Concordia crafts a family space for such youth daily where they receive the support they need and deserve.
NESsT focuses on improving economic autonomy because it improves community autonomy. As much as "Workforce Diversity and Inclusion" is used to solve this problem, it will not. We must pursue Workforce Equity and Justice.
Meet Victor. Victor is a coppersmith in the Romanian village of Brateiu. There used to be 200 Roma coppersmiths in his village. Now there are only six left. He says he’s proud he can continue to practice the craft of his ancestors and make a living doing so.
NESsT's portfolio director for the Andean Region offers three top tips for social entrepreneurs: (1) Look Deep, (2) Seek Feedback and (3) Test, Test, Test.
In the summer of 2021, Penn International Impact Consulting (PIIC), a pro-bono, student-run consulting club from the University of Pennsylvania, began a year long-partnership with NESsT Amazonia, offering business consulting services to two social enterprises in NESsT Amazonia’s portfolio that produce native Amazonian seeds — ASCAMPA (Associação Comunitária Agrícola do Rio Urupadi) and ASSOAB (Associação dos Agropecuários de Beruri).
Every two years, NESsT gathers qualitative data through in-person Dignified Employment surveys — these interviews provide rich insights into the quality of jobs created by its portfolio. In 2021, we surveyed around 10% of the total population impacted by our portfolio enterprises – 388 individuals who live across six countries, including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Poland, and Romania.
Impact investments are investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. Impact investments are made in both emerging and developed markets and target a range of returns from below market to market rate, depending on the investors’ strategic goals.
NESsT’s loan will help Pebani to purchase machinery and equipment and invest in marketing and commercial development, ultimately amplifying their presence in new markets. This loan will also support Pebani to obtain additional Fair Trade and Organic certifications, which will strengthen their international brand awareness in commercial events and global fairs.
NESsT and R20 Green Fund for Women (R20-GFW) joined forces to support the development of the bioeconomy and to improve women’s social and financial inclusion in the Andes-Amazon region. By bringing gender-smart financial resources directly to local business solutions that hire women and sustainably extract and process resources native to the Amazon, the partnership seeks to chart a climate-safe future for the world while ensuring the economic empowerment and equitable growth of local indigenous communities.
The partnership between Agrosolidaria and Natura sheds light on a new model for corporate responsibility and demonstrates how local and global corporations can play an active role in guaranteeing the quality of their supplies but also conserving the environment and supporting the communities of their suppliers.
By providing financing and business assistance to enterprises with proven technological solutions, NESsT seeks to harness technology to conserve 800,000 hectares in the Amazon and improve the livelihoods of more than 15,000 individuals from local communities. With support from the Cisco Foundation, NESsT welcomed two technology enterprises into the NESsT Amazonia portfolio – ManejeBem and Elysios.
NESsT’s loan will support Cedros Café with working capital to increase the number of farmers they can support – in the next two years, the enterprise plans to work with 400 associates. Cedros will also equip these smallholder farmers to double their production capacity, reaching 1,200 kilos per hectare while safeguarding their quality and certifications.
