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Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs’ Global Annual Conference Comes to Latin America for the First Time

Over 250 global organizations to convene in Riviera Maya, Mexico, September 30–October 2

Contact: Roger Santodomingo
[email protected]

Riviera Maya, Mexico – September 17, 2025 — The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is pleased to announce its 2025 Global Annual Conference, to be held from September 30 to October 2 at the Hotel Haven Riviera in Riviera Maya, Mexico. This year marks a milestone as the conference takes place in Latin America for the first time, under the theme “Building Tomorrow’s Ecosystems: Connect, Innovate, Transform.”

“The challenges facing emerging markets require collaborative, ground-up solutions. This conference is about bold ideas, open dialogue, and practical action,” said Devin Chesney, ANDE’s Executive Director. “From cutting-edge tools to shared learning, we’re creating a launchpad for what’s next in entrepreneurship.”

Key highlights of the conference include:

  • A keynote conversation with Nobel laureate Professor Dr. Esther Duflo, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and co-founder of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PALon the future of development, growth, and entrepreneurship.
  • Insights from Professor Erik Stam on the connections between entrepreneurship, economic growth, and societal well-being.
  • A panel on climate entrepreneurship trends, featuring leaders from ANDE, GIZ, and Tec de Monterrey.
  • A spotlight on impact investing in Mexico, presenting new findings from ANDE’s research.

Some highlights of the conference include a small sample of the sessions proposed and conducted by ANDE members as presented in the event’s agenda:

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Welcoming Remarks

9:00 AM – 9:20 AM

Ballroom 

Speaker: Devin Chesney, Executive Director, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE).

Esther Duflo on the Future of Development, Growth, and Entrepreneurship

9:20 AM – 9:45 AM

Ballroom

Speaker: Dr. Esther Duflo, Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics, MIT, and Co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

Dr. Duflo joins ANDE Executive Director Devin Chesney to explore how evidence-based research is shaping the future of global development. Together, they discuss innovative approaches to growth, the role of entrepreneurship in reducing poverty, and how data-driven insights can drive more effective policies and impactful change.

Shaping the Future: Entrepreneurship and Its Impact

9:45 AM – 10:05 AM

Ballroom 

Featured Speaker: Professor Dr. Erik Stam, Professor of Strategy, Organization and Entrepreneurship, Utrecht University School of Economics 

Professor Dr. Erik Stam takes the main stage to share insights from his latest work exploring the connections between entrepreneurship, economic growth, and societal well-being. He reflects on emerging trends, lessons learned, and the broader implications for strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide.

Spark-talk: From Donor Dependence to Catalytic Action – Deploying Capital to Power Locally-led Development

10:25 AM-10:35 AM

Ballroom

Speaker: Osayi Alile, Chief Executive Officer, Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation

Across Africa, a shift is underway from traditional aid to catalytic funding that empowers local leadership and drives scalable impact. In this Spark-talk, Osayi Alile will share how intentional capital can build ecosystems, foster partnerships, and unlock community-led solutions. The session highlights how trust-based philanthropy, blended finance, and locally grounded strategies are reshaping development by aligning capital with context and local agency.

Panel Discussion: Innovating for Impact – Trends in Climate Entrepreneurship

10:35 AM-11:05 AM

Ballroom

Speakers: Devin Chesney, Executive Director, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and Severin Peters, Global Coordinator, CATAL1.5°T Initiative, GIZ

Explore how the climate entrepreneurship space—and the way we work within it—is evolving. Hear perspectives from ANDE, GIZ, and Tec de Monterrey on what’s shifting and what it means for the future.

Wednesday, October 1

9:40 AM – 10:10 AM

Ballroom

Speakers:

Pierre-Alain Masson, Co-founder, Seedstars and Professor Dr. Erik Stam, Professor of Strategy, Organization and Entrepreneurship, Utrecht University School of Economics

An overview of ANDE’s updated Ecosystem Toolkit and how it can be used to better understand and engage with entrepreneurial systems. Speakers will share experiences, observations, and ideas on applying the toolkit in different contexts to inform strategy and collaboration.

Please see the full event agenda for a complete description of these sessions.Please note that you must be an accredited journalist, and the press pass will only grant access to designated spaces and events. All registrations are subject to conference media committee approval.

Check the ANDE conference website for additional excursions as they are posted.

Reporters interested in conducting media interviews should contact Roger Santodomingo [email protected]. 

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About ANDE

The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is a global network of organizations that propel entrepreneurship in developing economies. ANDE members provide critical financial, educational, and business support services to small and growing businesses (SGBs) based on the conviction that SGBs create jobs, stimulate long-term economic growth, and produce environmental and social benefits.

As the leading global voice of the SGB sector, ANDE believes that SGBs are a powerful yet underleveraged tool in addressing social and environmental challenges. Since 2009, we have grown into a trusted network of nearly 300 collaborative members that operate in almost every developing economy. ANDE grows the body of knowledge, mobilizes resources, and connects the institutions that support the small business entrepreneurs who build inclusive prosperity in the developing world.

About the Aspen Institute

 The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.