A conversation with ANDE’s Membership and Programs team on recent changes within ANDE’s membership and grantmaking processes to make them more equitable and accessible for smaller organizations based in the developing countries in which we work.

ANDE is analyzing the promising project data from AWEF Asia projects, which concluded at the end of 2021. One of the early key learnings is that women entrepreneurs who participated in AWEF Asia funded programs reported increased confidence, self-efficacy, financial and investment literacy, and ability to critically evaluate potential investment and financing options.

ANDE spoke to Jona Resphiti of MIT-D-Lab about the organization’s ANDE-funded project under the Advancing Women’s Empowerment Fund to better prepare female founders seeking capital and support investors in bringing more inclusivity to their practices, including impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the project in India and an upcoming simulation of what it’s like to be a female founder trying to raise $5 million.

ANDE spoke to Diep Hong Ngo of the Women’s Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship (WISE) Vietnam about the organization’s ANDE-funded project under the Advancing Women’s Empowerment Fund to address the gap in seed and early-stage funding for women-led businesses in Vietnam by increasing market opportunities in the angel investing ecosystem.

The burden of red tape is, of course, felt disproportionately by small businesses. Now more than ever, there is a strong need for more action-oriented public-private dialogues, partnerships, advocacy, and knowledge sharing to continue to reduce red tape and ensure the success of these small businesses that are the lifeblood of our economies.