreading ownership, wealth and opportunity in post-Brexit Britain.

In February, Mr Singh spoke to New Start about his vision for mission-driven millennials and the power of social value.

‘When social enterprise is at its most radical, it’s about saying you have been left behind by the system, but you’re someone who could be chief executive of your own organisation. You have the power within you to solve those problems,’ he said.

To read the full interview, click here.