Class of 2020 of the PPA acceleration program begins its journey
Representatives of the 15 businesses selected by the Acceleration Program run by the Partnership Platform for the Amazon (PPA) participated in the first workshop of this acceleration cycle between February 17 and 21. The workshop focused on business modeling and indicator development, and aimed at supporting the entrepreneurs in revising their business plans and impact indicators.
The program aims to help entrepreneurs diagnose the status of each business, creating individual development plans, while maximizing the opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing for improving their initiatives. Other topics included business flows, revenue generation, evaluation and monitoring, and organizational culture.
The meeting was facilitated by Sense-Lab and Move Social, both are program partners and creators of Modelo C. The meeting was also supported by Manie, a consultancy focused on generating positive impact. Modelo C helps businesses design impact and sustainability, integrating efficient tools and methodologies that are used to model businesses: Business Model Canvas, which is a tool for business design (identifying partners, resources, activities, cost structure and other items necessary in the business); and the Theory of Change, which is a methodology for mapping or creating a logical chain for the proposed impact the business wants to have.
“We are extremely excited about this new group. These are businesses and entrepreneurs that have the potential to transform the region's economy, each in its own area and specialty. As we developed their business models and Theories of Change, we were able to assess in depth the impact that each one wants to generate, and also build the indicators that will evaluate their growth. It is a promising group,” says Mariano Cenamo, Director of New Business at IDESAM, the PPA Acceleration Program implementing institution.
The group participating in the 2020 PPA Acceleration Program includes businesses that offer solutions in sustainable agriculture and livestock, forest management and production, environmental products and services, education for environmental conservation, and mitigation and adaptation to climate change, among others. Three extractive cooperatives are part of the group, a factor which has enabled constructive exchanges from day one.
“We should have had this training before opening our business. We didn't, so we made a lot of mistakes. Our needs and desires to be an entrepreneur are greater than our knowledge. On the first day of the workshop, we really ‘put our finger’ on the problem, identifying our challenges and what we needed to improve in our organization. Working together with other cooperatives is helping us to think about our shared problems,” says Hélia Félix, from Cacauway, a company linked to Cooperativa Agroindustrial da Transamazônica, and located in Medicilândia, state of Pará, which manufactures chocolate from cocoa extracted by the group.