In early 2025, APF Canada launched a series of capacity-building activities in the APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership (ACGBP). Funded by the Government of Canada, ACGBP aims to improve sustainable and inclusive growth for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those led by women, in emerging APEC economies.
MSMEs contribute significantly to economic development, trade, and integration in the APEC region. In Thailand, there are over 3 million MSMEs, covering all sectors of the economy and employing over 70 per cent of the workforce. While there have been significant efforts to promote women’s participation in MSME development, a common challenge is the lack of opportunities for women MSME entrepreneurs to enhance their skills and knowledge in business management. Many women believe that their businesses could perform better if they had the necessary skills to succeed. To help address this challenge, APF Canada has partnered with Kenan Foundation Asia to deliver gender-responsive capacity building programs that aim at enhancing women entrepreneurs’ skills and knowledge of best practices in business management and equipping them with sustainable and inclusive approaches to scaling up their businesses.
From April through June, Kenan delivered a series of business management workshops, both virtually and in person, to Thai MSME entrepreneurs. Workshops covered key themes for MSMEs in Thailand, including customer validation, design thinking, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), software and applications, and artificial intelligence. The series wrapped up with a networking and engagement event, where we were honoured to welcome Sanjeev Chowdhury, Counsellor (Commercial) and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Embassy of Canada to Thailand, to deliver opening remarks.
At the end of the workshop series, a number of attendees were invited to participate in the next phase of Kenan’s capacity-building program, which is a mentorship program that matches participants with experienced business leaders for one-on-one coaching in business management practices. The mentorship program is intended to provide continuity of learning, create opportunities for networking, and enhance MSME entrepreneurs’ skills in business management, serving as an important enabler of their long-term growth and success. Each session is designed according to participants’ skill level and their business interests and needs to ensure the content addressed is relevant and useful to their business journey. Mentoring sessions began in July and will continue through November.
