VIVA Idea

Since its launch in 2013, VIVA Idea has promoted the legacy of VIVA Trust‘s founder, Stephan Schmidheiny, a philanthropist driving sustainable development and environmental conservation in Latin America. Our work initially focused on training, evaluating, and rewarding social entrepreneurs, and later on disseminating innovative methods and tools to strengthen sustainability initiatives and business development in the region. In recent years, it has evolved into promoting inclusive markets and generating digital tools to scale the impact of MSMEs. Starting in 2025, these initiatives will continue evolving through partnerships with two close institutions, both internationally renowned. To carry on our research and focus on developing impactful tools and methods for MSMEs, the Digital Sustainability Center will be launched at INCAE Business School, continuing VIVA Idea’s advancements in this key area. On the other hand, our work with networks of leaders, social entrepreneurs, inclusive businesses, and impact investing will be integrated into the global network of Fundación Avina, in line with our ambition to spread Stephan Schmidheiny’s legacy and contribute to sustainable development in the Global South. With the merger of our knowledge and team with these institutions, VIVA Idea’s 11-year cycle comes to a close, with the assurance that impact and innovation will continue to grow. We invite you to join the social media platforms of INCAE and Fundación Avina and to contact Andrea Ramírez (andrea.ramirezs@incae.edu) for information about the Digital Sustainability Center, and Carlos March (carlos.march@avina.net) for Fundación Avina. Thank you for all these years, and we wish you a successful end to 2024.