On October 14, 2020, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), in partnership with Kunan Peru Plataforma Peruana de Emprendimiento Socio Ambiental and the APEC Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, hosted a virtual research roundtable event for Peruvian entrepreneurs and micro, small, and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs). Titled ‘Scaling up MSMEs and Social Entrepreneurship in Peru,’ this event was part of the APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership (ACGBP) initiative, which aims to build the capacity of MSMEs in developing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies, specifically Peru, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. This virtual event featured the launch of the 2020 Survey of Entrepreneurs and MSMEs in Peru: Building the Capacity of MSMEs through Social Entrepreneurship report, and showcased three research studies conducted by Canadian and Peruvian experts on topics related to social entrepreneurship.
The event was moderated by Ms. Cinthia Varela, the Executive Director of Kunan Peru. Welcome remarks were generously given by Dr. Jeffrey Reeves, the Vice-President of Research at APF Canada, followed by Minister Jose Bustinza, the Director of APEC and Specialized Fora and the APEC SOM at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru. Dr. Reeves and Minister Bustinza discussed the success of the Partnership’s work in Peru in 2019, as well as in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Mr. Justin Kwan, the Program Manager of the APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership, gave a brief introduction to the initiative. Mr. Kwan discussed the background of the Partnership as a joint project between the APEC Secretariat and APF Canada, and funded by Global Affairs Canada. As part of the Partnership’s efforts to promote local knowledge dissemination, the event showcased the Spanish translation of the project’s three research papers on social entrepreneurship in Peru, making strides to further reach local audiences in Peru and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world.
Ms. Phebe M. Ferrer, the Research Assistant of the Partnership, then gave a presentation about the results of the 2020 Survey of Entrepreneurs and MSMEs in Peru report. Ms. Ferrer discussed survey findings on the opportunities and barriers that Peruvian entrepreneurs have experienced, as well as the specific challenges that Peruvian social enterprises encounter in the economy. Ms. Ferrer’s presentation was followed by a brief question and answer period about the report’s findings.
A roundtable discussion and Q&A then followed, featuring the authors of the Partnership’s research studies in Peru. This roundtable included Ms. Alexandria Ames Brachowicz, the Executive Director of Poleas Lab – Laboratorio de Innovacion Social; Mr. Carl Black, an Investment Manager at Deetken Impact; Mr. Alvaro Cano, a Senior Consultant and Research at the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) of Peru, among other positions; and Dr. Andre Xavier, a Consultant for the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining and Sustainable Development, among other positions. The discussion was moderated by Ms. Varela. Each research author discussed the findings and policy recommendations of their study, contextualized in the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms. Brachowicz discussed her paper titled The Existing Landscape of Social Entrepreneurship co-written with Ms. Carla Villamar Grados, the former Executive Director of Kunan Peru. Mr Black discussed his study, titled Financing for Social Entrepreneurship in Peru. Mr. Cano and Dr. Xavier discussed their paper, titled Considerations for APEC Mining Economies: Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Social Entrepreneurship in the Context of Peru, co-written with Ms. Suzette McFaul, the CEO of SEF Clean Gold Community Solutions.
To conclude the event, Mr. Sebastian Ugarte, a Senior Advisor at the Embassy of Canada to Peru, gave closing remarks to discuss the progress of the Partnership from the perspective of Global Affairs Canada. Mr. Ugarte then introduced F.S. Sergio Zapata Huaman, the Deputy Director of ECOTECH in the APEC Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. F.S. Zapata concluded the event with remarks on the positive reception of the Partnership’s work in Peru, and of efforts to disseminate its work for local audiences of Peruvian entrepreneurs and policymakers.
To view the recording of the event, please see the following links:
Spanish recording:
English recording:
To learn more about the Partnership’s Peru research papers:
The views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
