Cisco: Transforming Underserved Communities and Fostering Sustainable Growth Through Entrepreneurial Endeavors

The Social Impact Partner Spotlight series highlights various Cisco non-profit organization partners that are helping transform the lives of individuals and communities. This blog features Cisco’s partnership with Agora Partnerships, The Bridge International, CARE Peru, Centro Community Partners, Defy Ventures, and Hand in Hand International, highlighting the transformative work each of these organizations are doing in the entrepreneurial and economic empowerment space, especially for underserved communities.

World Entrepreneurs Day 2024, observed on August 21, celebrates the ingenuity and perseverance of entrepreneurs who are the driving force behind innovation and economic growth worldwide. This year’s theme, “Empowering Entrepreneurs for a Sustainable Future,” underscores the vital role that entrepreneurs play in creating solutions to global challenges and advancing sustainable development. Learn how some of Cisco’s non-profit partner organizations are enabling the transformative impact of entrepreneurs and fostering environments where their ideas can thrive and lead to a brighter, more sustainable future.

Agora Partnerships

“Participating in the Eco challenge has been an opportunity to see my enterprise with another perspective, not just in search of innovation opportunities, but of a social and environmental legacy, that can transcend other generations and even other geographies.” 
—Female entrepreneur leader of a professional audio services company

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute almost 25% of Latin America’s Gross Domestic Product and employ over 60% of the total population. At the same time, SMEs across the region face stagnating productivity growth and increasing vulnerabilities to climate variability and natural resource degradations across the region face stagnating productivity growth and increasing vulnerabilities to climate variability and natural resource degradation.

The importance of SMEs for both economic prosperity and environmental preservation means an investment in the greening and modernization of their business models can have an outsized impact on the region’s overall sustainability.

And yet women-led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) face technological, economic, cultural, and institutional barriers to improving the environmental footprint of their models – impeding sustainable and inclusive economic development.

Agora Partnerships strives for a world in which social and environmental sustainability becomes the true business engine for SME growth. With instrumental early-stage ideation and planning funding from Cisco Foundation, Agora designed the content, methodology, architecture, and prototype for an eco-innovation (environmentally positive practices) repository aimed at facilitating the integration of eco innovations in the business operations of traditional WSMEs in Latin America.

The process entailed multiple stages. First, they integrated in Agora’s business training a product that enabled companies to ideate, select, and plan the implementation of eco innovations directly linked to improvements in their bottom line. They then moved on to pilot the content with actual enterprises to validate assumptions, such as cross sectoral applicability and relevance across different enterprise development stages. From there, they created an Ecochallenge fund selecting awardees to fund their plans for testing and learning. Finally, they translated the first two stages into a digital and self-guided format which will allow Agora to create impact at scale by making the content available to audiences beyond Agora’s current program participants – allowing them to continue to support female entrepreneurs throughout Latin America to make their businesses greener – and more successful.

How Agora Partnerships is making a difference:

• 89% had mapped the negative impacts of their businesses and had at least one strategy to mitigate them.
• 81% reported that the Eco-challenge contributed significantly to their growth and the development of environmental knowledge in their enterprise.
• 72.97% reported implementing social / environmental actions

Agora Partnerships has many opportunities to help with their efforts. Specifically, the organization needs:

• Experts in gamification to improve the current user experience of the eco innovations repository.
• Environmental experts that can review piloted eco innovations to identify possible improvements, potential points of challenge, and evaluation methodologies/practices.
• Practitioners or entrepreneurial support organizations who would like to pilot eco innovations with their own entrepreneurs to continue building the eco innovation knowledgebase.
• Recommendations of databases or reports highlighting proven environmental practices that reap economic returns in SMEs.

