More Than 120 Women Entrepreneurs Complete National Business Incubator

One hundred and twenty-four women entrepreneurs from across Belize have completed the incubator phase of the Catalyze Her Potential: Fueling Female Entrepreneurship Project, an initiative aimed at equipping women with the skills and resources needed to launch and grow successful businesses. The program, implemented by NIME Belize Inc. in collaboration with the IDB Lab, provided early-stage women entrepreneurs with training in business planning and development, while also creating opportunities for participants to network and exchange ideas. The graduates include 50 women from the Belize District, 24 from Cayo, 21 from Toledo, 11 from Orange Walk, 10 from Stann Creek and eight from Corozal.  Of the 124 graduates, 91 have already advanced to the project’s accelerator program, which began on July 13. That phase will focus on helping established women-led businesses pursue growth strategies, become financially ready and gain access to resources, industry experts, mentors and potential investors.  NIME Belize held its first in-person certification ceremony yesterday for participants from the Orange Walk District, with similar ceremonies expected to be held across the country in the coming weeks.  The broader Catalyze Her Potential initiative seeks to address some of the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, including access to financing and business support. It combines capacity building, networking and mentorship opportunities, as well as a pilot seed-capital component. According to NIME Belize, the wider program is designed to support women at various stages of entrepreneurship, from those developing business ideas to established enterprises seeking to expand.