The brain learns on yes: encourage yourself, your teams and your partners to try and see what happens next
Encouraging myself and those around me to embrace the unknown can lead to more innovation and growth. Learning from failures and adapting quickly is what propels us forward, and it is something I have grown to appreciate over time. “Yes, and…” is a powerful lever.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kirsten Dueck
Kirsten Dueck is CEO of NESsT. NESsT invests and provides strategic business support to social enterprises that create quality jobs for underserved communities while sustaining the planet. Kirsten leads strategy, growth, and impact, including investment in a portfolio of high-impact enterprises through its acceleration program and impact-first funds.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I’d be happy to! It’s such a pleasure to reflect how every step along what’s been a winding path led me to exactly the place I was meant to be. I think the path looks clearest when we hear the story in reverse, so that’s how I’ll tell it. I came to NESsT after about a decade in private philanthropy. I had the incredible opportunity to be part of a team of community leaders who came together to create an endowed private foundation from the ground up. The way I always describe that process is “operationalizing vision:” envisioning the future we’re dedicated to realizing and then very intentionally putting together the structure, policies, and people to make it live in the real world. That work ultimately became the cornerstone of the PATH Foundation, a grantmaker that strengthens the health and vitality of rural communities.
That meant doing deep and bold thinking about what we valued and how we would contribute to moving the needle on long standing social and community challenges — things like social determinants of health, such as why and how a person’s zip code is a predictor of their health outcomes and life expectancy, generational income disparity, social and racial inequity, and the pervasive barriers to rural communities. We came to understand that the people in the communities we aspired to serve were the true experts and held the keys to real progress.
And as time went on, I found myself bumping my head against a familiar set of problems: namely, systems change needs more than what traditional philanthropy is designed to do. I wanted to mobilize all the resources available to me including investment and the tools of business. I wanted to move faster and more effectively, wrapping together business, philanthropy and governance to advance social and environmental impact. So I started creating an impact investing program within the foundation that ultimately led me to my current role as CEO of NESsT.
NESsT has been at the forefront of impact investing and impact measurement for almost thirty years: its founder, Nicole Etchart, literally wrote the book on what the field would ultimately become.
For me, the intention to find harmony inside things that seem contradictory has been the plumb line of my career. Even though I’ve spent many years in some branch of financial services, I was actually trained (of all things!) as an Art Historian — a discipline from which I learned to examine closely how a person or a culture or business represents what it most deeply values and then turns that idea into something tangible. Surprisingly good training, right, for someone who’s built her career on navigating the intersection between mission and margin, people, profit and planet!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
The MOST interesting? Probably not, there are so many, plus I’m an unapologetic sustainability nerd so what I think is thrilling can’t always be trusted. But since I just mentioned how the act of looking closely can reveal important truths, I’ll share this one:
Since coming to NESsT late in 2024 I’ve been visiting each of our global offices, getting to know our staff and the people behind our portfolio companies on a personal level. In February I spent a great week in Romania with our partners at Ikea Social Entrepreneurship and NESsT’s Poland and Romania-based teams who are accelerating enterprises that provide dignified employment to migrants and refugees displaced by the war in Ukraine.
One of the socially-impactful enterprises we toured was Box Elyte, a paper company that makes beautiful packaging products for high end chocolatiers. Toward the end of the tour, I looked around and asked, “Where’s the trash?” I’ve rarely seen a factory (much less a printer and paper company) that didn’t have huge cargo bins of waste. My guide smiled and pointed to four household sized wastepaper baskets. Why? Because part of their commitment, a key feature in NESsT’s acceleration methodology, is measurable positive environmental impact. The team responsible for printing and cutting lay out every run with minimal offcuts. The small amount of paper waste left over is shredded and sold to construction companies for filler, enhancing the circular economy and avoiding the landfill.
This is a tiny example from a very small company in rural Eastern Europe. But in a world where our environmental challenges can feel overwhelming, this is an example of genuine, measurable, actionable impact. And that’s what makes this work so exciting to me: when we think about scale, it’s important to remember that we can go deeper, not just bigger. That’s the essence of NESsT’s focus on missing middle investment in impactful social enterprises.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Early in my career, when I found myself suddenly and unexpectedly heading the Latin American division of the world’s most storied auction house, I had a completely wrong idea about what it meant to lead. I adopted a no-nonsense pose that must have been difficult for my staff. I thought I had to know everything and decide everything. And that caused all kinds of bottlenecks and frustration for them and for myself. One day a friend came to visit the office and later asked what in the world did I think I was doing? “For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve built trusting and positive relationships all around you. You make people feel seen. In real life you are inquisitive and supportive and creative and full of enthusiasm. Why are you leaving that person at home when you go to work?”
I will always be grateful for that friend’s candor and that I was able to hear it early in my career. It completely changed my ideas about what leadership could look like. By the end of my time there, our department had earned the reputation as the place where promising young employees wanted to be assigned because they knew they’d be seen and valued and empowered. I am proud to have once been the youngest of just a small handful of women worldwide to lead a fine arts department at that level. But now, many years later, I feel the real accomplishment is to have matured as an authentic leader. And I recognize those same qualities in our most successful entrepreneurs.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
NESsT invests in the people behind the emerging market SMEs that are using the tools of business to address the social, economic and environmental challenges of our time. We do this through robust business acceleration by providing technical assistance and patient capital to early stage SMEs ready to scale; and through our two funds providing capital to investment-ready social enterprises operating in the missing middle. Since its founding, NESsT has invested over $33M and trained and supported over 36,000 entrepreneurs across 50 countries. It has accelerated and financed 242 enterprises, in total sustaining more than 99,000 formal jobs and improving the lives of over 1.2 million people from the most marginalized communities around the world. NESsT’s “invest, accelerate, transform” investment model is uniquely designed to drive maximum — and measurable — impact.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
A sector of NESsT that has seen tremendous impact has been our Lirio Fund.
