Welcome to Philanthropy Friday!

Shark Tank - Belize Style!

Discovering entrepreneur’s dreams and goals

Our expansion into Belize is off to a very good start! I had the honor of meeting with 32 individuals during my recent trip to Belize last week. Some were running small businesses already and were seeking expansion microfinance capital, and others had dreams and plans to launch their own small business.

What stood out in my mind was how similar these people are to the rest of us…they just live in a different country and enjoy a much different culture. We share, however, a common humanity and a faith that drives each of us to try to become the best we can be. We share a desire to make a decent living for our family. We share a desire to try to create something that will have a lasting and sustainable impact on our communities.

Beyond that, many of the entrepreneurs I met with during our “Shark Tank” meetings also shared another common goal; to use some of their business profits to “give back” to their church or communities. Consider Donovan, a hard working young father that dreams of hiring disadvantaged young men to help him operate his auto detailing shop. Or Liz, who will use a portion of her business profits to start an after-school feeding program at her church for kids from extremely poor families. Business can be a powerful force for good in the developing world.

It was a privilege to meet these people. And it will be an even greater privilege to provide microfinance capital to those with a workable business plan. Microfinance isn’t just about money. It’s about hope, and helping people achieve their dreams and goals. When this happens, everyone wins!