Global Development Advisors

Exciting News for Global Development Advisors! I am thrilled to announce that Roger Santodomingo, Associate Director of Communications at ANDE the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, one of the stellar programs of The Aspen Institute has joined GDA Board of Directors! Roger brings an extraordinary wealth of experience, dedication, and passion to our mission of driving economic development and empowering immigrant communities. His steadfast commitment to human rights, immigrant rights, and entrepreneurs as catalysts for job creation and growth aligns perfectly with GDA’s vision. As a seasoned journalist and entrepreneur, Roger has a remarkable eye for identifying businesses that make a meaningful, positive impact. His fight for press freedom and human rights, both in his native Venezuela and internationally, fuels his drive to empower businesses in an environment of liberty and opportunity. With two Master’s degrees in Social Communications (UCV) and Comparative Politics (LSE), Roger has built a distinguished career, contributing to major media outlets like BBC, Telemundo International, NTN24, and CNN en Español. He’s also made a significant impact as a writer, media entrepreneur, and advocate, including work with Amnesty International. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Roger is also a skilled athlete. After reigniting his martial arts passion during the pandemic, he now ranks among the top ten veteran (35+ years old) karatekas in the USA! Roger’s expertise, dedication to human rights, and inspiring journey will be invaluable to GDA’s mission to uplift immigrant communities and foster economic growth through entrepreneurship. Welcome to the team, Roger! #WelcomeToTheBoard #GDAFamily #Entrepreneurship #ImmigrantRights #EconomicDevelopment #HumanRights #Leadership #AspenInstitute #ANDE #CentralAmerica

GDA oficially registered as an NGO in El Salvador! We are thrilled to announce that Global Development Advisors has successfully completed the registration process to become a recognized NGO in El Salvador. This milestone marks a significant step forward for GDA, enabling us to operate locally and enhance our services within the country. As a registered NGO, GDA is now better positioned to support and empower Salvadoran companies, particularly in improving their investment readiness. Our local presence will allow us to work more closely with entrepreneurs, financial institutions, and investors to drive economic growth and create sustainable business ecosystems. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our outstanding legal team, Rizek Bichara Perla, @Alisson Arévalo, y Ximena Suarez whose guidance and expertise were instrumental in navigating this complex process over the past year. Their dedication and support made this achievement possible. This accomplishment reflects our commitment to making a tangible impact in El Salvador by providing tailored support and resources to enhance the readiness of companies for investment opportunities. We look forward to contributing to the economic development of the region and fostering a thriving business environment. GDA oficialmente registrado como ONG en El Salvador! Estamos emocionados de anunciar que Global Development Advisors ha completado con éxito el proceso de registro para convertirse en una ONG reconocida en El Salvador. Este hito marca un paso significativo para GDA, permitiéndonos operar localmente y mejorar nuestros servicios en el país. Como ONG registrada, GDA está ahora mejor posicionada para apoyar y empoderar a las empresas salvadoreñas, particularmente en la mejora de su preparación para la inversión. Nuestra presencia local nos permitirá trabajar más de cerca con emprendedores, instituciones financieras e inversionistas para impulsar el crecimiento económico y crear ecosistemas empresariales sostenibles. Extendemos nuestro más sincero agradecimiento a nuestro excelente equipo legal, cuya guía y experiencia fueron instrumentales para navegar este complejo proceso durante el último año. Su dedicación y apoyo hicieron posible este logro. Este logro refleja nuestro compromiso de tener un impacto tangible en El Salvador al proporcionar apoyo y recursos personalizados para mejorar la preparación de las empresas para las oportunidades de inversión. Esperamos contribuir al desarrollo económico de la región y fomentar un entorno empresarial próspero. #elsalvador #economicdevelopment #impactinvesting #startups #SMEs #investmentreadiness

