In 2022, the Lirio Fund made its first investment in Colombia, welcoming Pomario, a social enterprise that sells organic produce and provides jobs to rural communities.
Social Fund of the Year, Europe – NESsT’s Refugee Employment Initiative: Supporting Refugees to Access Quality Jobs
Supporting smallholder farmers who produce one third of the world's food
Environmental Fund of the Year, Latin America – NESsT’s Lirio Fund: Catalyzing Sustainable Enterprises in the Andes Amazon Basin
Kicking off the NESsT Refugee Employment Initiative
NESsT announces partnership with MetLife Foundation to catalyze sustainable enterprises in the Amazon
The MetLife Foundation is joining other donors, including Cisco, the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA), Erol Foundation, and Parceiros Pela Amazônia (PPA), among others, to support NESsT Amazonia. This new multi-year partnership between NESsT and the MetLife Foundation will accelerate sustainable forest conservation by catalyzing 10 Amazon-based enterprises.
NESsT, IDB Partner to Support Indigenous Enterprises Across the Amazon Region and Strengthen Local Economies
NESsT and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announce a new pilot program to support 15 enterprises in the Amazon Basin with financial capital and business mentoring resources. The program will launch as a 18-month pilot to test a new model of governance that will form an alliance with regional and national indigenous federations.
The NESsT Lirio Fund Welcomes Laguna, a Coffee Cooperative Promoting Gender Equity in Peru’s Agriculture Sector
Cooperativa Cafetalera Laguna de los Cóndores sources coffee from almost 460 smallholder farmers operating in the region, working to alleviate their severe financial strains and ensure coffee producers earn a living income. NESsT’s revolving investment will support Laguna to reach and sign contracts with more producers over the next two years, with funding provided on an as-needed basis for working capital needs.
Fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration: NESsT and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship visit portfolio enterprises driving positive change in Chile
NESsT and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship visit Chile to reflect on support in the region and evaluate the accelerator’s impact so far. Together we witnessed firsthand the positive changes these social enterprises are making in their areas, and gained a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges they face.
