Acumen

“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”

— Nelson Mandela

Entre 2001 y 2020 la Amazonía perdió más de 54,2 millones de hectáreas. Con esta preocupación y las consecuencias que esta pérdida genera en las comunidades rurales en Colombia, Acumen apoyará a Amazonía Emprende, una organización que busca contribuir a la recuperación de ecosistemas degradados o deforestados y proporcionar soluciones sostenibles para las comunidades locales, en el fortalecimiento del Centro de Semillas Nativas. 

Conoce más en: https://acumen.org/es/blog/150-000-hectareas-de-la-amazonia-colombiana-seran-restauradas-por-amazonia-emprende-para-2031/

USAID Colombia, Fundación Grupo Bancolombia, IDB Lab

150.000 hectáreas de la Amazonía colombiana serán restauradas por Amazonía Emprende para 2031 Acumen invierte en Amazonía Emprende, una organización que busca contribuir a la recuperación de ecosistemas degradados o deforestados y proporcionar soluciones sostenibles para las comunidades locales.

The role of trust and community cannot be understated in building true leadership. Acumen Academy Director Bavidra Mohan shares insights on how Acumen Fellows learn and grow together in a supportive environment and how this helps them achieve lasting impact.

De-Risking Social Entrepreneurship By Creating a Support Network Insights from Bavidra Mohan, Director at Acumen, an impact organization combining the best qualities of philanthropy and business to spark transformational change and break the cycle of poverty.

We, and the world, are experiencing a profound loss with the news of Nick Imudia’s passing. He was the CEO of d.light and a leader driven by a deep sense of purpose and impact. In a recent conversation with our CEO, Jacqueline Novogratz, he shared his story of joining d.light because of his desire to lead a team that was working hard to make the world a better place for everyone.

Nick played a pivotal role in leading d.light through challenging periods, and his passion and dedication were evident to all who knew and worked with him. He will be greatly missed.

Our thoughts are with his family and the entire d.light team during this difficult time. Nick’s legacy of purpose-driven leadership will continue to inspire us all.

In India, a new wave of boundary-pushing entrepreneurs is centering the livelihoods of low-income rural communities in the clean energy transition.

Meet these sustainability innovators and learn more about Acumen’s Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator program, delivered by Acumen Academy and supported by Apple in our latest report and video series featuring Aumsat, Kisangas, and MoWo💡

Energy for Livelihoods: Centering low-income communities in the clean energy transition Acumen's report, Energy for Livelihoods, spotlights the social entrepreneurs in India using sustainable innovation to bridge energy access gaps.

On World Environment Day, we celebrate the incredible founders of Acumen investee Recircle who Fortune India recognized in their 40 under 40 list.

ReCircle is a resource recovery enterprise transforming waste into value. By recycling, reusing, and repurposing materials, the business prevents resources from ending up in landfills and oceans, promoting a sustainable future.

Our new website celebrates our work and brings our community closer to what we do: dreaming and building a more inclusive future. https://bit.ly/3WXOCZG

East Africa is leading the way in sustainable energy innovation. The region's most ambitious entrepreneurs are working toward a future where off-grid energy powers livelihoods.

Find out how Acumen's Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator 2024 cohort drives change with their renewable energy solutions.

Meet the Entrepreneurs Powering Sustainable Change in East Africa Meet the 2024 cohort of Acumen’s Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator in East Africa, local leaders creating solutions to clean, affordable energy for all.

Meet the 2024 Acumen's Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator cohort in East Africa, delivered by Acumen Academy: 10 local leaders who are improving livelihoods by making clean and affordable energy more accessible.

Meet the Entrepreneurs Powering Sustainable Change in East Africa Meet the 2024 cohort of Acumen’s Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator in East Africa, local leaders creating solutions to clean, affordable energy for all.

The impacts of climate change are felt worldwide, disproportionately affecting the poor and vulnerable. But in the face of these challenges, there are leaders working tirelessly to build a sustainable future for everyone.

This Earth Day, we celebrate them—the innovators creating renewable energy solutions, the entrepreneurs helping smallholder farmers adapt to a changing climate, and the activists championing a healthier planet for all.

Happy from Acumen.

All smiles at ! 📸

We are excited to be at alongside these incredible members of the Acumen Academy Foundry.

This experience at TED is designed to help Foundry members connect with a global network of builders. This could lead to potential collaborations, partnerships, and support for their work, helping them to amplify their impact.

Lizard Earth is transforming lives in Sierra Leone, one cocoa farmer at a time! 🍫 They understand that improving farmers’ income is key to helping them withstand the impacts of the climate crisis.

By providing agricultural training, access to tree nurseries, and buying cocoa at premium prices, the Acumen investee has impacted 98% of farmers living in poverty with a minimum income increase of 30%!

Meet three Women of WARC, aka the WoWs, who run trading hubs in rural Ghana. has more than 80 hubs that provide local farmers affordable supplies, training and allow them to sell maize when they want at the quantity they want.

Ramatu, Nihad, and Kandi are just a few of the WoWs responsible for running these hubs, tracking sales and assesing quality. They are from the communities they work in and are building trust with local farmers.

Ramatu (pictured middle) explains, “Business is not only for men. Women can do business too, and do it better”. Working alongside these remarkable women, this Acumen investee is putting more money in farmers’ pockets and building a more sustainable food system for Ghana.

Did you know that only 6% of Africa's cultivated area is under irrigation, versus the global average of nearly 40%? Studies show that better irrigation could increase African agricultural productivity by up to 50%!

