Entrepreneurs bridging distances for stronger futures

We see more clearly than ever that collaboration, entrepreneurship, and the targeted deployment of capital are essential to driving meaningful change. Bridging these distances is at the core of our approach. It is through this combination that opportunities are created, resilience is strengthened, and lasting impact becomes possible.

For more than 50 years, Rabo Foundation has been committed to strengthening the position of people in vulnerable circumstances — from smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to individuals facing barriers to employment in the Netherlands. By investing in resilience and creating opportunities, we contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth.

Many of these challenges are addressed by entrepreneurs and organizations. Yet these entrepreneurs are often underserved by traditional finance. Their businesses may be early-stage, small, or perceived as complex or high-risk. This is precisely where our role lies. By combining impact financing with knowledge, networks, and capacity building, we enable entrepreneurs and organizations to grow and become self-sustaining. In 2025, we increased our commitments from EUR 59.8 million to EUR 66.0 million, reaching more than 2.8 million people.

This impact becomes most tangible through the entrepreneurs themselves. During my visits over the past year, I saw how bridging financial and knowledge gaps enables businesses to grow and people to thrive.

In Uganda, at JKCC, local entrepreneurs demonstrated how access to financing and tailored support can translate into stronger businesses, job creation, and opportunities for entire communities. A visit to India provided another important perspective. It highlighted the critical role of financial service providers in making finance accessible in rural areas, especially for people and businesses that are often excluded from formal systems. Strengthening local financial infrastructure remains essential to building resilience and expanding opportunities over time.

These visits also underscored the central role of smallholder farmers in the global food system transition. They are not at the edge of this transition, they are at its core. With access to markets, finance, training, and resilience support, farmers can strengthen their livelihoods and contribute to more sustainable food systems, even in uncertain conditions.

The same dynamic is also visible in the Netherlands. My visit to Sûr Atelier illustrated how social entrepreneurship can bridge distances in the labor market. As a long-standing partner, Sûr Atelier demonstrates how an innovative business model can address both social and environmental challenges. By creating opportunities for people with refugee backgrounds and others facing barriers to employment, it connects inclusion with entrepreneurship and sustainability.

These are entrepreneurs who build sustainable business models while addressing societal challenges and creating lasting impact. They show that economic value and social progress can go hand in hand.

Across these different contexts — from East Africa to India to the Netherlands — the underlying lesson is consistent. Entrepreneurs who build sustainable business models while addressing societal challenges and creating lasting impact are central to driving meaningful change, supported by the systems that enable them to grow.

Bridging distances remains central to this approach. Our strategy focuses on access to finance, climate resilience, innovation, and equality, with particular attention to women and young people — key factors in building resilient livelihoods over time.

Looking ahead, collaboration will be essential to scaling impact. By strengthening partnerships with like-minded impact financiers, we aim to mobilize more capital for entrepreneurs, farmer organizations, and social enterprises. At the same time, we continue to improve how we work so that more of our resources directly support those driving change on the ground.

This progress would not be possible without our highly committed team, whose expertise and dedication keep us closely connected to the entrepreneurs and communities we serve.

We look to the future with confidence. While the challenges remain significant, so does the capacity of entrepreneurs, farmers, and social enterprises to develop practical solutions that improve livelihoods. By continuing to bridge distances, between capital and entrepeneurs, knowledge and practice, and local ambition and global systems, we will keep building impact that lasts.

We are grateful to all clients, partners, colleagues, and co-investors who contributed to this mission in 2025. Together, we continue to lay the foundation for a more sustainable and inclusive future by bridging distances.

Lidwien Schils
CEO, Rabo Foundation