GIBEF, the Global Forum that an Argentine organization is organizing in India to promote ecosystems and impact businesses.
- Jessica Oyarbide
- Dec 15, 2024
- 3 min read
Almost 10 years ago, when Jessica Oyarbide and María Virginia Romero had the opportunity to visit India for the first time, each for different reasons, they saw that India had something unheard of in the West: millions of companies that were emerging with the goal of helping to mitigate the country's social and environmental challenges, organizations called "Social Enterprises" that were transforming entire communities.
But they were not alone; they had an Impact Ecosystem that supported them: public policies that helped these companies access capital and profits, schools and universities that taught how to do this type of business, impact investors analyzing not only the economic return but also their impact, consultants specialized in supporting these businesses, incubators and accelerators that helped strengthen business and impact models, and multiple sectors focused on generating favorable conditions for the emergence and development of these types of companies oriented toward positive impact.
When they met in Argentina, they decided to create EKHOS, with the goal of bridging the gap between the two regions. They saw that the challenges and contexts, despite seemingly distant ones, had much in common: informal economies, lack of access to basic services such as credit, healthcare, education, housing, and more. They began by taking immersion trips to India's Impact Ecosystem: Ruta del Impacto India. These experiences were designed to give people from Latin America a glimpse into the India of the impact solutions that inspired them to create their organization.
Seven years after their first immersion trip, they decided to up the ante. In addition to holding the next edition of the Impact Route, they are organizing GIBEF, a Global Impact Business and Ecosystem Forum, which seeks to build a bridge to capitalize on business, learning, and networking opportunities between India and Latin America, as well as the United Kingdom, a region with significant development in impact businesses.
India is a country with one of the fastest-growing emerging economies, and it is demonstrating that with its development policies, millions of people are escaping poverty, gaining greater purchasing power, and gaining access to products and services that seemed unaffordable.
This forum will feature sessions on how to do business in these regions, what bilateral relations exist, how to invest with impact, and what examples of successful businesses exist between these three regions. Special focus will be placed on agrifood tech, climate tech, social and financial inclusion, the circular economy, the transition to regeneration, and sustainable procurement. In addition, special emphasis will be placed on collaborative sessions so participants can interact with their peers and capitalize on knowledge and opportunities.
This forum was possible thanks to the support of regional allies. Latin America is represented by the Red Impacto Latam (Latam Impact Network); India by ABWCI, a chamber of women in business and industry; and the Indian Economic Trade Organization. In the United Kingdom, the Social Enterprise World Forum participates, which, while global in scope, has significant influence and knowledge of the region's Impact Ecosystem.
The Impact Route and the GIBEF (Global Impact Businesses and Ecosystem Forum) are a great opportunity to expand your opportunities and discover a different version of India, one that, as the founders of EKHOS assure, "you'll most likely fall in love with and want to dedicate your career to promoting this type of business."
There are still places available on the Impact Route. No prior experience is required; more information is available at https://ekhos.org/india and the GIBEF Forum https://gibef.com/ .
To learn more about EKHOS' work, you can also visit https://www.instagram.com/ekhosorg
Comments