NESsT

NESsT is a global impact organization dedicated to developing sustainable social enterprises that solve critical social problems in emerging market economies. Since its founding in 1997, NESsT has invested over $55 million USD across 510 social enterprises that have created 211,000 dignified employment and income generation opportunities and improved 4.7 million lives. The organization operates with an engaged approach, providing tailored financing and one-on-one business development support to social entrepreneurs who are building businesses that create quality jobs while sustaining the planet.

NESsT runs targeted programs addressing specific social challenges, including the Violet Fund for LGBTQIA+ communities, the Lirio Fund for Andean-Amazonian sustainable livelihoods, the Racial Equity Initiative, and the Amazonia Initiative for sociobioeconomy enterprises. The organization has been recognized by ImpactAssets on their IA 50 Fund Managers list four times, first as an Emerging Manager in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and again in 2026. NESsT is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization headquartered in the United States, with active operations across Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Poland, and Romania, and partnerships with major organizations including IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, Cisco Foundation, Sweden, and the Inter-American Development Bank.