Events, Delegations & Convenings

In Washington DC, Buen Vivir Capital Institute hosted a gathering that created space for honest, grounded conversations about the future of capital and its role in advancing equitable economic systems.

Bringing together funders, practitioners, and ecosystem leaders, the convening centered the voices and expertise of global impact leaders—particularly women of color working at the intersection of community economic development and repair. The dialogue moved beyond surface-level narratives, opening up deeper conversations about power, access, and opportunity.

Participants reflected on persistent inequities in capital flows, including the limited share of philanthropic and impact investment capital reaching Latin America and the even smaller portion directed toward Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and community-led organizations. The discussion also highlighted broader shifts in philanthropy, including the concentration of funding among a small group of large donors and the need to re-engage individual and diaspora investors.

The convening underscored the importance of building more inclusive pathways for capital deployment—strengthening trust, increasing visibility of opportunities, and investing in the infrastructure needed to diversify who participates in funding. It also emphasized that conversations about capital must be held alongside conversations about repair, history, and collective healing.

More than a dialogue, the gathering reinforced the importance of creating spaces that foster alignment, shared understanding, and new possibilities for collaboration. It reflected a growing commitment to reshaping how capital flows—toward more relational, inclusive, and community-centered approaches.

In El Salvador, Buen Vivir Capital Institute convened a diverse group of leaders with a clear purpose: to learn from one another and begin building the early architecture of a place-based social impact ecosystem.

At a time when traditional funding is shrinking while opportunities to better serve communities continue to grow, the gathering centered on a shared vision—prioritizing collaboration over competition, trust over transaction, and long-term thinking over short-term outcomes.

The convening surfaced key opportunities to strengthen the local ecosystem, including the need for more patient and sustainable capital, the development of diversified revenue streams, and deeper alignment among values-driven actors.

Participants also highlighted the importance of building ecosystem infrastructure, such as centralized access to funding information, ongoing convenings, and executive-level training to support leaders working on the frontlines of innovation and social impact.

More than a conversation, the gathering reflected a genuine willingness to build together—with honesty and trust at the center. It marked the beginning of a process to strengthen a more resilient, locally rooted, and values-aligned impact ecosystem in El Salvador.

In Mexico City, Buen Vivir Capital Institute officially launched with a gathering that many participants described as rare, catalytic, and deeply energizing. More than 80 social entrepreneurs, movement leaders, funders, investors, and ecosystem builders from across the Americas came together over 2 days to explore how capital can move differently—more relationally, more creatively, and more justly.

The convening created a space where traditional boundaries between capital allocators and impact leaders softened, allowing honest conversations about power, possibility, and partnership to emerge. Participants explored new models of integrated capital—from trust-based philanthropy to innovative impact investment strategies—while building relationships grounded in dignity, transparency, and shared purpose.

More than a launch, the gathering marked the beginning of a growing global community committed to reshaping how capital flows to the leaders and communities closest to the solutions.

At BVCI, we believe that strengthening impact ecosystems requires engaging not only practitioners and capital allocators, but also academia, research institutions, and policy leaders who shape the broader systems influencing economic mobility. Buen Vivir Capital Institute was honored to participate in a global convening in Santiago, Chile, hosted by the Julius Baer Foundation, focused on Global Innovations for Social Mobility.

Alicia DeLia moderated a conversation with global leaders exploring how new employment models and economic pathways can expand opportunity and break barriers for individuals and communities worldwide.

This dialogue was part of the Future of Social Mobility initiative, which brings together cross-sector voices to explore how research, policy, and practice can work together to unlock more inclusive pathways to prosperity.

In Washington, DC, Buen Vivir Capital Institute hosted an intimate dinner bringing together 25 funders and frontline practitioners for an evening of conversation and connection.

Held in a vibrant Ethiopian restaurant, the gathering created a relaxed and welcoming space for participants to get to know one another beyond formal meetings and conference panels.

By bringing together those deploying capital with those building solutions on the ground, the evening fostered new relationships, shared understanding, and the potential for future financial partnerships grounded in trust and right relationship.

Through an inaugural research collaboration with Elizabeth Garlow from Charism Capital and GHR Foundation, we co-led a 2-day training for Catholic capital allocators exploring new models of integrated capital for global social enterprise development.

The convening documented a research initiative in which The Buen Vivir Capital Institute explored:

• Venture studios transforming ecosystems in Latin America and Africa
• Ecosystem builders weaving financial infrastructure
• Innovative impact funds expanding regional access
• Foundations experimenting with repair-based capital

Together, these insights are helping shape new pathways for Catholic capital to move in more integrated, relational, and ecosystem-centered ways—supporting the long-term growth of social enterprises around the world.

In a festive setting overlooking the Pacific Ocean, we hosted a pre conference cocktail gathering during the IDB Lab’s GET Forum on Entrepreneurship in El Salvador. ç

We brought together innovators and builders charting the future of entrepreneurship in El Salvador and Latin America– Including impact fund managers, entrepreneurs and philanthropists from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Canada and of course, El Salvador.

Together we celebrated the potential of our region and built community around  the concept that people and planet should sit at the center of how we design and deploy capital. 

Field immersion to connect capital with community-led innovation, CIELO: Restorative Capital in Action.

Buen Vivir Capital Institute regularly travels into the field to support community-rooted initiatives and deepen our understanding of the ecosystems where transformative solutions are emerging.

In the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, we partnered with CIELO an association that supports Indienous-led social enterprises– to visit a solar farm project led by a self-governed Mayan community advancing what aims to become the first Indigenous-led solar farm in Latin America.

Through this collaboration, BVCI has supported the early stages of CIELO’s fundraising journey and is helping mobilize an integrated capital raise of $3 million to develop community-owned solar projects across Mexico.