-This ethnographic study focuses on empowering women in extreme poverty communities in the San Martin area of Lima, Peru.

-By employing design thinking, the business model canvas, and other innovative methodologies, this study aims to support women in creating sustainable businesses to uplift their families and communities.

-Through deep engagement and understanding of their unique challenges, aspirations, and cultural context, this research will inform the design of entrepreneurship programs tailored specifically for women.

-Project researchers from 3 countries: Colombia, México and Chile.

-Develop programs that foster economic growth, gender equality, and community development for the community of San Martin de Porres.

-Understand the unique challenges faced by women in extreme poverty communities in San Martin regarding entrepreneurship and sustainable business creation.

-Uncover the aspirations, motivations, and cultural factors that influence women's entrepreneurial endeavors within the community.

-Apply design thinking and innovative methodologies to co-create business models that address their specific needs and aspirations.

-Identify local resources, support networks, and practices that can contribute to the success of women-led businesses.

-Develop actionable insights to design comprehensive entrepreneurship programs that empower women through innovative methodologies.

-Participant Selection: A diverse group of women from extreme poverty communities will be selected to participate actively in the study. Participants are senior women 60+ and young single moms 15-25 years old.

-Data Collection: Immersive methods such as observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory activities.

-Analysis: Qualitative research methods, supplemented by design thinking and innovative frameworks, will be employed to analyze the collected data. Thematic analysis, pattern recognition, and synthesis will generate insights for designing entrepreneurship programs that address the unique needs of women.

Trust and Cultural Sensitivity: Understand the cultural norms, beliefs, and practices to ensure that participants feel comfortable sharing their experiences.

Access and Logistics: Limited access to resources, infrastructure, and basic amenities. The logistics of reaching these communities, arranging interviews or focus groups, and ensuring reliable internet connectivity were challenging.

Ethical Considerations: Ensuring informed consent, maintaining confidentiality, and protecting participants' privacy and well-being are essential throughout the research process.

Bias and Power Dynamics: Our biases were related to the access of technology and the fact that many of the women did not know basic mathematics due to their low level of literacy.

Limited Resources and Support: Extreme poverty communities may lack access to educational resources, technology, and support networks. The availability and access of computers was limited as well as the understanding of technology was difficult.

Sustainability and long-term Impact: We created an action plan so the entrepreneurs were able to be part of a collaboration network with local stakeholders, NGOs, and community leaders can help ensure that the initiatives have lasting positive effects on the community.

BUSINESS METHODOLOGIES TAUGHT

Brainstorming

MOST

SWOT Analysis

Design Thinking

Canvas Model

The 5 hats

Usability testing

Prototyping

The study aimed to understand the unique challenges faced by women in extreme poverty, their aspirations, and the cultural factors influencing their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Through the utilization of participatory research methods, a deep understanding of cultural nuances, and close collaboration with community members, this study has played a vital role in fostering economic growth, advancing gender equality, and strengthening social resilience within the community.

Through the study, we gained valuable insights into the specific challenges women face when establishing and sustaining their own businesses in extreme poverty contexts.

These insights have guided the development of innovative business models using design thinking, the business model canvas among others, tailored to address the needs and aspirations of women in San Martin. Additionally, the study identified local resources, support networks, and practices that can contribute to the success of women-led businesses, further enhancing the community's economic potential.

By empowering women through education in entrepreneurship we have not only help a group of women being financially independent, but also develop a group of women leaders that foster gender equality. This study has made a significant contribution to the well-being and resilience of the community of San Martin, Lima, Peru.