Every day, the MIF website serves thousands of visitors across the region as a knowledge hub around innovative models for private sector development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Starting today, you may notice that the website is looking a bit different. This is because over the last year we listened to you, our visitors, and made things more organized, more accessible, and a bit shinier.

As it was last year, the pitch competition, organized with our partner NXTPLabs, will be the highlight of WeXchange, the premier forum for kickstarting women entrepreneurs who work in Latin America and the Caribbean. We’ve now reached the first milestone: From more than 70 applicants from 15 countries, we’ve selected a list of 12 semifinalists.

Here’s the list of these 12 dynamic women entrepreneurs and their startups.

Earlier this year, the WeXchange team invited women entrepreneurs to share stories from their own experiences launching businesses. Now we’re pleased to announce our favorite ones! These three women’s stories especially inspired us.

En el contexto del  lanzamiento de nuestro estudio sobre las oportunidades de esta forma innovadora y emergente de financiamiento para México, tuve la oportunidad de conversar con uno de los integrantes de este ecosistema vibrante. Gerardo Obregón es el fundador de la plataforma Prestadero.com . Nos cuenta cómo funciona Prestadero, cómo ve el futuro del crowdfunding en México y a las y los emprendedores, les da su principal consejo para tener éxito.

The great potential of crowdfunding in Mexico attracted more than 100 people to a recent launch event for the first detailed analysis of this emerging financing model for entrepreneurs, soon-to-be entrepreneurs, small businesses, artists such as filmmakers and musicians, and even people interested in social development. The premise of this kind of collective fundraising via online platforms is anything but modest: Democratize financing so that anyone with a great idea can implement it. Can it fulfill this promise?