Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs - ANDE

Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs - ANDE ANDE is a global network of organizations that propel entrepreneurship in developing economies.

A year into the most disruptive funding shift the SGB sector has faced in two decades, the conversation among donors is ...
04/23/2026

A year into the most disruptive funding shift the SGB sector has faced in two decades, the conversation among donors is beginning to sound different.
At ANDE's 2026 Leadership Convening in Washington, D.C., Nicholas Colloff (Argidius Foundation), César Buenadicha (IDB Lab), and Qamar Saleem (SME Finance Forum) sat down with ANDE's Devin Chesney for a donor-lens view of the current moment — less about what has been lost, more about what ecosystem actors should do next.
A few of the arguments that stood out:
— Philanthropy matters, but the math does not support it replacing lost aid budgets. Its role is catalytic, not compensatory.
— The systems around entrepreneurship are being reshaped at the same time funding is moving. Familiar interventions are producing unfamiliar results.
— The financial sector is tightening its posture, not freezing. Balanced, risk-mitigated growth is replacing "grow at all cost" — especially among digital lenders.
— The strongest public case for ESO support may be a public finance case: the best-performing ESOs generate returns roughly equivalent to the tax revenue they help governments capture.
Read the full recap from the session: https://ow.ly/OXFg50YOJjg

04/23/2026

ANDE Leadership Convening, fireside chat with Marla Blow on why inclusive growth depends on ecosystems that move resources, not just ideas.
Key takeaways: "all sectors on deck," systems change must accompany direct service, and philanthropy needs to take smarter risks. "Everyone has to play a role."
More in our blog 🔗 https://ow.ly/eRhU50YOLbt

How do stronger climate ecosystems take shape?In the latest episode of Catalyzing Climate Conversations, Laura and Isabe...
04/22/2026

How do stronger climate ecosystems take shape?
In the latest episode of Catalyzing Climate Conversations, Laura and Isabelle talk with Pratap Raju, Founding Partner of Climate Collective, about his entrepreneurial journey and the growth of South Asia’s climate scene.
The episode explores:
Raju’s path from IT and Bollywood production to climate entrepreneurship
The role of AI in power and disaster response
Why impact assessment is critical for climate startups
Why resilience and local leadership matter for the future of climate innovation.
Read our blog https://ow.ly/Gzjr50YOfNU
Listen to or watch Catalyzing Climate Conversations wherever you get your podcasts.

The Development ResetAt last week’s ANDE’s 2026 Leadership Convening, that was the working premise of the opening plenar...
04/21/2026

The Development Reset
At last week’s ANDE’s 2026 Leadership Convening, that was the working premise of the opening plenary “Foreign Assistance at a Crossroads,” with James Mazzarella (Atlantic Council), William Warshauer (TechnoServe), and Joram Mwinamo (SNDBX | The Village Formula). Moderated by Kate Scaife Diaz, ANDE.

Across a Washington policy lens, a global implementer, and an East African ESO, one conclusion held: in 2026, strategic partnerships are not a slogan. They are the architecture that decides whether resources reach small and growing businesses, or stall.
Read the full analysis:

Read the full analysis: https://ow.ly/3Yzy50YNGAF

Every ecosystem has actors. The question is whether they're connected by mechanisms that move resources—or just by good ...
04/09/2026

Every ecosystem has actors. The question is whether they're connected by mechanisms that move resources—or just by good intentions.
Before you arrive at the Leadership Convening, pick one question to pressure-test with partners:
→ What partnership model is proving most durable in 2026—and what makes it hold? → Where does financing stall between commitment and disbursement—and what fixes the gap? → How can AI and technology reduce ecosystem friction without creating new dependencies?
Theme: Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Growth. | 🗓️ Apr 13–14 | 🌸 Washington, D.C.

Few spots left! Final day to register is today, Apr 9: https://ow.ly/nNiT50Yt5Tg
Instagram Pick one question to bring to D.C.: → What partnership model is most durable in 2026? → Where does financing stall—and what fixes it? → How can AI reduce ecosystem friction responsibly?

Two plenaries to anchor your plan at the Leadership Convening:Apr 13 (9:30–10:30 ET): Foreign Assistance at a Crossroads...
04/07/2026

Two plenaries to anchor your plan at the Leadership Convening:
Apr 13 (9:30–10:30 ET): Foreign Assistance at a Crossroads — Osayi Alile (ACT Foundation), James Mazzarella (Atlantic Council), William Warshauer (TechnoServe), Kate Scaife Diaz (ANDE). How financing and partnership models adapt as foreign assistance priorities shift.
Apr 14 (9:45–11:00 ET): Inside the Donor Lens — César Buenadicha (IDB), Qamar Saleem (SME Finance Forum). Where donors see opportunity, what constraints persist, and what it means for partnership strategy.
Theme: Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Growth. Not yet registered?
Few spots left! Registration ends Apr 9 👉 https://ow.ly/nNiT50Yt5Tg
Already registered? Use the Cvent app to message speakers and attendees before you arrive.

