Increasing the access of SMEs led by women, through the development of skills and knowledge about how banks and other financial and non-financial entities operate and also about the existence of new channels to obtain capital, such as Fintech and Crowdfunding was the objective of the first module of EMPRO Honduras' Al Banco Pillar.
Through conferences with experts in these topics, forty Honduran businesswomen received knowledge about financial institutions, what their business is, what financial intermediation is about and their vision of risk, particularly risk led by women. As well as other basic financial concepts.
They were also able to learn in greater detail about the main financial indicators and qualitative aspects that a bank analyzes to grant a loan, as well as details of the structure and entities that make up the financial sector in Honduras, who is the supervisory entity in the country and what is required of the supervised institutions, and why?
These talks were led by Roxana Víquez, expert consultant in sustainability and corporate social responsibility issues, Marcela Herrera, head of the Market Discipline, Transparency and Financial Education Department of the National Banking and Insurance Commission (CNBS), Fernando E. Hernández Casco, Head of Technological Risk in a regional Financial Group and Gabriela Barzuna, Credit Manager of Promerica, Costa Rica and Mariangeles Camargo, expert consultant in finance with extensive experience in advising on sustainable finance for Latin America. Al Banco has two tutors to guide the entrepreneurs during their execution: Ary Avila, a Honduran, and Federico Larroca, an Argentinean, both with vast banking and teaching experience.
The main objective of Al Banco's training pillar is to increase the knowledge and interest of women entrepreneurs who lead SMEs regarding the advantages of accessing financing, and the objective of these sessions is to contribute to reducing one of the main barriers to accessing financing, which is the lack of information and the limited knowledge of women entrepreneurs about how banks operate and how they perceive women-led enterprises, among other issues.
EMPRO began with its first module in October 2022, where participants had the opportunity to take pre-selected courses from the LEADS Mujer online program and their respective innovation and finance Bootcamps, as well as courses to gain key skills and knowledge to strengthen their businesses, expand distribution channels and open new markets.
EMPRO was developed by INCAE Business School under the Women's Business Growth initiative and has the financial support and accompaniment of the PriceSmart Foundation and Cargill. Its objective is to strengthen women's business knowledge through a series of training courses that will contribute to the transformation and scaling of their businesses, promoting access to new markets and financing. It also has the support of national partners and Mastercard, with whom INCAE has joined forces to design several training products for women in the Latin American region.
For more information, please contact Mauren Esquivel at mauren.esquivel@incae.edu or Gracia María Barahona, EMPRO Honduras Program Manager at gracia.barahona@clacds.incae.edu.
