What we do
Discover our programs, initiatives, and approaches to advancing transformational entrepreneurship, expanding access to opportunities and capital, and driving social progress for women and youth.
How We Drive Change
WEIForward advances women’s and youth economic empowerment and inclusive economies through three interconnected approaches.
Promoting Entrepreneurship
WEIForward works to advance women's entrepreneurship by:
- Supporting women and youth-led businesses
- Building the capacity of small & medium enterprises
- Building pipelines & networks of transformative entrepreneurs
- Providing advice on favorable ecosystems for women and youth enterprise and innovation
Influencing Action
WEIForward is committed to economically empowering women by:
- Advocating for changes in adverse norms, perceptions, policies, and laws
- Mobilizing youth, male champions, cultural and religious leaders
Driving Change
WEIForward is committed to:
- Providing thought leadership
- Curating and disseminating information and ideas
- Facilitating communication and collaboration
Our Impact by the Numbers
WEIForward amplifies its impact through collaboration and strategic partnerships to effect lasting change
What we do to effect transformative change
We work through evidence-based approaches, strategic partnerships, and scalable systems to drive sustainable change
Advisory and Implementation Services
We conduct analyses, co-create and test solutions on the ground, assess potential outcomes and impact, and help translate recommendations into policies, systems change, and accountability frameworks.
Transformational Entrepreneurship
We facilitate opportunities and resources for purpose-driven and innovative enterprises by building pipelines for transformational women and youth entrepreneurs in the missing middle.
Pathways for Change
We contribute to policies and practices for human flourishing and building coalitions to effect change. WEIForward is committed to advancing new approaches to addressing systemic economic and social challenges that impact people, planet, and power.
WEIForward Global Institute
Thought leadership to drive human flourishing, transformational entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic growth.
Highlights of WEIForward’s Products and Activities
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WEIForward GroundUp Alliance
The WEIForward GroundUp Alliance is our flagship program. Our mission is to build the next generation of impact partnerships, where communities, governments, and funders co-create solutions that deliver measurable change, shifting the narrative from aid to agency and from policy dialogue to practice. It is conceptually rooted within interconnected frameworks for systemic change, economic empowerment, and human flourishing including social inclusion and reweaving the social fabric.
Our goal is to contribute to innovative, bottom-up solutions to selected challenges triggered by the current polycrises as they affect the everyday lives of national & sub-national populations in selected global majority countries with a particular focus on youth, women, disadvantaged and under-represented groups.
Entrepreneurship is an important driver for economic growth and human flourishing in resilient communities.
- Transformational entrepreneurship policy and implementation, eco-system strengthening to provide opportunities and access for entrepreneurs in the ‘missing middle’. WEIForward targets women and youth entrepreneurs to build pipelines of purpose-driven, innovative, and scalable enterprises that require access to financing, markets, and support in order to innovate, scale, and fuel economic growth and human flourishing.
- Enterprise development is a proven strategy for generating jobs and catalyzing the transformation of marginalized and disadvantaged communities. WEIForward targets subsistence, micro, and small enterprises that are essential for generating incomes and jobs in the formal and informal sectors within urban and rural communities
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The WEIForward Global Institute
The WEIForward Global Institute: thought leadership, advocacy, and coalition building for pathways to systemic economic, human capital, and social policy reforms, social reweaving and human flourishing for sustainable and resilient communities.
Collaborative on Inclusive Entrepreneurship Education and Training (CIEET).
This Alliance provides a dynamic, thought leadership and action platform. This platform is powered by thinkers and doers who contribute substantive knowledge, expertise, and experience. It serves as an accelerator for catalyzing transformational entrepreneurship and innovation to generate jobs and boost economic growth, strengthen communities, and promote social cohesion at national and sub-national levels.
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Voices of Impact
Hear from partners, ecosystem leaders, and economic actors shaping inclusive futures
Join the Movement
Whether you are a policymaker, partner, funder, or ecosystem leader, there is a role for you in accelerating inclusive economic transformation.
Get Involved
Partner With Us
Join us as a partner organization to co-create solutions, share learning, and align action to achieve common economic development goals.
Volunteer
Contribute your skills and expertise to support our programs and initiatives. Volunteers play a crucial role in advancing our mission.
Donate
Your support makes our work possible. Help us create lasting change for women and youth around the world through your contribution.