Empowering Mexico's social entrepreneurs
Co-created by IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and New Ventures, MAP aims to uplift Mexico's vulnerable communities by supporting Mexican enterprises dedicated to driving positive social and environmental change.Over the past three years, the programme has supported 30 social enterprises that address some of Mexico's most pressing challenges, ranging from poverty and unemployment to biodiversity loss and waste management.
During their participation in the one-year accelerator programme, the enterprises receive personalised support and access to funding to enable them to scale their business and impact. The support includes strategic guidance, training, and tailored mentoring from IKEA co-workers and industry experts, preparing them for corporate partnerships and sustainable growth.
Creating deeper social impact
At the heart of the Mexico Accelerator Programme are the participating enterprises themselves — innovative ventures committed to driving meaningful change. The closing summit, recently held in Mexico City, was a moment of reflection for entrepreneurs from cohort 3.They shared their accomplishments and learnings, highlighting the impact of the programme on their journey.
Lucas Barrionuevo, Co-Founder of PURA, reflects on his experience, saying, “After a year of hard work and intense learning, the programme gave me an enormous number of tools for business development. We managed to consolidate a scalable and replicable model of physical stores and found a clear way to connect our actions with the purpose of PURA through putting the Theory of Change into play on a daily basis. I’m eager to apply everything I’ve learned through MAP in future projects and contribute to the positive change of Mexico and the world.”
Miranda Edelmann, Founder of Postales de Cafe shared more about her time in MAP, explaining that “through the programme, we created the Finca Hamburgo Coffee Institute, so we can impact even more coffee producers, by sharing our cultivation experience and innovations. Our mission became even clearer: to improve coffee production and the quality of life of producers.”
Juan Martinez, Co-Founder of Bioforestal shared that the programme helped their shape Bioforestal's commercial strategy. “Since our focus for a long time was purely technical. Our ambitious goal was the sale of 300,000 carbon credits to companies in a period of 6 months, of which we managed to secure 200,000. We’re sure that if we conserve the forests and natural areas of our country, we not only ensure our future, but also that of the people who live in them.”
For Oscar Espinosa, Founder of Pellet, MAP meant three things. “Mind, Acceleration and People. Mind since it challenged me mentally to question and reaffirm things within the company. Acceleration since for me it was a process more of deceleration than acceleration; and finally People as I became part of a group of great entrepreneurs from whom I learned a lot and led us to create alliances and synergies."
Towards a sustainable and inclusive future
From sustainable agriculture to waste management, textiles and blockchain technology for supply chains, their goals and achievements in the Mexico accelerator may differ, but all the social entrepreneurs have one aspiration in common: increasing their social impact while expanding their business.Through continued collaboration and support, MAP remains dedicated to creating a better everyday life for Mexico's most vulnerable communities. As the journey continues, the impact of social entrepreneurship in Mexico will only grow stronger, guided by a shared vision of empowerment, equality, and sustainability.
With the closing of our third programme, congratulate the cohort on their achievements and look forward to following their journeys and future success.
Read more about the full cohort here.