In a milestone for women-led economic development in Belize, more than 100 women entrepreneurs have wrapped up the three-month accelerator training phase of a targeted business growth program run by local non-profit initiative NIME Belize. The cohort is now set to advance to the next stage of the program, which includes personalized one-on-one mentorship, professional networking opportunities, and pathways to access critical seed capital to scale their operations.
The recent graduation ceremony celebrated the end of the intensive foundational training, which was crafted to equip participants with practical, actionable skills to strengthen their existing ventures. Core training modules covered key areas including strategic business management, robust financial literacy, targeted marketing planning, and expansion strategy development – gaps that often hold small women-owned businesses back from sustainable growth.
Katia Montenegro-Hoare, founder and president of NIME Belize, outlined the program’s trajectory following the accelerator phase. Roughly 100 graduates will move into the mentorship and networking segment, which is designed to provide ongoing tailored support beyond the initial classroom-style training. “The next move is mentorship and networking, whereby women will be engaging in one-to-one mentorship,” Montenegro-Hoare explained, adding that a core long-term goal of the initiative is to build a cohesive, supportive community for women entrepreneurs at every stage of their business journey. Within this community, members can connect with industry organizations, access ongoing resources, and build collaborative partnerships with fellow female business owners.
Dr. Yassmin Andrews, the program’s lead mentorship consultant, detailed how the matching process will work to maximize impact: participants will be paired with experienced industry mentors based on the specific niche of goods or services their businesses offer. The mentorship phase will also tackle two of the most common barriers facing new and growing women-led enterprises: helping participants refine formal, fund-ready business plans and complete official business registration – both critical steps to building legally compliant and investment-ready ventures.
Andrews noted that access to capital and well-developed business plans are two of the most common gaps that prevent women entrepreneurs from scaling, and these challenges will be the central focus of the upcoming phase.
For Benita Keme-Palacio, owner of Belizean fitness business Curves Royale, the accelerator phase has already delivered transformative results. She shared that the program helped her map out clear, actionable steps to restructure her growing business, a goal she had struggled to advance on her own. “I’m trying to reform it, and this has definitely helped me know how or what are the steps to do that, as well as having guidance,” she said.
Beyond practical skills, Keme-Palacio highlighted the community of peers the program fostered as one of its most valuable outcomes. “The sisterhood in this program has been immensely beautiful. I’ve met so many wonderful women,” she explained. Participants maintain an active group chat where they share business challenges and wins, exchange tips, and refer new customers to fellow members’ businesses.
Keme-Palacio encouraged all women considering applying for future iterations of the program to take the opportunity, noting that even those who do not complete the full program still leave with actionable, valuable knowledge that can benefit their businesses long-term. “Even if you don’t finish the course, you will leave with so much information that you can look back on and use when you’re ready to try again. But you don’t lose anything by applying. You will learn so much,” she said.
As the cohort transitions into the next phase, NIME Belize’s overarching goal remains focused on helping these women entrepreneurs solidify their businesses, expand their professional networks, and position themselves to secure the capital they need to scale, create local jobs, and drive inclusive economic growth across Belize.