Over 400 people gathered in June, in Brasília (DF), during the Summit Aliança Empreendedora 20 Anos — an event dedicated to the construction of public policies, sustainable development, and strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. Microentrepreneurs, authorities, and representatives from organizations from all regions of Brazil were present, with a highlight on representatives from the North and Northeast, which are becoming strategic hubs of national microenterprise, driven by female leadership and solutions adapted to local realities.
Among them, participants of the Project. Root Business — an initiative by Aliança Empreendedora, supported by Youth Business International (YBI) and funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, through the Futuremakers program. Aimed at strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the bioeconomy in the North and Northeast regions, the project has already benefited over 800 micro-entrepreneurs in its first cycle alone.
The meeting also brought together public authorities, including representatives from the states of Pará and Maranhão, who actively participated in the discussions on public policies to strengthen microentrepreneurship. The agenda combined two events held annually by the Aliança Empreendedora: the National Microentrepreneurs Meeting and the Brazilian Microentrepreneurship Forum, the latter held through the Empreender 360 Program.
Female protagonism in evidence
More than just bringing together experiences, the Summit highlighted the leadership of these two regions, not only through the significant presence of entrepreneurs, but also through the actions of public officials and local organizations committed to regional development. An example of this was the participation of the State Secretariat for Women of Pará (SEMU), represented by Clarice Laonel, Director of Articulation and Policies for Women, who presented several initiatives aimed at sustainable female entrepreneurship in the region.
Among SEMU's many actions, the Entrepreneurial Alliance is a partner for inclusive training, access to credit, and enhancing the self-esteem of female entrepreneurs, especially those in vulnerable situations. "The Entrepreneurial Alliance deserves all of our recognition for its excellent didactic approach in utilizing 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," Clarice stated. She emphasizes that the event contributed to a more inclusive collective construction, 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 female participation in informal entrepreneurship, despite the challenges of family care. According to her, the material produced during the Forum will serve as a basis to improve public policies, decentralize actions, and align strategies with the socioeconomic realities of the municipalities in Pará.
After the exchanges at the Summit, the SEMU intends to implement active listening spaces to map local needs, training, and access to credit, as well as to develop training paths with certification in business management and digital marketing, among others. They are in talks with the Entrepreneurial Alliance to deepen the partnership. The adoption of digital platforms for the management and monitoring of public policies is also planned, enhancing the effectiveness and visibility of initiatives aimed at female entrepreneurship in the state.
Women microentrepreneurs Root Business also participated
The project Root Business Participated in the event with eight entrepreneurs, among them Aline Rodrigues da Silva Costa, Izabela Conceição Lopes, and Jéssica Santos da Cruz Moraes, participants in the first cycle of the initiative, which lasts for three years. Participation in the event was an opportunity for them to exchange experiences, strengthen networks, and establish new partnerships for the growth of their businesses.
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 learnings in topics such as management, impact, networks, and purpose. "The connections made will certainly directly impact the growth and expansion of the social impact of my work," she said. In a current moment of expansion, Aline is taking her projects focused on women's mental health to new spaces, with more clarity of purpose and a vision for the future.
"Seeing how each entrepreneur, coming from different contexts, faces similar challenges and seeks creative and powerful solutions is something that greatly strengthens our journey. What caught my attention the most was the strength of collectivity, collaboration, and the ability that each business has to generate social impact in its territory, regardless of its size or available resources," he concluded.
The diversity of profiles and fields of activity among the participants was also a point highlighted by Isabele Conceição. Iza's Delights ConfectioneryFor her, the event highlighted the strength of cooperation and partnerships as drivers for the growth of small businesses. "The biggest lesson was realizing how each business can grow when there is support from other partners. This showed me how important these connections are for the development of our work," she stated.
In the same vein, Jéssica Santos, from the initiative Women of Steel, She classified her experience at the Summit as a true "turning point" for her business. She highlighted the unity among entrepreneurs, regardless of regional differences: "It was wonderful! What stood out the most was the unity. Even though we were from different places, we were there pursuing the same purpose, seeking experiences and knowledge." For her, the event was also an invitation to overcoming challenges and finding the right spaces to achieve goals: "Overcoming and breaking paradigms, as living this moment was incredible."
Strategic partnerships
At the Summit, Credisol, a microcredit organization, also actively participated in the event, represented by the ESG coordinator Stefano Mattei. For him, the Summit deepened the understanding of the diversity of realities faced by microentrepreneurs, especially in the North and Northeast regions. The exchange of experiences reinforced that the most effective solutions are those built on local characteristics, avoiding centralized models that have little dialogue with contexts marked by informality and community ties.
According to Stefano, many entrepreneurs from these regions have presented initiatives rooted in their communities, with solutions adapted to the local reality - whether in language, distribution methods, sales channels, or the use of available resources. "At the same time, I noticed that a common point among partners in the region is the need to create products and services - both financial and non-financial - that recognize this diversity from the start. Ready-made models, conceived centrally, tend to fail where informality and community ties are stronger than formal structures," he points out.
The experience at the event also highlighted the strategic role of Credisol as a regional player within the impact ecosystem, especially in fostering partnerships with entrepreneurial training institutions such as the Aliança Empreendedora. In this sense, the collaboration between the two organizations opens up new possibilities to expand access to microcredit and training, contributing to productive inclusion with a focus on social impact.
Among the main lessons learned, Stefano highlights the importance of understanding more deeply the profile of the audiences served, adjusting not only the credit offer but also the support provided in a more sensitive and contextualized way. Furthermore, he points out the need to strengthen the institutional visibility of the organization, occupying spaces in public and sectoral debates, and emphasizes the value of active listening as a tool for joint construction with entrepreneurs, as well as the importance of measuring and communicating clearly the generated impact.
For Lina Useche, co-founder and Head of Institutional Relations at Aliança Empreendedora, it is this diversity of voices that makes the Aliança Empreendedora Summit and the Brazilian Microentrepreneurship Forum unique events in the national scenario. "The events are very strategic moments where we can gather narratives from all over the country that stimulate income generation and productive inclusion end-to-end when we talk about entrepreneurship at the base of the pyramid. Having guests who represent the power of the North and Northeast contributed to a rich agenda of debates, where the uniqueness of each region directly influences the development of effective solutions for micro-entrepreneurs."
