Our flagship annual gathering was sold out and brought hundreds of thought leaders from organizations across the world committed to advancing small business entrepreneurship. Marking the halfway mark towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, we started to chart a way forward.
ANDE’s Global Conference in Accra highlighted the crucial role of small and growing businesses in meeting the UN SDGs by 2030, stressing the imperative for collaborative efforts to build viable business ecosystems and promote innovative financing to address the estimated $5.2 trillion financing gap for entrepreneurs to grow and succeed in the Global South.
Watch the thought-provoking speech by the Nobel Prize Laureate, Chairman of the Yunus Centre, and founder of Grameen Bank from his home in Bangladesh.
At the heart of the transformative #SCALEWorkshop held in Cambodia on August 18, 9:00-12:00, we extend our gratitude to all participants who enriched the discussions with their insights. As we journey through the dimensions of 'S,' 'C,' 'A,' 'L,' and 'E,' let's illuminate the key takeaways that emerged from this engaging event!
The celebrated Ghanaian musician, vocal philanthropist and agribusiness entrepreneur, will speak and play in the Annual Global Conference in Accra on September 13.
Watch the conversation between Somachi Chris-Asoluka CEO of The Tony Elumelu Foundation and Richenda Van Leeuwen, ANDE Executive Director speaking about the unique challenges that entrepreneurs in developing countries. This video offers a glimpse on the Annual Global Conference in Ghana to this trailblazer in Accra, Ghana, on September 13.
In this blog post, we are proud to introduce Circular Farm's Food System Climate Resilience Initiative which aims to steer actors in the agriculture food value chain towards lowering emissions in the production of food.
What does India's new data privacy legislation means for the small and growing business ecosystem? This webinar co-hosted with ANDE member GameChanger Law Advisors highlighted the key implications, and what the future holds.
This global report demonstrates the resilience of ANDE’s global network in pursuit of its shared goal to support small and growing businesses and strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems around the world.
Two new research reports on green entrepreneurship in Kenya and India showcase the state of green entrepreneurship in each country. The reports, developed with support from the IKEA Foundation, explored key themes across eleven sectors, including sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and more
Read the Kenya Report here and the India Report here.
Short on time? Read the executive summaries (available via the links above) or check out our blog posts on key findings from the research: Kenya blog post and India blog post.
"The report delves into the effectiveness and impact of various business support initiatives, employing rigorous research methodologies such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The key topics covered include the effectiveness of accelerator programs, talent acquisition for SMEs, recordkeeping and data collection, impact measurement and management (IMM) frameworks, and support for women-led businesses. It also offers valuable insights for policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to make informed decisions, fostering sustainable growth and success within the business ecosystem. Recommendations underscore the importance of evidence-backed practices for talent acquisition, recordkeeping, and gender-sensitive approaches to support women entrepreneurs."
"This report examines the impact investing landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean for 2020 and 2021, based on a sample of active impact investors in the region, highlighting trends, key challenges, and opportunities, and featuring deep dives on activity in three of the region's largest markets: Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, as well as a feature on Guatemala. Among its findings, the study shows that impact investors are increasingly seeking market-rate returns while keeping flexible return schemes according to the specific needs of countries and sectors. Additionally, it reveals that impact investors still heavily rely on proprietary impact measurement tools, while an increasing number of them are using existing frameworks to tackle impact measurement requirements. Access to capital, education and training, and the local regulatory environment are identified as the most common challenges to overcome to unlock the full potential of the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem through impact investment."
"Uganda's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Initiative (UEEI) Phase II aimed to address key gaps and opportunities in the entrepreneurial ecosystems of Kampala and Gulu, Uganda. The initiative was designed to work collectively towards addressing interrelated constraints such as limited access to financing, mentorship, and network connections, which were found to be limiting entrepreneurship in Uganda. While progress has been made, challenges such as bureaucratic red tape and a lack of appropriate financial products for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) still exist. The UEEI Phase II serves as a valuable learning opportunity for practitioners and policymakers working to cultivate a thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem in emerging markets."