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 Regional Indigenous Incubator for the Amazon is a pilot program that strengthens Indigenous-led enterprises driving social well-being and the conservation of Amazonian territories. It does so through an innovative governance and incubation model led directly by Indigenous organizations.
Indigenous-led enterprises in the Amazon are building livelihoods in ways that keep forests standing, drawing on knowledge that has guided life in relation to nature for generations. In the Ecuadorian Amazon, Kichwa-led organization Ruku Kawsay is just one example of how this works in practice, ensuring stronger livelihoods and a standing forest through the traditional Amazonian farming system known as “chakra”.
NESsT is recognized by the Ministry of the Environment in Peru (MINAM), alongside a group of impact investors and organizations that drive biodiversity-based solutions in Peru.
We’re delighted to release the NESsT 2025 Annual Report, highlighting a year defined by far-reaching impact and transformative growth. For nearly three decades, NESsT has worked at the nexus of people, profit, and the planet. In 2025, we reached a milestone that speaks to this mission: since its founding, NESsT has positively impacted the lives of over 4.7 million people from communities around the world.
A new multi-year partnership between NESsT and Erol Foundation will improve forest conservation by catalyzing local sustainable enterprises in areas of high biodiversity. The NESsT Amazonia incubator will support 15 conservation enterprises that improve forest conservation in the Amazon basin and provide sustainable livelihoods to local communities.
Should the impact investing sector pioneer these practices into mainstream investing? Well, gender inclusion means different things to different people. It's important to define what we mean when using the terms "gender lens, gender equity, and gender inclusion" to make sure that everyone is aligned so that we move far in a few areas as opposed to moving slightly across many.
A central theme dominated the conference: impact management. While the topic is certainly not new, the urgency is. In part this urgency is driven by the increasing visibility the sector is attracting. New impact funds from leading private equity firms and glitzy events in the world’s trendiest capitals provide fodder to the press and public opinion to look from the outside-in for reasons to find flaws in the sector.
