Abstract
when I was recruited to start a local chapter of the New Ventures program, the brainchild of the World Resources Institute (WRI), a think tank based in Washington, D.C. The program’s purpose was to involve the private sector in the funding of environmental enterprises to achieve large-scale impact. The challenge was daunting: no one even spoke of social or environmental companies in Mexico at the time, let alone supporting or funding them in any way. Nevertheless, it was a challenge I was eager to take on. At first we supported environmental businesses through an acceleration program, but we quickly built a dynamic team that had contagious entrepreneurial energy, which resulted in something much greater. Our acceleration program is now sustained by the integrated platform we’ve developed, which includes a series of initiatives such as Las Paginas Verdes (LPV), the Latin American Impact Investment Forum, and Adobe Capital. NVM has grown alongside Mexico’s green business ecosystem, and in the process we have learned to adapt to external changes while sticking to our core mission and values. This strategic approach accounts for the progress we’ve made so far. I hope my story and that of NVM can shed some light on how we transitioned from a local chapter of a think tank to a business platform that is sustainable and scalable, attracts top-tier talent, and is an important catalyst in the region. I also hope my personal story will add to the growing momentum behind the idea that it is possible to do good while doing well, and that the private sector can have a positive impact on problems that were once considered exclusively the responsibility of the nonprofit and government sectors.
Highlights
At first we supported environmental businesses through an acceleration program, but we quickly built a dynamic team that had contagious entrepreneurial energy, which resulted in something much greater
New Ventures México (NVM) started out almost 10 years ago as a small dream, when I was recruited to start a local chapter of the New Ventures program, the brainchild of the World Resources Institute (WRI), a think tank based in Washington, D.C
Many of the acceleration programs emerging during the current boom are undergoing an identity crisis, their leaders often asking me, “What is the real role of an accelerator?” “How can we measure its success?” “How can the model be sustainable?” I do not pretend to have found all the answers, but I do believe we at NVM have found a unique model that has proven to be successful and sustainable
Summary
The challenge was daunting: no one even spoke of social or environmental companies in Mexico at the time, let alone supporting or funding them in any way. It was a challenge I was eager to take on. NVM has grown alongside Mexico’s green business ecosystem, and in the process we have learned to adapt to external changes while sticking to our core mission and values. This strategic approach accounts for the progress we’ve made so far. I hope my personal story will add to the growing momentum behind the idea that it is possible to do good while doing well, and that the private sector can have a positive impact on problems that were once considered exclusively the responsibility of the nonprofit and government sectors
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