Acumen

Acumen investee Warc Africa is proving that inclusive agriculture can transform lives. Its decentralized trading hubs now reach thousands of women farmers in West Africa. The women they employ are eager to learn new farming techniques to withstand climate shocks and earn better income as the hubs increase market access. Warc Africa’s new business model used gender-smart actions to help women farmers thrive and increase the company’s profitability. Our new short film tells Warc's story. Watch it now ⬇️

We advocate for gender inclusion in the companies that we invest in, because not only is it the right thing to do, it also pays dividends.  Over our decade-long journey of investing with a gender lens, we’ve provided targeted funding and leadership training on gender inclusion for our portfolio. We know first-hand that investors are critical partners in enabling founders and teams to focus on gender.  In our latest blog post, we’ve distilled three key strategies investors can apply to support portfolio companies to drive gender inclusion and business growth. These strategies build on valuable previous work and publications by G-SEARCh and Value For Women Ltd.. Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada helped make this work possible.  🎯 Focus on the levers within reach.  💡 Gender-smart Technical Assistance (TA) is a powerful tool for companies to rapidly advance on their gender goals.  🔄 Prioritizing gender needs to take place again and again, at multiple levels of an organization, for change to happen. Read our latest blog post, guest-authored by Erica Berthelsen and Asya Troychansky from Value for Women, to learn more.

Clean energy can unlock new opportunities and build resilience for millions of smallholder farmers and micro-entrepreneurs. But scaling these solutions requires bold action. In this interview, Mahesh Yagnaraman, Acumen India Country Director, shares: 💡 Breakthrough innovations in Productive Use of Energy (PUE) 🌍 Real-life examples of startups building climate-smart solutions 🤔 The challenges of scaling and how Acumen’s accelerator is leading the way Don’t miss these insights. Read the full interview with Impact Investors Council (IIC): https://lnkd.in/dvaK9ESA

In a powerful conversation on The Nick Halaris Show, Yasmina Zaidman unpacks Acumen’s mission to reimagine the fight against poverty—one that prioritizes entrepreneurship, dignity, and long-term solutions. From the role of patient capital in building sustainable businesses to why agency is key to creating lasting change, this episode dives into the lessons we’ve learned over two decades of tackling the world’s toughest challenges.

Acumen is heading to #ImpactWeek in Bilbao! If you will be at Impact Week, join us on Thursday, November 28 from 11:30 to 12:45 GMT+1 in room 5B for a session co-hosted by Acumen and the Esade Center for Social Impact (ECSI): Championing Inclusive Economic Growth – Unlocking Value Through Equity Our very own Julia Mensink will take the stage to present insights from Acumen’s latest report, Pathways to Growth: Gender-smart business actions that work, developed with Value For Women Ltd. Together with Esade, we’ll explore how impact capital can drive high-growth, inclusive social enterprises and create lasting change for marginalized populations, particularly women and girls. We’re thrilled to join an inspiring panel of experts for this discussion: ✅ Leonora Buckland, Senior Researcher, ESADE Business & Law School  ✅ Åsa Skogström Feldt, Managing Director, IKEA Social Entrepreneurship BV ✅ Lisa Hehenberger, Director, Esade Center for Social Impact (ESCI) ✅ Dalia Silberstein, Manager, Esade Center for Social Impact (ESCI)

By focusing on the needs of women in her community, Awuor Dorothy Otieno and her team are proving inclusion isn't just fair; it’s smart business. Dorothy, founder and CEO of Nyalore Impact Limited, started her business to offer clean cooking alternatives in Homa Bay County, Kenya.  Dorothy and Nyalore Impact’s work protects the environment and helps women save time, improve their health, and invest in their futures. Watch our short film to learn more.

“Climate adaptation and mitigation are not opposing approaches but mutually reinforcing strategies to tackle climate change and its impacts. Each should be applied based on the specific needs of communities.” In this piece, Dr. Githinji Gitahi makes the case for a people-centered climate strategy. He highlights the need to prioritize adaptation in Africa, where the immediate focus must be on building resilience to protect lives and livelihoods.

As #COP29 concludes, we asked members of the Acumen community who were in Baku to share what inspires their optimism for the future. Swipe through to read their reflections. Let us know in the comments: what makes you hopeful? Jacqueline Novogratz | Norah Magero | Dr. Ayesha Khan | Savita Muley | Haqdarshak | Drop Access Limited

Fresh from #COP29, Acumen's Christopher Wayne shares what stood out to him.

ICYMI: TIME held a dinner at #COP29 in honor of incredible leaders driving climate action. Acumen Founder and CEO, Jacqueline Novogratz, who spoke at the dinner, lauded the unsung heroes driving climate action through the businesses they run across the globe. https://lnkd.in/d_XyA-Tj