Nurturing innovation: Impaqto lights the way for local businesses in Ecuador
Ecuador’s cities have been facing frequent blackouts, a result of prolonged dry seasons and dependence on hydroelectric power. Businesses struggle to operate, with small entrepreneurs particularly affected. In response to growing pressure on the local economy, Impaqto is helping the community adapt.
Headquartered in Quito, Impaqto was the first co-working space in Ecuador and has grown into a multi-faceted hub for entrepreneurship. It now leads the charge in gender-sensitive, climate-focused innovation through programmes.
This article is part of the Climate KIC series on shaping inclusive climate entrepreneurship and supporting women entrepreneurs. Together with Salesforce Foundation, we supported six women-led Entrepreneurship Support Organisations (ESOs) with flexible financial grants, capacity-building programmes and access to a supportive community, to scale and accelerate their impact on the ground.
A vision rooted in community and equity
For Lisa Coviello, Gender Specialist at Impaqto, and her colleague Belén Pastor, Head of Labs, tackling climate change goes beyond the environment. “The intersection of sustainability and gender equity has been transformative for us,” Coviello explains. This approach underpins all of Impaqto’s initiatives, from accelerator programmes to hands-on community work.
Their current project, Agri-Food Tech for Women, targets women-led start-ups in food technology. “This pilot is our first accelerator programme with such a specific focus,” Pastor notes. It includes start-ups from across Latin America, combining capacity building, mentorship and pitch opportunities to tackle systemic barriers women face in entrepreneurship.
But the focus isn’t solely on technical training. “We incorporate emotional resilience into every programme,” Pastor says. This dual approach of hard and soft skills aims to empower women as entrepreneurs and community leaders.
A spiritual endeavor
“We’re doing a great job supporting women,” Coviello reflects, “but when the community around them isn’t equally supportive; change isn’t as fast or as impactful as we’d hope.” Much of this has to do with the layers of discrimination faced by rural, Indigenous and migrant women. “Being a Latin American woman is already challenging; being a rural, Indigenous woman adds further barriers,” she notes. Impaqto works to address these inequalities through inclusive entrepreneurship programmes, ensuring its start-ups build connections with marginalised communities.
The power of community
One of Impaqto’s most striking strategies is its emphasis on community building. Coviello describes how shared spaces — whether physical or virtual — help women entrepreneurs break out of isolation. “When women meet others with similar stories, it creates bonds that become a powerful tool against gender violence,” she explains. These connections often lead to tangible outcomes, such as improved self-esteem, networking opportunities and business growth.
Pastor shared an example from a recent project with Novacero, an Ecuadorian steel company. The programme targeted families of factory workers, encouraging women to pitch business ideas for micro-financing. “At first, many women were too shy to speak in public,” she says. “But by the end, they were confidently presenting business plans and envisioning their growth.”
A climate of urgency
Ecuador’s ongoing energy crisis has a significant impact on Impaqto’s work. As blackouts persist, businesses of all sizes face existential challenges. These obstacles may not affect society’s higher echelons, but they can become dealbreakers for small enterprises, which make up 96% of the country’s businesses and employ 60% of the workforce.
“Market connections and community building are underfunded priorities,” Pastor laments. She emphasises the need for long-term investments in ecosystems rather than short-term capacity building. “The Death Valley for start-ups in Latin America arrives after two years of operating. We must focus on helping entrepreneurs grow, create jobs and sustain themselves.”
Towards a sustainable future
Despite the challenges, Impaqto remains fully committed: pairing gender equity with climate resilience to create lasting change. As Coviello points out, the work reflects a much broader ambition. “We’re not just training start-ups; we’re reshaping what leadership and sustainability means in Latin America.”
For Pastor, the measure of success isn’t just in economic outcomes but in the emotional and social transformations within communities. “Sometimes, small wins —like a woman confidently pitching her business for the first time — are the most meaningful,” she says.
As Ecuador navigates climate and economic uncertainties, Impaqto’s efforts highlight the importance of local innovation and community-driven solutions.
About this programme
At Climate KIC, we’re committed to driving systemic change in inclusion across the climate innovation sector. Our programme, supported by CATAL1.5°T, Irish Aid, Green Hub and Salesforce Foundation helps partners identify gaps in their understanding of gender inequity and implement concrete actions for organisations to embed a gender lens into their everyday work.
We work with different partners and institutions to support our work on inclusive climate entrepreneurship. Contact us today to see how you can become a partner.