More than 400 people gathered in June in Brasília (DF) during the Aliança Empreendedora 20 Years Summit — a meeting dedicated to building public policies, sustainable development, and strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. Microentrepreneurs, authorities, and representatives from organizations across all regions of Brazil were present, with notable participation from the North and Northeast, which are establishing themselves as strategic hubs of national microentrepreneurship, driven by female leadership and solutions tailored to local realities.
Among them, participants of the Negócio Raiz — an initiative by Aliança Empreendedora, supported by Youth Business International (YBI) and funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation through the Futuremakers program. Focused on strengthening the bioeconomy entrepreneurial ecosystem in the North and Northeast regions, the project has already benefited over 800 microentrepreneurs in its first cycle alone.
The event also brought together public authorities, including representatives from the states of Pará and Maranhão, who actively participated in discussions about public policies to strengthen microentrepreneurship. The agenda combined two annual events organized by Aliança Empreendedora: the National Meeting of Microentrepreneurs and the Brazilian Microentrepreneurship Forum, the latter conducted through the Empreender 360 Program.
Highlighting Female Leadership
Beyond sharing experiences, the Summit highlighted the prominence of these two regions, not only due to the significant presence of entrepreneurs but also through the efforts of public officials and local organizations committed to regional development. An example was the participation of the Secretariat for Women of Pará (SEMU), represented by Clarice Laonel, Director of Articulation and Policies for Women, who presented various initiatives focused on sustainable female entrepreneurship in the region.
Among SEMU’s many actions, Aliança Empreendedora is a partner for inclusive training, access to credit, and boosting the self-esteem of entrepreneurs, especially those in vulnerable situations. “Aliança Empreendedora deserves our full recognition for its excellent didactic approach in using this platform (Summit) for collective articulation between government, civil society, and the private sector, with a focus on inspiring more women to transform their realities,” said Clarice. She emphasized that the event contributed to a more representative collective effort, aligned with local realities and segmented by region, promoting the sharing of knowledge and experiences with a focus on economic development.
Clarice also highlighted the growth of women’s participation in informal entrepreneurship, despite the challenges of family care. According to her, the material produced during the Forum will serve as a basis for improving public policies, decentralizing actions, and aligning strategies with the socioeconomic realities of municipalities in Pará.
After the exchanges at the Summit, SEMU plans to implement spaces for active listening to map local needs, training, and access to credit, as well as developing training paths with certifications in business management and digital marketing, among others. They are also in talks with Aliança Empreendedora to deepen their partnership. The adoption of digital platforms for managing and monitoring public policies is also planned, enhancing the effectiveness and visibility of initiatives focused on female entrepreneurship in the state.
Microentrepreneurs from Negócio Raiz also participated
The project Negócio Raiz was present at the event with eight entrepreneurs, including Aline Rodrigues da Silva Costa, Izabela Conceição Lopes, and Jéssica Santos da Cruz Moraes, participants in the first cycle of the three-year initiative. For them, the event was an opportunity for exchanging experiences, strengthening networks, and establishing new partnerships for business growth.
Psychologist Aline Rodrigues highlighted that the Summit provided meaningful connections with other entrepreneurs and representatives of institutions aligned with her mission. According to her, there were many lessons in topics such as management, impact, networks, and purpose. “The connections made will certainly reflect directly on the growth and expansion of the social impact of my work,” she said. Currently expanding, Aline is taking her mental health projects for women to new spaces with clearer purpose and vision for the future.
“Seeing how each entrepreneur, even from different contexts, faces similar challenges and seeks creative and powerful solutions is something that greatly strengthens our journey. What stood out most was the strength of collectivity, collaboration, and the ability each business has to generate social impact in their territory, regardless of size or available resources,” she added.
The diversity of profiles and sectors among participants was also highlighted by Isabele Conceição from Iza’s Delícias Confeitaria. For her, the event showcased the power of cooperativism and partnerships as drivers for small business growth. “The biggest lesson was realizing how each business can grow when supported by other partners. This showed me how important these connections are for the development of our work,” she said.
Similarly, Jéssica Santos from the initiative Mulheres de Fibra, described her Summit experience as a real “game-changer” for her business. She emphasized the unity among entrepreneurs, despite regional differences: “It was wonderful! What stood out most was the unity. Even though we were from different places, we were all there for the same purpose, seeking experiences and knowledge.” For her, the event was also an invitation to overcome challenges and find the right spaces to achieve goals: “Overcoming and breaking paradigms, because living this moment was incredible.”
Strategic Partnerships
Credisol, a microcredit organization, also actively participated, represented by ESG Coordinator Stefano Mattei. For him, the Summit deepened the understanding of the diverse realities faced by microentrepreneurs, especially in the North and Northeast. The exchange of experiences reinforced that the most effective solutions are those built from local characteristics, avoiding centralized models that poorly align with contexts marked by informality and community ties.
Stefano also noted that many entrepreneurs from these regions presented initiatives rooted in their communities, with solutions adapted to local realities—whether in language, distribution methods, sales channels, or resource use. “At the same time, I saw that a common point among regional partners is the need to create financial and non-financial products and services that recognize this diversity from the outset. Ready-made, centrally planned models tend to fail where informality and community bonds are stronger than formal structures,” he noted.
The event also highlighted Credisol’s strategic role as a regional articulator within the impact ecosystem, especially in fostering partnerships with entrepreneurial training institutions like Aliança Empreendedora. Collaboration between the two organizations opens new possibilities to expand access to microcredit and training, contributing to productive inclusion with a focus on social impact.
Among the key takeaways, Stefano emphasized the importance of deeply understanding the profiles of the audiences served, adjusting not only credit offerings but also support, in a more sensitive and contextualized way. Additionally, he highlighted the need to strengthen institutional visibility, occupying public and sectoral debate spaces, and underscored the value of active listening as a tool for co-creation with entrepreneurs, as well as the importance of clearly measuring and communicating the impact generated.
For Lina Useche, co-founder and Head of Institutional Relations at Aliança Empreendedora, this diversity of voices makes the Aliança Empreendedora Summit and the Brazilian Microentrepreneurship Forum unique events in the national landscape. “These events are highly strategic opportunities where we gather narratives from across the country, stimulating income generation and productive inclusion from end to end when discussing grassroots entrepreneurship. Having guests representing the strength of the North and Northeast contributed to a rich agenda of debates, where the uniqueness of each region directly influences the construction of effective solutions for microentrepreneurs.”
