News | Social Enterprise | Global Social Entrepreneurship | NESsT

The war in Ukraine enters its third year

The war in Ukraine enters its third year

This past February marks two years since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. 

As of February 2024, an estimated 3.7 million people are still displaced within Ukraine’s borders, and 6.5 million refugees are in countries such as Poland and Romania. The reality is, although it has been two years since the crisis began, millions of refugees in the region still need support to find dignified work that allows them to feed their families.

How NESsT is refining its impact measurement and management to capture gender and regenerative impact beyond numbers in the Amazon

How NESsT is refining its impact measurement and management to capture gender and regenerative impact beyond numbers in the Amazon

NESsT has a portfolio of 50 enterprises based in the Amazon. Over the past five years, NESsT portfolio managers have worked closely with these enterprises to monitor, measure, and grow their impact. Recently, NESsT sought to develop more detailed methods to understand the culture and context of the data it collects, specifically for enterprises in the Amazon.

Supporting the empowerment of Xikrin do Bacajá women: Amplifying their voices through a new line of artisan products

Supporting the empowerment of Xikrin do Bacajá women: Amplifying their voices through a new line of artisan products

Associação Bebô Xirin do Bacajá (ABEX) is an Indigenous-led association that participated in the Amazon Indigenous Rights and Resources (AIRR) project launched in 2021 to support Indigenous populations to become more visible and active actors in the Amazon economy, in ways that conserve rainforest biodiversity and build environmental resiliency.

Share

The NESsT Lirio Fund provides Kulkao with a second loan to increase the income of cocoa farmers in the Amazon basin

The NESsT Lirio Fund provides Kulkao with a second loan to increase the income of cocoa farmers in the Amazon basin

Located in the jungle areas of central and eastern Peru, Kulkao sources cocoa from over 400 smallholder farmers living in the remote regions of the Amazon basin. Its products include cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and cocoa nibs that are sold to local and international markets such as Europe and North America. Due to its success, in 2023, NESsT approved a second revolving loan to Kulkao, supporting the social enterprise to continue to purchase cacao beans from local farmers committed to organic, sustainable practices. 

Share

NESsT Appoints Kirsten Dueck as New CEO to Build Upon Quarter of a Century of Success for the Organization

NESsT Appoints Kirsten Dueck as New CEO to Build Upon Quarter of a Century of Success for the Organization

NESsT, a leading global impact investor and venture philanthropist, today announced the appointment of Kirsten Dueck as Chief Executive Officer.  NESsT announces this significant leadership transition as it closes out its milestone of over a quarter-century of success, and prepares to embark on its next quarter-century journey of impact investing. Nicole Etchart, NESsT co-founder and outgoing CEO, will transition into a new role as Senior Advisor and will remain on the Board of Directors.

Share

NESsT at SOCAP 2023 with IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Cisco Foundation

NESsT at SOCAP 2023 with IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Cisco Foundation

SOCAP 2023 took place in San Francisco, California from 23–25 October. Nicole Etchart, NESsT Co-Founder and CEO, co-hosted the session ‘Scaling Impact Through Collaboration: Rallying Stakeholders Around Blended Finance,’ alongside Nele Bouchier, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer for IKEA in the United States, and Charu Adesnik, Executive Director of the Cisco Foundation and Director of Social Innovation Investments at Cisco Systems, Inc.

NESsT Welcomes Afrotourism Enterprise Diaspora.Black into its Racial Equity Portfolio in Brazil

NESsT Welcomes Afrotourism Enterprise Diaspora.Black into its Racial Equity Portfolio in Brazil

Diaspora.Black, a social enterprise in the tourism and events sector, joins the NESsT Racial Equity Initiative. With NESsT’s investment, Diaspora.Black will offer training and funding to local Afro-entrepreneurs, fostering a community dedicated to expanding tourist routes that bring more visibility to the history and culture of Afro-Brazilians. 

NESsT in Chile: Over 26 Years of Impact in the Region

NESsT in Chile: Over 26 Years of Impact in the Region

Nicole Etchart, NESsT CEO and Co-Founder, spoke with journalist Valentina Llompart at the Diario Financiero. Article Summary: Founded over 26 years ago, Impact investor NESsT’s international trajectory has taken it to countries in Central and Eastern Europe and South America, including Chile – which was one of the first countries it invested in. NESsT has created significant impact in the region through investing in social enterprises that work on the ground with Chile’s marginalized communities.

Share