Learn more about Agora Partnerships (en español video)

The Bridge International

“We provide capacity-building consultations and training to create innovative and catalytic approaches to entrepreneurs. We also provide crowdfunding opportunities to increase access to financial resources and public visibility for the social businesses that we support all over the region of Asia.” 
—Ahlim Kim, Program Director

The Bridge International supports underserved social innovators and emerging entrepreneurs in South Korea and across the globe. Through its online crowdfunding platform which merges the concepts of “donation” and “investment” into one, The Bridge International created a revolving donation model that sustains and builds economic resilience for program beneficiaries and donors.

With Cisco’s Regional Solution Grant, The Bridge International was able to reestablish its online platform. The platform aims to create a sustainable ecosystem of impact donations and additional resources that are crucial for business sustainability of individuals’ dream to become economically independent and be able to give back to others in need. Recently, The Bridge International has enhanced the ‘Birthday Donation Campaign’ feature, which enables individuals to launch their own campaigns using their birthdays. They can invite friends and family to donate towards social causes they care about to celebrate. This improvement has successfully encouraged more people, both locally and internationally, to participate in these campaigns. The impact of the grant is promising for beneficiaries, including project VietHarvest in Vietnam, Ritma Green in Indonesia, and Jumpaa Comics in Laos.

How The Bridge International is making a difference:

• Number of entrepreneurs served (North Korean Defectors and Developing Countries in Asia): 53
• Percentage increase in funds raised: 26%
• Rate increase in economic independence (re-donation rate): 11%

The Bridge International welcomes community support through donations and volunteer involvement:

• Host a donation campaign: Check out fundraisers like the “Birthday/Event Donation”, designate a project, and support celebrating special occasions such as birthdays, graduations, wedding anniversaries, and others.
• Sign up for mentoring and business partnership building.

CARE Peru

“CARE has advocated for women entrepreneurship at a national scale. We aim to contribute to a resilient and inclusive economy by unleashing the power of growth-oriented women entrepreneurs. We support women entrepreneurs to feel confident, resilient, in control, and equipped to grow their businesses, so they gain economic power in their households, communities, and economies.” 
—Marilu Martens, National Director at CARE Peru

CARE established a permanent presence in Peru in 1970 following the devastating earthquake in the Ancash region, and in 2012, it was constituted as a Peruvian NGO. For over 50 years, it has implemented over 1000 projects focused on the country’s social development, which have changed the lives of the most vulnerable people. In the last 5 years, CARE Peru has positively impacted the lives of over 7 million people.

CARE Peru’s Girls with Opportunities (GWO) program creates an educational ecosystem that fosters the well-being and educational continuity of adolescent girls, igniting their curiosity to learn and potential to become the best they can be to overcome poverty. The program implements various educational initiatives targeting stakeholders, such as students, teachers, school administrators, families, local authorities, and community leaders. CARE Peru provides a supportive environment, engaging institutions and community leaders to back the program’s implementation. Teachers and school administrators undergo capacity-building programs to integrate the GWO curriculum into school management instruments, ensuring sustainability. Students participate in asynchronous and synchronous learning sessions, developing skills and competencies through initiatives like the “Idea y Emprende” contest, which encourages entrepreneurship and STEAM education.

With Cisco’s Regional Grant support, CARE Peru developed its STEAM initiative which included a pilot of the Cisco Networking Academy course on “Get Connected, ” educational instructions and technology training to equip students with essential digital skills and support their creativity for learning and prepare a pathway for a positive future in for underserved girls in rural areas of Peru. Program success includes increased student engagement, knowledge transfer of knowledge to teachers, and program sustainability within participating public/government schools.

How CARE is making a difference:

• 16 secondary schools’ participants of the GWO Program participating in the methodological transfer
• 60 educational actors from secondary schools, Local Education Unites (UGEL) and Regional Directorate/Unit of Education (DRE/GRE) from various regions including of Cajamarca, Bambamarca, Lambayeque, and Amazonas that participate in the methodological transfer process from GWO Program
• 50 teachers who increase knowledge in thematic areas from GWO Program
• 50 teachers with certificates/recognition achieved for participating in GWO Program signed by UGEL/DRE/GRE

Join CARE Peru’s cause and make a difference. Your support will enable over a thousand students from the Girls with Opportunities project to continue their educational journey and achieve goals they never thought possible. To donate, visit their website or give via PayPal.

