Paving new pathways to entrepreneurship for women and entrepreneurs with disabilities
Why it matters
Entrepreneurs with disabilities (EWD) face real, layered barriers when starting or growing a business – from financial and systemic exclusion to cultural and social discrimination. These challenges are even greater at the intersections of gender, disability, income, and ethnicity.
At the same time, many business development services and startup programs simply aren’t designed to support these communities. They’re often inaccessible, misaligned with real needs, or entirely out of reach.
What we believe
We believe that entrepreneurship can be a powerful force for justice, sustainability, and shared wellbeing -when it is rooted in community, guided by lived experience, and built for systems change. We believe inclusion must go beyond access, informing how systems are designed, who holds decision-making power, and whose knowledge counts. Entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) are critical to driving this transformation. By reaching underserved communities with locally grounded, inclusive support, ESOs can help make entrepreneurship a real path to meaningful work and social participation for all.
About BEAM
BEAM was born out of research with UNESCAP in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Cambodia. That study, “Towards Inclusive Access: Navigating Gender and Disability Barriers in Entrepreneurship Support and Access to Finance,” highlighted the need for both tailored support and universal design to better serve women entrepreneurs with disabilities.
Our goals:
Improve physical and digital accessibility in entrepreneurship support programs.
Provide tailored capacity-building and mentorship for women entrepreneurs with disabilities.
Bridge the financing gap faced by women entrepreneurs with disabilities.
Program impact & reach
Program details
Learn how BEAM is making an impact across three cities in the Impact Hub Network in APAC.
Message from the BEAMers...
Part of a bigger movement
BEAM is part of a global effort to make entrepreneurship support more inclusive and effective. Across our Impact Hub network, we’ve been developing tools, programs, and partnerships to drive change:
With Argidius Foundation: We created a curriculum to support entrepreneurs through every stage of their journey.
In Latin America: We launched the Gender Lens Acceleration Guide with INCAE Business School to help accelerators support women entrepreneurs better.
In Europe: The Better Incubation program reimagined inclusive entrepreneurship for women, youth, the elderly, people with disabilities, and migrants.
With FSC Indigenous Foundation: We co-created a Toolkit for Inclusive and Relevant Business Support for Indigenous Entrepreneurs which harnessed the combined knowledge and expertise of Indigenous Peoples Organizations, Impact Hubs globally, and Indigenous entrepreneurs in our network..
With UNHCR: We reference the Global Roadmap for Refugee Entrepreneurship to guide our understanding of inclusive support for refugee entrepreneurs. The roadmap maps out best practices across UNHCR operations and partner programs, offering strategic insights into what works — and where the gaps are — in building entrepreneurial opportunities for displaced communities.
BEAM is also proud to be part of the core members of the ANDE Access & Opportunity Learning Lab, a global community working to unlock inclusive solutions for underserved entrepreneurs across Asia.
Our commitment
Together, we can build a world where every entrepreneur – regardless of ability, gender, or background – has the opportunity to thrive.
We’re still growing in our disability inclusion journey – and we’re committed to listening, learning, and adapting. We may not always get it right, but we’re here for the long haul. Let’s create ecosystems that leave no one behind.
Contact information
If you would like to learn more about the program or have suggestions for improvement, we encourage you to get in touch with us:
Nadilla Ratman, BEAM Regional Program Manager
