Rebuilding with Resilience: Entrepreneurship in Post-Conflict and Fragile Environments

In some of the world’s most fragile contexts—from post-war Ukraine to conflict-affected regions of Ghana, Kenya, and Burkina Faso—entrepreneurs are rebuilding not only businesses but also hope, livelihoods, and the social fabric. This panel explores how entrepreneurship can serve as a cornerstone for resilience, peacebuilding, and economic recovery in challenging environments. As conflict disrupts systems and displaces communities, early-stage entrepreneurs often become the first responders to local needs, crafting grassroots innovations in agriculture, digital finance, energy, and healthcare.

The discussion will spotlight the nuanced challenges and opportunities for founders operating in these regions—such as limited infrastructure, trauma-informed community dynamics, and the absence of formal capital markets—while also showcasing innovative mechanisms of support. We’ll explore how impact investors, development agencies, and philanthropic funders can deploy blended capital, flexible technical assistance, and long-term partnerships to unlock entrepreneurial potential in settings where traditional investment logic falters.

Through real-life founder stories and practitioner insights, the session will propose a new framework for rebuilding economies through entrepreneurship. It will emphasize the role of catalytic capital in de-risking investments, the power of locally-led solutions, and the need to rethink success metrics in fragile ecosystems. Ultimately, the panel will challenge funders and investors to shift from risk aversion to opportunity orientation—investing not just in growth, but in resilience and regeneration.