Centro Community Partners

“At Centro, we believe entrepreneurship is a powerful catalyst for economic transformation and social mobility. By equipping underserved entrepreneurs with tailored technical assistance, access to capital, and dedicated coaching, we empower them to turn their visions into sustainable businesses. Our commitment lies in nurturing their bold ideas into thriving enterprises that not only benefit the entrepreneurs themselves but also enrich their communities.” 
—Arturo Noriega, Founder and CEO

As we celebrate World Entrepreneurs Day, it’s essential to highlight the transformative initiatives that are making significant impacts on the entrepreneurial landscape, especially for the underserved. Cisco has been a pivotal partner in Centro’s journey to empower underserved entrepreneurs globally. Through their generous support, Centro has expanded its capabilities and reach, touching the lives of over 1,000 entrepreneurs annually.

Cisco’s investments in Centro’s technology and capacity-building initiatives have been game-changers. With Cisco’s backing, Centro has invested in the Centro App, a comprehensive tool that has revolutionized how entrepreneurs access resources, coaching, and capital and helps track impact. Another significant milestone in the partnership has been the adoption of Salesforce as the centralized database management system. This move has streamlined Centro’s operations and data management practices, ensuring that every decision the organization makes is informed. The inception of Centro Labs, also funded by Cisco, served as an incubator where the groundbreaking idea for the Centro CEO App was conceived. As an AI-driven platform, the Centro CEO App promises to be a cornerstone in Centro’s strategy to equip entrepreneurs with smart tools they need to succeed.

Cisco’s support extends beyond financial assistance—it is a partnership that embraces vision, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of empowering those who aspire to make a difference through entrepreneurship. As Centro looks towards the future, the organization is grateful for Cisco’s unwavering support and excited about the endless possibilities that lie ahead. On World Entrepreneurs Day, Centro celebrates not just the spirit of entrepreneurship but also the partnerships that amplify this spirit. Thanks to Cisco, Centro is not only dreaming of a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem but actively building it.

Since 2021, the support from Cisco has been instrumental in helping Centro leverage technology and build innovative solutions to expand its programs and services to reach underserved entrepreneurs. The following are some key highlights of Centro’s impact over the past three years:

• Assisted 2,500+ underserved low-income women and entrepreneurs of color with its programs and services.
• Facilitated access to $4.7M++ in capital, helping entrepreneurs start or grow small businesses to achieve financial independence.
• Provided 1,400+ hours of one-on-one business coaching services to help entrepreneurs overcome business challenges and connect them with local small businesses resources.

Centro believes in trust-based philanthropy and offers a variety of opportunities for support and engagement:

• Recommend Centro to Entrepreneurs: Connect entrepreneurs to Centro’s programs and services to help them start and grow their small businesses.
• Participate in Graduations: Centro welcomes guests to participate in Centro program graduations to provide feedback to entrepreneurs on their business models/pitches.
• Help Entrepreneurs Access Capital: With as little as $25, people can help a local entrepreneur access an interest-free Kiva loan of up to $15,000.

Defy Ventures

“I have never felt quite so complete, empowered, knowledgeable, secure, and confident about opening my very own business. I was previously incarcerated, and a former drug addict and my business ideas were just that— ideas and dreams. . . until I came into Defy Ventures’ entrepreneur program!” 
—Carol Anne Madonia, Founder and CEO of That Meatball Collective

Defy Ventures is a national nonprofit whose mission is to shift mindsets to give people with criminal histories their best shot at a second chance through entrepreneurship, career readiness, well-being, and personal development training programs delivered both in prison and in the community.

