This article was co-authored by Vishal Ghotge, CEO of Kiva, and Soon Hagerty, Co-founder and President of Boundless Futures Foundation, in recognition of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day on November 19th.
Around the world, women are growing businesses, supporting families, and leading change — often while navigating financial systems that weren’t built for them. The problem isn’t potential. It’s access.
This Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, Kiva and Boundless Futures Foundation are celebrating what happens when that access is unlocked, and how you can be part of the solution.
Sonia, a fruit seller in Paraguay, built her business from the ground up, starting with a single crate and a motorcycle. For years, she worked long hours with little return, trying to support her family in a rural village outside Asunción. When traditional banks turned her away, she found new support through Kiva, and secured a loan backed by 31 individual lenders.
With this funding, Sonia expanded her inventory and, for the first time, began saving. That support helped her upgrade her home, win a competition for her new bathroom design, and become a proud member of a cooperative of “warrior women” entrepreneurs. Now, Sonia is thriving, and sharing what she’s learned to uplift others in her community.
In San Diego, Shezal Babar founded SAÉA to bring ethically made home décor to life. Her company partners with artisans in Pakistan to create natural stone pieces, finished without plastics or harmful treatments. Beyond sustainability, SAÉA also gives back, donating to local nonprofits in the San Diego area. With a $25,000 grant from Boundless Futures Foundation, Shezal now has the flexible funding to scale her impact, deepen community ties, and expand her brand’s reach.
These are just two of the thousands of women changing the game when they’re given the chance. When women have the tools to lead, they don’t just grow businesses. They reinvest in their families, uplift their communities, and build more equitable futures.
Here’s how we’re supporting women entrepreneurs, and how you can join us:
Lend with purpose: Small amounts can unlock big change. With just $25 on Kiva, you can help fund a woman’s next step, from buying inventory and opening a second location to launching her first product.
Offer your expertise: Many women founders are building their dreams without mentors or role models. If you have experience to share, consider volunteering through Boundless Futures Foundation’s network. A single conversation can shift what’s possible. You can see just how mentorship elevates women founders in this video by BFF.
Choose where you spend: Your purchasing power matters. Seek out women-owned businesses, whether they’re local or online, and help sustain their momentum. Boundless Futures Foundation makes this easy through the EmpowHer Marketplace, and Kiva highlights goods made by Kiva entrepreneurs in their global store.
Share stories: Visibility creates opportunity. When you amplify women’s voices, share their wins, or recommend their businesses, you’re expanding their networks and boosting their growth.
Fund more futures: Your donations to Kiva go directly toward women with powerful ideas.
At Kiva and Boundless Futures Foundation, we know economic power can be world-changing. But real progress takes more than good intentions. It takes action – collective, consistent, and bold.
On Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, let’s turn celebration into action. Every small step, every loan, share, or purchase, helps build a world where women have the financial tools to thrive. Together, we can power her potential.
