Rooted in Central America. Working Across the World.
The Future of Impact Capital is Being Tested in Frontline Communities Across the Globe
While serving a global network of practitioners, entrepreneurs and funders, Buen Vivir Capital Institute is intentionally anchored in Central America- a region representing one of the most entrepreneurial, resilient, and regenerative ecosystems in the world. Central America is a microcosm of social and environmental impact work taking place across the globe. And we believe the work happening across the global south, in particular, represents future models of community-rooted philanthropy, impact investing & inclusive innovation. These leaders are creating under real-world conditions of complexity, scarcity, and resilience—where theory is tested, adapted, and transformed into action. When these innovations & principles sit alongside values of repair, financial self-determination, regeneration and shared prosperity-the successes & challenges learned through their lived experience become a laboratory and roadmap for replication--informing the next generation of capital flows and social enterprise development.
Strength in Cooperation: Fostering a Gateway to Capital, Relationships, and Opportunity in Central America
Central America is home to thousands of high-impact social enterprises, cooperatives, Indigenous-led initiatives, women-owned businesses, and youth-led ventures operating across agriculture, climate resilience, biodiversity, textiles, tourism, renewable energy, financial inclusion, and migration-related services. What these enterprises consistently lack is access to patient, flexible, and values-aligned capital & growth infrastructure—not talent, not innovation, and not community commitment. This is particularly urgent for underrepresented leaders and communities, including Afro descendant, indigenous and locally led leaders throughout the region.
Our role as ecosystem leaders is to translate between global capital and local enterprise realities. Through our regional work:
- Build trust-based pipelines of investable opportunities.
- Convene funders and enterprises in right relationship.
- Design integrated capital pathways that honor community sovereignty.
- Provide best-in-class professional development.
- Produce field-level learning that reshapes how funders deploy capital globally.
<2%
of global philanthropy reaches Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities
1–2%
of global investment capital reaches Indigenous and Afro-descendant-led enterprises
5–10%
of impact investments reach Latin America
Low
accountability on who capital reaches and its outcomes