Defy’s vision is to cut recidivism rates in half by leveraging entrepreneurship to increase economic opportunity and transform lives. This year, Defy will work with more than 1,000 currently and formerly incarcerated men and women to defy the odds in nine states.

They accomplish this through entrepreneurship and career readiness training programs facilitated both in prison and in the community, with the goal of supporting successful reentry and economic opportunity. Their community-based entrepreneurship programs include business training, executive mentorship, planning grants, and seed capital to help formerly incarcerated individuals achieve their dreams of launching a small business.

Their cornerstone CEO of Your New Life (CEO YNL) prison program provides participants, (called Entrepreneurs in Training or EITs), with entrepreneurship skills, personal development, career readiness, and reentry preparation through a five-volume, 2000-page set of printed textbooks and the submission of assignments via collection of paper copies.

With support from Cisco Foundation, Defy is transforming this curriculum into a tablet-based program, which will enable a significant leap forward. With the ability to deliver learning via tablets, they will be able to improve their program with rich content (such as supplementary videos), electronic data collection, and increased communication with program participants both during and after the program. Tablets will also enable them to expand their reach to serve more people and in more locations – meaning more justice-impacted men and women will now have a fair chance.

Since inception, Defy has achieved the following impact:

• 7,900+ EITs served
• 200+ businesses launched
• <10% recidivism for program graduates within 1 year of release (vs 30% national average)

How to get involved:

• Join our community of volunteers and find upcoming events in your area
• Sign up to receive updates about Defy
• Higher Hope, Lower Recidivism YouTube video
• Indeed blog about Fair Chance Hiring

Hand in Hand International

“The women we work with face a host of restrictive norms and attitudes that keep them from earning their own incomes, and so are more likely to be digitally excluded. Thanks to our partnership with Cisco, we will be able to unlock the power of technology to equip even more women entrepreneurs with the skills and resources they need to launch thriving businesses, lifting more families out of poverty.” 
—Amalia Johnsson, Deputy CEO, Hand in Hand International

Worldwide, around 10% of women – 400 million – live trapped below the poverty line of just $2.15 a day. In the places Hand in Hand works, such as Kenya, Tanzania, India, and Afghanistan, there are few opportunities for formal employment. For these women, entrepreneurship is the only route out of poverty. However, in many of these communities, over 60% of women can’t make everyday decisions without their husband’s permission. Others yearn to start small businesses but lack access to the training, loans and resources needed to begin.

When women lose, everyone loses. Families, communities and even nations become trapped in a cycle of poverty. But given the opportunity, women can break those cycles and shape the future they want.

Hand in Hand equips under-served women with skills and resources to earn more money and ignite local economies, lifting nations out of poverty. Through a proven model focused on skills acquisition, credit access and market connections, Hand in Hand has reached 9 million women entrepreneurs via its global network. However, until now the skills acquisition component of Hand in Hand’s model has focused exclusively on in-person training. In rural areas in particular, local business trainers spend a huge amount of time on the road – limiting the number of women the NGO can reach.

How Hand in Hand is making a difference:

This year, Hand in Hand has partnered with CISCO to develop and test a targeted, inclusive e-learning platform in Kenya – to complement its in-person business training.

• So far, Hand in Hand has reached 9 million women 20 million family members.
• Typically, women entrepreneurs double their incomes.
• 84% of women are now able to make decision about the things that affect their lives.
• The new e-learning system will support Hand in Hand to meet its goal of reaching 265,000 Kenyan entrepreneurs by 2027.
• Hand in Hand’s entrepreneurship training delivers an average ROI of 475%.

How to get involved with Hand in Hand:

• Donate today: A regular gift of £35 a month could equip three women with the skills and resources to launch their own businesses.
• Partner with Hand in Hand: If your organization is looking to increase its impact and transform the lives of women entrepreneurs, please contact Anna Davies, Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships.

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