An opinion piece from NESsT CEO Chad Sachs: During a recent trip to Junín, Peru, to visit some of the companies in our NESsT Lirio Fund portfolio, I found myself reflecting on the difference between the numbers we see in a portfolio report versus the real life change we see happening in the field.
NESsT and The Ashmore Foundation announce a three-year partnership to support Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC)-led bioeconomy enterprises in the Colombian Amazon. The partnership, which marks a renewed collaboration between NESsT and The Ashmore Foundation, will help strengthen NESsT's ongoing work in the region with a specific focus on opportunities for women and young people within Indigenous enterprises.
“Echoes for the Amazon” is an impact investment fund created by Festival Cordillera and Páramo Impacta and managed by NESsT to protect this vital global ecosystem, working alongside those who have been doing so for generations. With NESsT’s support, every transaction generates sustainable cycles of care, regeneration, and long-term impact.
NESsT, in partnership with IEB and CEPF, is launching Raízes do Cerrado: Strengthening the Sustainability and Impact of Socio-Bioeconomy Enterprises for Conservation, aiming to strengthen the socio-bioeconomy as a pathway to conserving the Cerrado, one of the most biodiverse biomes in the world.
Last month we joined several partners from across the IKEA Social Entrepreneurship network in Älmhult, Sweden, for three days of dialogue, exchange, and collective reflection on how we can better support social enterprises creating positive social and environmental impact around the world.
The solutions to food loss and waste are already taking shape in local communities across Poland and Romania. On the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, NESsT explores what we have learned from supporting social enterprises tackling these challenges and how the right support, capital, and partnerships can help more of them succeed.
NESsT and The Ashmore Foundation announce a three-year partnership to support Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC)-led bioeconomy enterprises in the Colombian Amazon. The partnership, which marks a renewed collaboration between NESsT and The Ashmore Foundation, will help strengthen NESsT's ongoing work in the region with a specific focus on opportunities for women and young people within Indigenous enterprises.
After overcoming one of the most challenging periods in its history, Plastic Corporation emerged stronger with a circular economy model that benefits agricultural producers, recyclers, and local communities alike. Discover how the Peruvian social enterprise is turning agricultural plastic waste into decent jobs, new income opportunities, and positive environmental impact.
After five years in the NESsT South America Accelerator program, Empanacombi graduates from the NESsT portfolio with a stronger business model, diversified revenue streams, and an expanding social impact. Discover how the enterprise turned challenge into opportunity while advancing inclusive employment for people with disabilities in Peru.
This World Refugee Day 2026, we spoke to Ruslan Syvoplias, the Ukrainian entrepreneur behind Future Leaders Project (FLP). Drawing on Ruslan’s own experience of migration, FLP offer a more inclusive model of early education for families facing displacement. In this blog hear Ruslan’s journey building FLP, why early education matters for refugee children, and how – with NESsT’s support – he is strengthening this model to reach more families rebuilding their lives in Poland.
After leaving Ukraine and arriving in Poland, Olena faced challenges while trying to secure stability for her family. Through Women’s Entrepreneurship Foundation (WEF), she connected with several programs designed to support displaced women navigate these new systems and access clear pathways to quality jobs and entrepreneurship.
