Three things I learnt from women entrepreneurs in Mexico

I have recently returned from my first Foundation trip to see our work in action. I’ve come home genuinely inspired. 

It was a packed few days in Mexico where we launched our HerVenture app in Mexico City – the first time the app has been available in Spanish – held two events in Oaxaca, and met with organisations working across the women’s economic empowerment space. All of that mattered, and all of it will shape what we do next.

But honestly, the highlight was visiting the women entrepreneurs who we and our partners Fémina Oaxaca are working with. Sitting with these luchonas, hearing about their businesses, their plans, their ambitions, was hugely inspiring. What struck me just as forcefully was the familiarity of barriers that they face in their daily business lives.

Access to finance remains the biggest challenge, with only 13% of women-led businesses estimated to have obtained a loan. Women also frequently encounter gender stereotypes, which includes women bearing disproportionate burden of care-giving responsibilities, estimated to be more than 20 hours per week greater than men. All this means that only around a third of Mexico’s MSME’s are owned by women.

I found it inspiring how many women not only overcome these barriers, but are turning the challenges into an opportunities for others – training, mentoring and employing other women in their communities, and creating flexible work opportunities for those facing similar constraints.

Here are three key things I learnt from women entrepreneurs in Mexico.

1. The need for HerVenture is real

Our mapping work ahead of the launch told us there was a clear gap in practical, accessible support for women entrepreneurs in Mexico, including around digitalisation and business management. While there is a vibrant ecosystem of organisations supporting entrepreneurship, women told us it can be difficult to navigate the available support and find learning that’s easily accessible and practical.

Those findings help explain why HerVenture resonated so strongly. The app is free, mobile-first, available offline, and designed specifically for women entrepreneurs who are balancing business growth alongside other responsibilities. It is adapted for Mexico and delivered in bite-sized, practical modules that women can access whenever and wherever it suits them.

Every conversation I had on the ground confirmed that women want support that fits around busy lives, in a format that meets them where they are and helps them put learning into practice.

2. Women need support to make digital tools and AI work for them — starting with the back office

Again and again, the same theme came up: the sheer weight of administration that falls on women running micro and small businesses. Invoicing, record-keeping, stock management, chasing payments – it all holds them back from doing the work that actually grows their businesses. Combined with the impact of caregiving pressures, it means women globally are estimated to be 47% more likely than men to close a business due to family or personal reasons.

Digital tools can help transform this, and women are ready to adopt them, which aligns with the findings of our recent research on women entrepreneurs using AI. But access to a tool is not the same as the ability to use it. Many of the women we met have smartphones in their pockets and real ambition to digitise, yet lack the training, confidence and support to decide on the best tools for them and how to embed it in the core business functions – with is key to growth. That skills gap is holding them back just as much as the tools gap.

The opportunity in Mexico mirrors what we’re seeing globally. We need to pair the technology with the skills to use it. Get that right, and we can free up women’s time for the activities that truly drive growth: reaching customers, developing products, building partnerships and planning for the future.

3. Access to finance matters — but so does readiness for finance.

Difficulty with access to finance came up constantly – estimated 60% of women-led businesses are financed with personal credit cards. But many of the women we met are running micro businesses, which raises another important question: is the business ready to make the most of that finance? Expanding access to finance remains essential, but we also need to ensure women have the skills, systems and business foundations needed to use that capital effectively and grow sustainably.

That means supporting women to strengthen financial management, keep business records, understand their markets, plan for growth and adopt the digital tools that can make running a business more efficient. It also means ensuring women can take advantage of AI, not as a novelty, but as a practical tool to improve financial management, reduce administrative burden and improve decision-making. We will explore the nuances of it in an upcoming research project.

Global problems, solvable problems

Here’s the thing: almost none of these are uniquely Mexican problems. They are global ones. And they are solvable.

That’s why this work matters and why partnership is at the heart of how we do it. Huge thanks to Fémina Oaxaca for being such brilliant partners on the ground – their day-to-day work with women entrepreneurs so impressive – and to our partners at PayPal for making our work in Mexico possible.

I left Mexico inspired by the women I met, their determination, creativity and ambition. And more convinced than ever that when women entrepreneurs get the tools and support they need, they grow their businesses, create jobs, strengthen communities and drive economic growth.