| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Location | Washington, DC |
| Key people | Randall Kempner |
| Focus | Entrepreneurship, Economic Development, Impact Investing |
| Website | www.aspeninstitute.org/ande |
The Aspen Network of Network Entrepreneurs (ANDE) (pronounced Ann-dee) is a non-governmental organization is a network of organizations that works to promote entrepreneurship in developing countries. ANDE is a membership organization housed within the Aspen Institute, an international non-profit organization.
Unlike the microfinance movement, ANDE focuses on the “missing middle” – those businesses and entrepreneurs needing investments that are too large for microfinance loans and too small for traditional bank loans. ANDE defines SGBs as commercially viable businesses with 5 to 250 employees with a strong potential for growth.
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In July, 2008, thirty-five of these leaders gathered in Aspen for a three-day working meeting.[1] By the end of this meeting, ANDE was born with commitments in seed funding by eight foundations.[2]
Housed as a policy program of the Aspen Institute, ANDE was officially launched in January 2009 with the hiring of Randall Kempner as the Executive Director.[3][4]
ANDE members focus on small and growing businesses (SGBs) that create economic, environmental, and social benefits in developing countries.[5] Organizations such as the Citi Foundation, Goldman Sachs, the Kauffman Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Shell Foundation make up the ANDE membership. The whole list of ANDE member organizations can be found here [1] According to the organization’s website, ANDE is a “global organization dedicated to both advocating for the growth of the SGB sector and offering services and programs to support the organizations operating in the space. Operating in over 130 developing world countries, our members offer a diverse set of resources to support SGBs, and through the network, provide an unmatched resource to one another. ANDE develops initiatives to address systemic challenges and opportunities that can only be approached through collective action.” [6]