Due to the climate crisis, the need among smallholder farmers to water farms is greater than ever. That’s where SunCulture comes in, harnessing solar energy to make irrigation more accessible and reduce reliance on rainfall. In the absence of rain, farmers use SunCulture’s solar water pumps to draw water from nearby sources and irrigate their farms. The Acumen investee is helping farmers adapt to the growing threat of droughts and flooding–with clean energy.

Its creative, sustainable approach is paying off, as SunCulture was recently named runner-up in ’ 2024 Off-Grid Energy Top Impact Awards. Click the link in our bio to learn more about the business and other Acumen investees RVE.Sol, Oorja, and PowerGen that were also recognized for their work. https://go.acumen.org/3xlyFS8

Photo: Green Climate Fund / Little Big Films

In Rajasthan, India, solar power is providing opportunities for women. The Dooni Dairy Cooperative is just one example of how solar energy transforms lives and businesses.

Devidayal Solar Solutions is the company behind the solar-powered fridges used in Dooni. Tushar Devidayal, its founder and a participant in Acumen's Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator, explains that women are the biggest drivers of demand for these appliances. https://go.acumen.org/4az87vk

Getting a good product out of the ground is only 50% of the job. The other half is selling it. At Acumen, we are excited by two of our investments in Colombia that are doing both halves of the job.

Cortepaz helps farmers in Tumaco, Colombia grow cacao more efficiently and make their farms stronger against climate changes, so they can earn more money and build a better community.

Cacao de Colombia, also known as Cacao Hunters, connects Colombian cacao farmers with the global chocolate industry, focusing on improving cacao quality and yields to make premium chocolate locally.

En las zonas rurales de Colombia el 93% de las mujeres aún realizan actividades de trabajo no remunerado. Invertir en las mujeres rurales no solo es importante para lograr una equidad de género sino también se hace imprescindible para promover el desarrollo económico y un futuro sostenible para el país.

Embajada de Canadá en Colombia

En Colombia, si bien la representación y el liderazgo comunitario todavía está mayoritariamente en manos de los hombres, mujeres como Liliana Petro quien lidera una asociación de plataneros en San Bernardo del Viento, y quien hace parte de la cadena de suministro de Acceso, una de las inversiones del Fondo Invirtiendo para la Paz de Acumen y USAID Colombia, están transformando no solo el campo sino también el país.

Invertir en las mujeres significa promover el desarrollo económico, la seguridad alimentaria, la resiliencia ambiental y la reducción de la pobreza.

Las mujeres se ven afectadas desproporcionadamente por los retos asociados a la pobreza. En Acumen mostramos nuestro compromiso con la igualdad de género invirtiendo en las mujeres, no sólo como emprendedoras, sino también como clientes, beneficiarias y lideresas. Creemos firmemente que las mujeres son esenciales para impulsar las innovaciones que transformen la vida de las comunidades más vulnerables.

Poverty is not gender neutral. It disproportionately affects women. At Acumen, we show our commitment to gender equity by investing in women not just as entrepreneurs but as customers, employees, and moral leaders. We believe that by incorporating gender-based considerations into our work, we can create a more equitable world.

Último día para aplicar al Programa de Fellows de Acumen en Colombia. Postúlate ahora: https://fellowship.acumenacademy.org/es/colombia

📆 ¡Mañana es el último día para aplicar! 🚨 No te pierdas la oportunidad de unirte al Programa de Fellows de Acumen en Colombia. 🌟 Envía tu solicitud antes del 28 de febrero a las 6:00 pm (Hora Colombia).

🚀 ¡Es tu momento para ser parte del cambio! 👉 https://hubs.la/Q02hVp6V0

Are you a sustainable energy entrepreneur in East Africa looking to grow your business?

Check out Acumen Academy's new Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator and scale your cleantech solution! Learn more and apply today ⬇️.

Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator East Africa Refine and prepare to scale your sustainable energy business and transform the livelihoods of low-income communities in East Africa.

The source of the Nile. The 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Victoria is famed globally for the many superlatives that can be used to describe it. To the communities living around the lake, it is more than a natural marvel. It is a source of food. A source of livelihood.

Okech Dave Okech fondly remembers growing up on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya. He recalls living in a community that thrived on a seemingly endless supply of fish. By the mid-90s, the realization hit that the supply was not unlimited. Overfishing, invasive species, and pollution had rendered the lake almost empty, sinking fishing communities into poverty.

“Cage fish farming” was introduced in Western Kenya to give communities a solution to fall back on. However, this was not sustainable as farmers faced many challenges from high costs, inadequate fish feed, and theft. They were back to square one.

Okech has worked out how to be part of the solution. His company, Aquarech Ltd co-founded alongside James Odede, is working on bringing back the days of abundant fish to the people who rely on the lake. AquaRech has built an online platform that helps fish farmers in Kenya buy fish feed and sell their fish. Beyond commerce, the company offers solutions that shorten production cycles (from 13 to 8 months), leading to increased income and climate resilience for farmers.

At the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, two members of the Acumen community from India, Dr. Shuchin Bajaj and Ajaita Shah, were recognized by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship for their contributions to social entrepreneurship. https://go.acumen.org/schwab-award

With our Hardest-to-Reach initiative, we are looking to build on our experience investing in Africa to accelerate universal energy access and avoid millions of tons of carbon emissions in the coming years. Learn more about this initiative. https://go.acumen.org/4axDtD2