Only 5 slots left! Registration for the Leadership Convening through Thursday, April 9.Resource flows across the SGB sec...
04/06/2026

Only 5 slots left! Registration for the Leadership Convening through Thursday, April 9.

Resource flows across the SGB sector are shifting—and the organizations navigating the change most effectively are the ones aligned with the right partners.

🗓️ April 13–14 | 📍 Washington, D.C. Theme: Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Growth—practical mechanisms that move capital, market access, policy influence, and evidence into SGB outcomes.

This is a working forum for ANDE member Executive Leadership Teams and Section Leaders. Two days. Plenaries on foreign assistance and donor priorities. Breakouts on corporate partnerships, innovative financing, AI/tech, and advocacy. Every session is built around one question: what partnership mechanisms actually reduce friction and deliver results?

ART
'The Great Wave off Kanagawa.' (1831)
by the Hokusai (1760–1849)

Still thinking about it? Here’s the case for registering.The most detailed brain maps don’t just show more neurons—they ...
04/03/2026

Still thinking about it? Here’s the case for registering.
The most detailed brain maps don’t just show more neurons—they show how activity travels through a network. That’s a useful metaphor for entrepreneurship ecosystems: outcomes don’t come from any one actor, but from the quality of connections and the mechanisms that move resources through them.
Join ANDE’s Leadership Convening in Washington, D.C. (Apr 13–14). Theme: Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Growth—partnership mechanisms that reduce friction, strengthen evidence, and build pathways so resources move into SGB outcomes.
Register today: https://ow.ly/nNiT50Yt5Tg

ART
3D reconstruction
First to overlay neuronal activity on a large-scale map of brain cells.
The biggest wiring diagram of a mammalian brain so far,
mapping cells in 1 cubic mm of a mouse’s brain tissue.
-Nature, April 2025

Partnership is often treated as a virtue. But in the small and growing business sector, it works only when it is designe...
04/02/2026

Partnership is often treated as a virtue. But in the small and growing business sector, it works only when it is designed to carry weight.

In this new article, Roger Santodomingo explores what Rodin’s The Cathedral, a neural network, and a clownfish can teach us about the architecture of partnerships—and why better partnership design is essential for scalable growth.

The piece also frames the questions at the heart of ANDE’s Leadership Convening in Washington, D.C., on April 13–14: How can organizations build partnerships that move capital, trust, knowledge, and opportunity more effectively across the SGB ecosystem?

Read the article: https://ow.ly/nsPe50YAOB6

Session spotlight: Innovative Financing—New Models Powering Entrepreneurial Growth🗓️ Apr 14 ⏰ 11:15 AM–1:15 PM ETScaling...
04/02/2026

Session spotlight: Innovative Financing—New Models Powering Entrepreneurial Growth
🗓️ Apr 14 ⏰ 11:15 AM–1:15 PM ET
Scaling entrepreneurship outcomes requires financing that fits real enterprise timelines and ecosystem realities. This breakout explores models beyond traditional grants, innovative tools, blended finance approaches, and lessons learned in mobilizing capital.
The through-line is partnership: financing models scale when funders, intermediaries, and implementers align on risk, incentives, and evidence.
Discussants:
• Susannah Eastham (Echoing Green)
• K**i Hornberger (Dalberg Advisors)
• Aneesh Patnaik (EPIC World)
Theme: Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Growth. Reg closes Apr 3: https://ow.ly/nNiT50Yt5Tg

Rodin’s The Cathedral is just two hands, but the point is bigger: partnership isn’t a slogan. It’s a working structure—b...
04/01/2026

Rodin’s The Cathedral is just two hands, but the point is bigger: partnership isn’t a slogan. It’s a working structure—built through alignment, trust, and follow-through.

That’s the focus of ANDE’s Leadership Convening in Washington, D.C. (Apr 13–14): Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Growth—the mechanisms that move resources (capital, market access, policy influence, evidence) into outcomes for small and growing businesses (SGBs).

Reminder: registration closes Friday, April 3 — space is limited 👉🔗 https://ow.ly/nNiT50Yt5Tg

ART
The Cathedral
August Rodin (Circa 1900)

Session spotlight (Apr 14): Driving Impact Through Corporate Partnerships⏰ 11:15 AM–1:15 PM ETCorporate partnerships can...
03/31/2026

Session spotlight (Apr 14): Driving Impact Through Corporate Partnerships
⏰ 11:15 AM–1:15 PM ET
Corporate partnerships can unlock market access, capabilities, and capital—but only if they’re built for mutual value and clear ex*****on. This breakout examines durable collaboration models and lessons learned.
Discussants: Jimmy Bettcher (ANDE) • Michelle Grogg (Mars Impact Fund)
Theme: Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Growth. Reg closes Apr 3: https://ow.ly/nNiT50Yt5Tg

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