As NESsT enters a new year, NESsT CEO Chad Sachs reflects on the organization’s growth, the resilience of the social enterprises we support, and the collective impact made possible by NESsT’s extensive community of supporters.
As I look back on 2025, I am struck by how much we have grown, and by “we,” I mean the critical partners and team members we work with: social entrepreneurs, local communities, donors, and other impact-first investors. Together, we have steadily and purposefully advanced NESsT’s mission to create more dignified jobs that help sustain the planet.
This past year reminded us that progress is rarely linear. Around the world, uncertainty continues to shape economic systems, livelihoods, and access to opportunity. And yet, even in this context, our portfolio of social enterprises demonstrated what is possible when long-term commitment and local leadership come together.
In 2025, we grew our portfolio from 88 to 132 social enterprises, contributing to the 3 million lives positively impacted since NESsT’s inception in 1997. This growth reflects more than organizational expansion; it represents deeper reach, stronger partnerships, and an increasing ability to respond to the needs of these social enterprises operating on the frontlines of social and environmental change.
Across South America and Central and Eastern Europe, we saw social entrepreneurs adapt, innovate, and persevere. I saw our teams respond to shifting markets, climate pressures, and evolving community needs without losing sight of our organizational mission. And I saw firsthand how sustained support – financial, strategic, and relational –can unlock resilience and long-term impact.
At NESsT, we remain deeply committed to doing this work alongside entrepreneurs, not ahead of them or above them. Our role is to listen, to learn, and to invest in ways that reflect local realities and ambitions. Growth, for us, is not an end in itself. It is meaningful only when it enables enterprises to create better livelihoods, expand opportunities, and contribute to more just and sustainable economies.
The momentum we carried through 2025 gives me great confidence as we look ahead. In 2026, we are excited to build on this foundation, strengthening our presence across Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Poland, and Romania, deepening our impact with our network of partners, and continuing to refine how we deploy capital and support in a rapidly changing world.
We enter the new year with clarity about our purpose and humility about the work ahead. We know that the challenges facing communities and ecosystems are complex and interconnected. But we also know that solutions already exist, rooted in local knowledge, entrepreneurial vision, and collective action.
To our social entrepreneurs: thank you for your trust, your leadership, and your perseverance. To our partners and supporters: thank you for standing with us, for believing in long-term change, and for making this work possible. And to the broader impact investing community: your engagement, ideas, and commitment continue to shape how NESsT tackles the challenges of the world today.
As we step into 2026, I am energized by what we have achieved together and inspired by what lies ahead. Growth, when grounded in purpose, has the power to transform lives. Together, we prove that this kind of growth is possible.
Looking forward to the year ahead,
Chad Sachs
NESsT Chief Executive Officer