TechnoServe 148d ago

How should foreign aid support entrepreneurs in low-income countries—according to the people actually building businesses there? In this episode of Re:Development, TechnoServe President & CEO Will Warshauer speaks with two women entrepreneurs from emerging markets to hear firsthand what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to change in how foreign aid and development finance support small businesses. Featured guests: * Sahar Mansoor (India), founder of Bare Necessities, India’s first B-Corp–certified FMCG brand, producing zero-waste personal and home care products * Celina Alvarado (El Salvador), founder of Auténtico, a catering business established over 10 years ago. Together, they share lived experience on: * The real barriers to starting and scaling a business in emerging markets * Why access to patient capital matters more than short project cycles * Gender bias in entrepreneurship and venture financing * How small businesses create jobs, dignity, and long-term poverty reduction * What foreign aid and donors often get wrong—and how they can do better * Balancing profit with social and environmental impact 📌 Key themes: foreign aid reform • women entrepreneurs • small and medium enterprises (SMEs) • patient capital • job creation • inclusive growth • emerging markets • social enterprise • sustainable development ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and practitioners shaping the future of development. 💬Join the discussion: What would you change about how foreign aid supports small businesses? 0:00-1:00 – Introduction to Re:Development, and why hearing directly from entrepreneurs is critical to foreign aid reform 1:00-3:42 – Celina Alvarado on empowering women in El Salvador through through a new food service business 3:43-4:46 – Sahar Mansoor on building India’s first B-Corp FMCG with women-led teams and sustainable products 4:46-8:45 – Overcoming gender bias and limited access to capital as women entrepreneurs 8:45-11:34 – Using networks, mentorship, and revenue reinvestment to grow small businesses 11:35-18:04 – How foreign aid can be more effective through localization and better investments of capital, time, knowledge, and communication. 18:04-23:49 – Aligning social impact and business profitability in emerging markets 23:50-26:55 – Small and medium businesses as engines of employment and community development 26:55-30:53 – Learning across countries and cultures to strengthen women-led entrepreneurship and future development efforts --- 🔗 Learn more: TechnoServe General Inquiries - info@technoserve.org Media - media@technoserve.org Donor Support - donorsupport@technoserve.org https://www.technoserve.org/contact-us/ 1777 N Kent Street, Suite 1100 Arlington, VA 22209 Tel: +1 202 785 4515 Fax: +1 202 785 4544