The unConference brought many successes, one of which was the signing of a cooperation agreement between Stichting MKB Financiering (SMF) (SME Financing Foundation) and the Dutch New Narrative Lab. Ronald Kleverlaan, founder of SMF, emphasized the potential for growth within the entrepreneurial and diverse community of the Netherlands. In the presence of Member of Parliament Mpanzu Bamenga, who is dedicated to the promotion of inclusive entrepreneurship, Kleverlaan and Ruben Brave, founder of DNNL, formalized this agreement to support access to finance. The mission of the SMF is to improve access to finance for small and medium entrepreneurs.

During the unConference, Kleverlaan gave a short presentation highlighting the importance of inclusive finance and outlining key actions to be taken:

➡️ Entrepreneurs: It is crucial to share networks and experiences on financing and to support each other.

➡️ Inclusive advisors: There is a need for more advisors who can bridge the gap between entrepreneurs from marginalized groups and the financial ecosystem.

➡️ Inclusive financiers: Financial institutions need to prioritize diversity in account management and risk assessment. There is also a need to create more funds that target these specific groups. By working with together, the Dutch New Narrative Lab and Stichting MKB Financiering demonstrated their commitment to addressing these challenges and creating opportunities for all entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. 🚀

Read the agreement following this link.