During my recent trip to Honduras, we signed an agreement with SENPRENDE, the National Service for Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses, to formalize a collaboration framework between our organizations to achieve common objectives. Considering that both organizations recognize the synergies of collaboration to enhance the support provided to early-stage entrepreneurs in Honduras, especially about three of the strategic pillars of “SENPRENDE” – Emprende Rocket, which are 1) Technical Assistance for Creating Scalable and Profitable Businesses, 2) Access to National and International Markets, and 3) Financial Linkage. Particularly supporting companies that include technology in their business model, allowing them to access the necessary resources through Global Development Advisors' investment readiness services. “SENPRENDE” and its Emprende Rocket program is a government-backed accelerator program aimed at nurturing and driving entrepreneurs throughout their business journey, fostering economic development and innovation. We look forward to serving Honduras's entrepreneurship ecosystem and supporting entrepreneurs and businesses to reach the capital they need to grow. #honduras #entrepreneurship #economicdevelopment #centralamerica #impactinvesting #SDG

Partnership for Impact, hosted by the Office of the President of George Mason University, is an event that will bring a group of Executives, University Leadership, and Visionaries to explore emerging trends and best practices in business and higher education. Thank you for the invitation to talk about Global Collaboration for Competitiveness, Empowering Education, and Industry Partnerships on April 17th. Looking forward to connecting with the regional community in the Washington DC Metro Area.

I am on a strategic tour across Northern Central America, engaging with our partners, collaborators, government representatives, and international aid agencies working to tackle the most challenging issues, "wicked problems," economic, social, technical, environmental, and political complexities, which exceed the capacity of any single organization to address successfully. Our focus is on the investment readiness of populations of startups, SMEs, and rural entrepreneurs and bringing impact-first catalytic capital to the region, seeking to de-risk the ecosystem to attract new and foreign sources of investment capital. The contributions of local, regional, and international stakeholders are paramount in defining new strategies to allocate resources where they are most needed. It is essential to recognize that a collaborative approach is indispensable in pursuing shared goals, such as sustainable development and economic growth. The principle that "unless everyone wins, everyone loses" underscores the interconnectedness of our efforts. By working together and leveraging our strengths, we can create lasting impact and drive positive change in the region. Thank you for your trust. Swisscontact IDB Lab USAID Guatemala USAID Honduras Pedro Caldentey del Pozo iitos FUNDESA Bernardt Vogel Andrea Mazariegos SNBX El Salvador Fundación Gloria Kriete #guatemala #honduras #elSalvador #entrepreneurship #impactinvesting

Countdown to meeting with entrepreneurs in El Salvador at the Sandbox Innovation Summit Reverse Pitch 2024. It's time for a power dynamic change, where not only startups pitch to capture the attention of investors, but investors present their models to capture the attention of startups. An investment agreement is like a marriage, where both parties commit to a shared vision, support each other through challenges, and celebrate successes together. Just as in a marriage, trust, communication, and alignment of values are crucial for a successful and lasting partnership in the world of investments. I look forward to seeing you on April 11th and 12th to start building these new relationships! Cuenta regresiva para reunirnos con emprendedores en El Salvador en el Reverse Pitch del Sandbox Innovation Summit 2024. Es hora de un cambio en la dinámica de poder, donde no solo las startups hacen su pitch para captar la atención de los inversores, sino que los inversores presentan sus modelos para captar la atención de las startups. Un acuerdo de inversión es como un matrimonio, donde ambas partes se comprometen con una visión compartida, se apoyan mutuamente en los desafíos y celebran los éxitos juntos. Al igual que en un matrimonio, la confianza, la comunicación y la alineación de valores son cruciales para una asociación exitosa y duradera en el mundo de las inversiones. Los veo el 11 y 12 de Abril para empezar a construir estas nuevas relaciones! #moondancerfund #patriciafunegra #entrepreneurship #impactinvesting #startups #snbx #snbxsummit2024 #elsalvador #honduras #guatemala #emprendimiento #innovation #innovacion 

