“Global Nonprofit Connects Small Businesses in Vulnerable Communities to Buyers, Financing, and Markets “
NEW YORK, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Building Markets, a global nonprofit that empowers small businesses in vulnerable communities, will ring the Nasdaq Closing Bell in Times Square on Friday, July 24, celebrating the extraordinary potential of entrepreneurs to create jobs, strengthen families, and transform communities.
Since 2004, Building Markets has served more than 28,000 small businesses, helping entrepreneurs secure more than $1.5 billion in contracts and financing, and create more than 78,000 jobs across Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
The ceremony will feature Elizabeth Brown, Executive Director of Building Markets, and Carolina Durán, Director for Latin America, who will ring the closing bell alongside members of the Building Markets community.
The milestone also marks the launch of Building Markets’ Opportunity Changes Everything campaign.
“Talent and ambition are everywhere, but opportunity is not,” said Brown. “For more than 20 years, we have seen what can happen when markets open for small businesses. Opportunity Changes Everything is an invitation to open more of those doors.”
Among the entrepreneurs featured in the campaign is Vanessa Vélez. Building her spice business in a region affected by violence and conflict, Vélez joined Building Markets’ Colombia network, received business training that improved her product and, through its matchmaking program, connected with her first international buyer.
“Every day, I meet entrepreneurs with the vision, resilience, and determination to build extraordinary businesses,” said Durán. “They just need the opportunity to show what they can do. We are bringing their stories to a global stage.”
Through Opportunity Changes Everything, Building Markets invites individuals and partners to open doors for inspiring entrepreneurs, creating a ripple effect of impact around the world.
To learn more and support the campaign, visit www.builidingmarkets.org/opportunity.
About Building Markets
Building Markets is a global nonprofit that creates jobs and inclusive economic growth by connecting small businesses in vulnerable communities to buyers, financing, and markets. The organization works through three pillars — Find (identifying small businesses with the potential to grow), Build (strengthening business capacity and skills), and Connect (matching entrepreneurs with buyers and financing) — with a focus on women, refugees, and communities affected by crisis and economic exclusion.
SOURCE Building Markets