Donor leaders discussed shifting capital, stronger local ownership, digital finance, and why adaptation will define the next decade.

At ANDE's 2026 Leadership Convening, a policymaker, a global implementer, and an East African ecosystem leader described a sector being remade in real time and the choices that will determine who rebuilds it.

During a fireside chat with ANDE Executive Director Devin Chesney, Skoll Foundation President and CEO Marla Blow described what this moment demands: stronger ecosystems, bolder capital, and institutions willing to move from intention to action.

As the small and growing business sector faces tighter capital, shifting donor priorities, and more complex ecosystems, the real challenge is partnership design, so it’s not a gesture, but a system.