We are excited to announce the recent collaboration agreement between the Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation Swisscontact Guatemala and GDA to promote entrepreneurship in Central America. Understanding the technical and financial gaps experienced by small and medium-sized enterprises in Guatemala and the Central American region, which hinder access to investment and financing for their operation and growth, we join forces to attract resources, expertise, and technical specialization to support the takeoff and acceleration of entrepreneurship in rural and urban areas. Through expert and personalized services to mitigate the barriers that prevent access to investment and financing, both organizations hope to offer the Investment Readiness Program, created by GDA and powered by Swisscontact, aimed startups, small rural entrepreneurs, and cooperatives, in the early stages of launch and growth. "Our goal is to focus on underserved markets, where need and opportunity converge," says Patricia Funegra, Founder and CEO of GDA. "The Northern Central America region (Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala) offers huge opportunities for economic growth; however, there is a need to implement a new approach aimed at reducing and eliminating the gaps that prevent these groups from accessing the economic resources necessary to grow their businesses, create new jobs, innovate, and strengthen their economies." Swisscontact's value proposition in implementing financial inclusion projects lies in its comprehensive approach that addresses financial literacy and access to financial services and focuses on economic empowerment, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and innovative financial solutions. This holistic approach ensures sustainable and long-term impact, as well as inclusivity in different sectors of society," stated Carlos Morales Cajas, Country Director, Swisscontact Guatemala.

The Forum of Latin-American Impact Investing brought a melting pot of 1000 diverse minds, rich cultures and a wealth of innovative ideas from startups, alongside the curiosity, purpose and resources of investors, all underpinned by the meaningful intentions of government agencies. These two full days in the Yucatán Peninsula surrounded by its beauty, vibrant colors, enticing aromas, and 90-degree days, served as a dynamic space for like-minded individuals to network, negotiate, learn, and forge new paths for using our resources to achieve impactful results in the region. Reconnecting with old friends and forming ties with new ones was a plus. Our efforts to prepare Central American entrepreneurship ecosystems for investments through Global Development Advisors received enthusiastic support and we are looking forward to establishing new partnerships with donors and colleague organizations in Northern Central America. Thanks to FLII for organizing such a memorable event. #impactinvesting #centralamerica #entrepreneurship

We are pleased to announce that the government of Honduras has issued a resolution approving Global Development Advisors (GDA) operations in the country. As a nonprofit organization based in the United States, we focus on serving the entrepreneurial and business ecosystems in the Northern countries of Central America. This approval marks a significant step forward, as it allows us to establish a local presence that will significantly enhance the value of our services for startups and PyMEs in the region. Through our investment readiness services, we are dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and PyMEs access the capital they need to grow and positively impact their communities. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the team behind the scenes who have worked tirelessly to make this lengthy process as smooth as possible. Their dedication and hard work have been instrumental in achieving this milestone, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to support entrepreneurship and economic development in Honduras. Melissa Amaya Pastrana, Maria Camila Sarmiento from from Alta Legal. Nos complace anunciar que el gobierno de Honduras ha emitido una resolución aprobando las operaciones de Global Development Advisors (GDA) en el país. Como organización sin fines de lucro con sede en Estados Unidos, nos enfocamos en servir a los ecosistemas empresariales y emprendedores en los países del norte de América Central. Esta aprobación marca un paso significativo, ya que nos permite establecer presencia local e incremental nuestra propuesta de valor startups y PyMEs en la región. A través de nuestros servicios de preparación para la inversión, estamos dedicados a ayudar a los emprendedores y PyMEs a acceder al capital que necesitan para crecer e impactar positivamente a sus comunidades. Nos gustaría extender nuestro más sincero agradecimiento al equipo detrás de escena que ha trabajado incansablemente para hacer que este proceso largo sea lo más fluido posible. Su dedicación y arduo trabajo han sido fundamentales para lograr este hito, y esperamos continuar nuestros esfuerzos para apoyar el emprendimiento y el desarrollo económico en Honduras. Melissa Amaya Pastrana, Maria Camila Sarmiento de Alta Legal. #honduras #centralamerica #entrepreneurship #impactinvest #economicgrowth 

We are thrilled to be part of this year's Forum of Latin American Impact Investing (FLII) in Merida, Mexico, as we prepare to launch our investment readiness programs and our impact investment fund in the Northern countries of Central America. FLII stands out as the premier summit in the Latin American Impact Investment sector, gathering a diverse array of stakeholders, including investors, entrepreneurs, corporations, venture funds, and organizations shaping the impact ecosystem in LATAM. We anticipate the opportunity to connect, learn, and, most importantly, forge new pathways for economic growth and social progress in the region. #impactinvesting #centralamerica #entrepreneurship #socialprogress #honduras #elsalvador #guatemala