Founder María Gabriela Arguello’s work experience – in the US public service, on international development projects and on social impact initiatives – has given her the skills and experience to develop the multi-sector partnerships that drive Uplifting Women. “Through this platform we want to create an ecosystem to build relationships, collaborations and partnerships, so we can leverage resources and uplift one another,” she says.
Virtual ecosystem
“We believe that to co-create and scale collaboration opportunities we need to first identify who we are and the work we do in each of the countries in Central America,” explains Maria. “That’s why we have created a virtual ecosystem where local and international organisations can showcase their work and explore collaborations at local-international local-local levels.”
Integrated regional economy
Uplifting Women aims to contribute to a more integrated regional economy by enabling collaborations in Central America.“ We believe that by strengthening the capacity of local organisations we can increase the possibilities of scaling the impact they have and improve the quality of life of the women they serve,” she asserts.
Social entrepreneurs are known for finding solutions for society’s problems. What is the problem that you are addressing and what is your solution?
In Central America, organisations often work in silos. We want to help enable them to share ideas at early stages, to communicate what has worked for them and what has not and to find synergies that will help increase the number of women that are served as well as improve the way they are served. It´s a cultural shift that we hope to lead. We want to help to integrate this collaborative spirit in organisations in Central America and around the world that wish to join this mission.
What do you see as the benefit of your Catalyst 2030 membership?
Catalyst 2030 membership allows one to connect to other like-minded and value-driven social entrepreneurs around the world. The community feeling that Catalyst 2030 has enabled has been absolutely amazing, genuine, heartfelt. It opens up a world of opportunities to engage, learn from each other, exchange experiences and collaborate to scale our mission and services.
Are you collaborating with any other Catalyst 2030 members?
No, not yet. I am joining sessions to learn more about how we can take advantage of these opportunities and discussions.
If so, can you tell me about some of the collaborations that you are most excited about?
I have loved the intimate discussions around topics, it feels very personal. The engagement team has been so approachable, that the human touch makes all the difference in navigating the platform and collaboration opportunities.