
Agora Partnerships
Model & Strategy
Agora Partnerships was founded on the belief that entrepreneurship and innovation are the key drivers of human progress. Unleashing the potential of entrepreneurs who are building purpose-driven businesses that create value for every stakeholder is essential to overcoming critical global challenges.
Agora provides entrepreneurs who are intentionally building businesses that solve social and environmental challenges in Latin America with the resources they need to grow. They accomplish this primarily through their flagship program, the Agora Accelerator, a four-month program designed to provide entrepreneurs access to the knowledge, networks, and capital they need to succeed.



Ben Powell became convinced of the power of small business to fight poverty as an entrepreneur in Mexico, where he co-founded CityGolf Puebla, a miniature golf course and family entertainment park. While a student at Columbia Business School in 2005, he launched Agora Partnerships with the help of nearly 20 Columbia students and Ricardo Teran, an entrepreneur from Nicaragua, home of the organization’s first office.
Ben was an examiner in the International Affairs Division of the White House Office of Management and Budget and has worked at Ashoka on its Full Economic Citizenship initiative. Ben received the I-Qube award for innovation, inspiration and impact from Dalberg Global Advisors, and the Social Venture Network Innovation Award. He is a top 40 under 40 development leader in Washington, D.C. and is part of the Aspen Network for Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE).
IMPACT
By offering products and services that serve the needs of the poor and create jobs in low-income communities, social entrepreneurs are driving positive change across the globe. Many of these companies lack the resources needed to grow their business and impact. Agora Partnerships provides entrepreneurs with knowledge, network, and capital to unleash their potential.
Since the launch of the Agora Accelerator in 2011, Agora Partnerships has provided in-depth consulting to 243 companies working in 21 countries across Latin America. In 2019, Agora launched a three-stage competitive Growth Program tailored to entrepreneurs’ needs, including theme-specific boot-camps, 1:1 consulting and access to curated investment opportunities, and began new Train-the-Trainer programs.
Collectively, Agora alumni companies have created over 5,000 jobs, exceeded USD $100 million in capital raised, certified 12 B-Corporations, and worked towards all of the Sustainable Development Goals, improving about 6M lives and saving 900,000 tons of CO2.
Agora Partnerships News
-
🚨 🚀 Participa en el bootcamp de 3 días impulsado por @Cenpromype_sica @TheInBIA y #StateDept. Si tu empresa perten… https://t.co/OelBFhocJm
-
#Metas2021 ¡Nuevo año, nuevas metas! Lily Foster, fundadora y diseñadora de proyectos de #FenixFarm, nos cuenta cuá… https://t.co/0Xi2bYjEIl
-
#Metas2021 ¡Un emprendedor jamás deja de trazarse metas! Gabriel Rivera de @Altitudsofom nos cuenta cuáles son los… https://t.co/4ocGrofZ17
-
💪🌎Empoderamos emprendedores mediante redes, conocimientos, acceso a capital y más. 👉 https://t.co/BF42XOybXY https://t.co/lfZ5UJ8zVP
-
🤝 El Ecosistema de Impacto se une para la recuperación económica y social de LATAM🌎#RedImpacto. Más de 65 organizac… https://t.co/jQR8jgWpDZ
-
#Metas2021🚀¿Tienes metas a cumplir en este 2021? Pipo Reiser, CEO de #SinbaPerú nos cuenta las metas por las que… https://t.co/Fs8RLoecZg
-
🚨La Idea Bootcamp está buscando MIPYMES que desarrollan o venden medicamentos, dispositivos médicos y/o quirúrgicos… https://t.co/cvS54VdVmj
-
🚨 El concurso Diseño Responde, Desafío #Latinoamericano Index Award + UDD cerró su convocatoria con interesantes pr… https://t.co/0PjA6amGL4
-
🚨Postula ya al Bootcamp de "La Idea" impulsado por @Cenpromype_sica @TheInBIA y @StateDept. Expande tu negocio en… https://t.co/MTXwAiLwLo
-
🥳No dejamos de celebrar los logros de nuestros emprendedores, felicitamos a @gobetterfly por cerrar una nueva ronda… https://t.co/MYY4AQBjVh
-
RT @indexaward: A huge thanks to our wonderful partners and supporters @disenoudd, @UDD_cl, @IDB_Lab, The Impact, @Agora2030, the Chilean M…
-
¡Expande tu negocio en los Estados Unidos! 🇺🇸 📣 Participa en el Bootcamp de "La Idea" impulsado por… https://t.co/w8pcKJzWMv
-
RT @ANDE_LATAM: Te tenemos una buena noticia para iniciar el año... @pomonaimpact lanzó su Fondo II que invertirá en #empresas rentables d…
-
RT @Entrepreneur: 7 Practical Ways to Celebrate and Support Women Entrepreneurs | by @ViolettedeAyala https://t.co/nL018biDWg
-
RT @SoyEntrepreneur: #FelizMartes 4 lecciones de emprendimiento que te ayudarán a crecer este 2021 https://t.co/fSwqgXIsXz https://t.co/x9v…
-
✨ Comenzamos este nuevo año creyendo firmemente que el emprendimiento puede ayudar a mejorar el mundo. No dejemos d… https://t.co/OYcz9V1hZh
-
💙Nuestro cariño, admiración y mejores deseos para la comunidad Agora en esta temporada. #ComunidadAgora… https://t.co/thrz5iZaas
-
Gracias! 👏 https://t.co/nApmey7YPC
-
🚀 Conoce a Red de Impacto una comunidad que busca unir a organizaciones de apoyo a emprendedores de impacto en torn… https://t.co/s0fhVQJxQ0
-
El Ecosistema de #Impacto se une para la recuperación económica y social de #LATAM #RedImpacto 🤝https://t.co/F59i4RtgEe