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Global Leaders Advance Small Business Growth in the Global South at ANDE’s Flagship Conference

Leaders from 50 countries convened in Mexico for ANDE’s Global Annual Conference 2025, the organization’s first in Latin America, to chart evidence-driven strategies that scale entrepreneurship, mobilize impact capital, and strengthen business ecosystems across emerging markets.

Riviera Maya, Mexico, October 13, 2025 – Under the theme “Building Tomorrow’s Ecosystems: Connect, Innovate, Transform!” the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) brought its Global Annual Conference to Latin America for the first time, convening over 200 leaders in entrepreneurship, investment, and social innovation from 40 countries. For three days, the Riviera Maya became a hub for idea exchange, collaboration, and partnership-building to strengthen small and growing business (SGB) ecosystems in emerging markets.

Organized by ANDE, the global network of the Aspen Institute with more than 220 member organizations, the conference combined plenary sessions, workshops, and networking spaces designed to foster knowledge sharing among entrepreneurs, investors, multilateral organizations, universities, and governments.

Opening the event, Devin Chesney, ANDE’s Executive Director, highlighted the sector’s resilience amid declining international aid:

“The creativity and courage of entrepreneurs continue to open paths where progress once seemed impossible.”

From a global perspective, Esther Duflo, 2019 Nobel Laureate in Economics, emphasized that international cooperation must focus on responding to crises, financing global public goods, and scaling policies based on rigorous evidence.

Discussions also examined the foundations of thriving local ecosystems. Erik Stam of Utrecht University noted that “capital alone is not enough”—talent, institutions, and culture form the invisible infrastructure of growth. In a panel on climate-tech, Severin Peters (GIZ) and Rafael Lorenzo Piñón (Tecnológico de Monterrey) agreed that cross-sector collaboration is key to generating sustainable solutions.

Among the featured enterprises, Chum Chum, a growing Mexican company, demonstrated how food surplus can be transformed into nutritious and sustainable products. Meanwhile, Matthew Wallace (ONOW) proposed a new approach to evaluating SME credit risk:

“True investment capacity is reflected in a business’s daily practices.”

A highlight of the conference was the release of Mexico’s first National Impact Investment Study, conducted by ANDE and financed by GIZ. The report revealed that the number of impact investors in Mexico grew from 24 in 2019 to more than 130 in 2024, managing over USD 1.7 billion in assets. It also identified emerging opportunities in housing, tourism, and the care economy.

Stories such as I was a Sari from India and Ellas Impactan, presented by Irrazonables, reminded participants that purpose-driven entrepreneurship can transform communities.

“Energy doesn’t just light up homes—it gives time back,” reflected Raúl de Anda, from Irrazonables.

The event also featured the launch of ANDE’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Toolkit, developed in collaboration with Seedstars, Tecnológico de Monterrey, and Fundación Coppel.

As a result of the peer-to-peer exchanges that define ANDE’s community, a clear message emerged: to move from  ego-systems to eco-systems, build from trust, and center local voices. With its strong focus on the Global South, ANDE reaffirmed its mission to strengthen ecosystems that drive employment, innovation, and sustainability—convinced that entrepreneurship transforms only when built collectively.

Thanks to the support of Shell LiveWIRE, Fomento Social Banamex, Fundación Coppel, GIZ, Seedstars, Tecnológico de Monterrey, and Watson Institute, the conference reinforced ANDE’s members role and their annual conference as the leading global convening space for the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

ABOUT ANDE
At ANDE, we believe small and growing businesses are vital for reducing poverty and promoting sustainable prosperity. As a global network of accelerators, investors, researchers, and development partners, we connect global potential with local realities, bringing together the people, knowledge, and capital needed to foster entrepreneurial ecosystems. We help our members enhance their impact through data, training, and funding, while directing more resources to the small and growing business (SGB) sector. By facilitating access to essential support, ANDE empowers entrepreneurs to drive economic resilience and create lasting social and environmental progress.


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