One area of NESsT that has made a significant impact is our Lirio Fund, which operates in Colombia and Peru to address the challenges faced by “missing middle” enterprises in Latin America. This year we’re expanding the fund to Brazil. The Lirio Fund is driven by the recognition of the crucial role locally rooted enterprises play in combating climate change and deforestation in the region.
To date, the Lirio Fund has supported 13 companies, benefiting over 5,900 smallholder farmers or employees from marginalized backgrounds. Notably, 43 percent of these farmers are women, and 79 percent of the organizations we’ve supported have women in leadership positions. Together, these enterprises are safeguarding more than 73,000 hectares of land in the rainforests of Peru and Colombia.
The impact of the Lirio Fund goes beyond mere numbers and figures. It is creating a more equitable financial system, increasing access to capital to historically unbanked and under resourced communities, nurturing sustainable livelihoods, uplifting women, and safeguarding precious ecosystems. With our ongoing dedication, we strive to foster enduring transformations that not only enhance people, planet and profit.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
1. Raise awareness and advocate for investor support towards often neglected “missing middle” enterprises, which frequently face negative climate impacts. By assisting these enterprises, we not only combat adverse climate effects but also generate positive impacts for both the communities they serve and the global environment. Through targeted support and investment, communities, and the world can help these enterprises thrive and contribute to sustainable development goals.
2. Foster community engagement and participation in the design, implementation, and evaluation of social impact initiatives. By involving local stakeholders in decision-making processes, organizations like NESsT can ensure that their interventions are responsive to the needs and priorities of the communities they serve, leading to more sustainable and impactful outcomes.
3. Invest in research and data collection efforts to better understand the root causes of social problems and identify effective solutions. By supporting initiatives that generate evidence-based insights, communities, society, and policymakers can inform decision-making and resource allocation to address pressing social issues more effectively.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership involves engaging in profound and innovative thinking about our values and how we can address enduring social and community challenges. At NESsT, we’ve been at the forefront of this approach, witnessing the remarkable impact of our work that transcends mere metrics. We’ve made meaningful strides in transforming individual communities and contributing to global progress. Whether it’s our initiatives in Romania and Poland or our work in Latin America through the Lirio Fund, leadership has been exemplified by taking proactive steps that result in genuine, measurable, and actionable impact. By staying true to our values and continuously seeking new ways to address social challenges, the most powerful and effective leadership I have seen pushes us to be catalysts for lasting change in communities worldwide.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1 . Missing middle social enterprises are the engine of change and the center of impact.
The reality is, missing middle enterprises play a crucial role in making a global impact. Communities in this sector often bear the brunt of climate change’s adverse effects, yet they possess invaluable knowledge about their environment and effective strategies to combat it. Small and midsize enterprises can move quickly and creatively, using the tools of business to advance innovative social and environmental solutions.
2. Financial empowerment is so much more than shareholder profits: it’s about investing in your values and expecting a return in the form of a better future.
Operating at the intersection of mission and margin is ambitious and creative and entirely possible.
3. Your unique view of the world is a superpower: own it
I’ve learned that embracing my unique perspective is a strength. Owning my worldview and the gifts of an unconventional background has allowed me to bring fresh ideas to the table and approach challenges in creative and effective ways. Some of the most satisfying wins have started with the phrase, “what if…”
4. The best strategy happens when head and heart are engaged in equal measure
I’ve realized that the most effective decisions come from a blend of analytical thinking and heartfelt passion. Approaching strategy with more empathy and compassion, ensuring that goals are not only ambitious but also aligned with values.
5. The brain learns on yes: encourage yourself, your teams and your partners to try and see what happens next
Encouraging myself and those around me to embrace the unknown can lead to more innovation and growth. Learning from failures and adapting quickly is what propels us forward, and it is something I have grown to appreciate over time. “Yes, and…” is a powerful lever.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
When we talk about investing in the missing middle, we’re really talking about the center of impact — social enterprises that have the conditions to scale and need sustained access to capital and business acceleration as they grow. We’re talking about the small and midsize social enterprises that are bringing business solutions to some of the planet’s most pressing challenges. What’s often ‘missing’ is the business support and financing to take them to the next level. That’s where NESsT comes in.
NESsT understands that real impact is not arm’s length work. We have 27 years’ experience investing in social enterprise SMEs in regions that are both under-resourced and yet pioneering successful, business-based solutions to social and environmental challenges.
The world needs more of that close-up work and the good news is you can start from wherever you are. Whether you found a social enterprise, or go to work for one, or invest in one, or use your political power to make regulatory changes that accelerate the work, or simply stop buying into the false narrative that you have to choose between profit and the planet, do it with intention and you will change the world.
The challenges are large, but they’re not insurmountable. And I know this because NESsT measures our impact and the impact of the enterprises in our portfolio. And that makes me incredibly hopeful for the future.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
As a GenX girl I often heard the mantra that you can have it all. I know this was meant to be empowering, an early you-go-girl encouragement to dream big. I can honestly say some of my experiences have exceeded my wildest dreams. But I’ve also learned that even if you can have it all, you can’t do it all at the same time. So being clear about your priorities, honest with yourself about your boundaries, and patient with the cadence of life, is really, really important.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
So much of our work depends on authentic representation, inclusion and belonging. I am fascinated by the work of Lily Zheng and know I have a lot to learn from them about supporting a truly inclusive culture.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can follow my work through NESsT’s website and blog, which highlight our ongoing initiatives and impact. You can also keep up with me through my LinkedIn. For more information, contact Sabrina Ni, sni@nesst.org
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Kirsten Dueck of NESsT Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.