Historical series Empreendedoras do Futuro: 72% of participants increase revenue after training promoted by Itaú, IFC, and FGV
A free course on business management and leadership was offered to around 100 women entrepreneurs; results prove that investing in training generates direct returns on the performance of women-led businesses and highlights the value of entrepreneurial education as a driver of growth.
São Paulo, September 2025 – One year after the launch of the Empreendedoras do Futuro (Entrepreneurs of the Future, in Portuguese) program — an initiative of Itaú Unibanco in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) — the results from the first class confirm the positive impact of training. Among the participating entrepreneurs, 72% reported an increase in their business revenue, which grew by an average of 37%. Additionally, 24% of the companies expanded their teams, resulting in an average growth of 20% in the number of employees.
The business management and leadership course sponsored by Itaú was offered to about 100 women entrepreneurs who are Itaú Empresas (Itaú Enterprises, in Portuguese) clients and participants in the Itaú Women Entrepreneurs program, focusing on enhancing technical and social-emotional skills. The training included in-person workshops, biweekly virtual meetings, group coaching sessions, and group mentoring, covering topics such as strategic management, finance, marketing, and social and environmental impact. The applied content and ongoing support were essential for participants to put their learning into practice and achieve concrete results in just one year.
“These results prove that investing in training generates direct returns on the performance of women-led businesses and highlights the value of entrepreneurial education as a growth engine. At Itaú Empresas, our mission is to act as partners to entrepreneurs at every stage of their businesses, going beyond banking services to offer strategic support and continuous development. And this strategy yields proven results: a study conducted by FGV shows that companies with access to this kind of support are 30% more likely to remain active after five years — a considerable impact not only on these businesses but also on the country’s economy,” says Cintia Camargo, Credit Director at Itaú Empresas.
According to the “Cabeça de Dono” (Owner’s head, in Portuguese) survey, conducted in 2024 by the Locomotiva Institute in partnership with Itaú Empresas, women leaders of small and medium-sized businesses feel the challenges of the competitive environment more intensely: 83% cite competition as a significant obstacle, compared to 74% of men. Additionally, they report greater difficulty in innovating and expanding their businesses — a perception shared by 73% of women compared to 63% of men.
“The data show that women heading small and medium-sized businesses still face significant management challenges. The Empreendedoras do Futuro (Entrepreneurs of the Future) program aims precisely to strengthen female leadership with practical tools and applied knowledge, boosting their decision-making, management, and business expansion capacity; the positive impact on revenue and job creation among participating companies reinforces the transformational potential of initiatives like this, both economically and socially,” adds Cintia.
“This initiative reinforces Itaú’s commitment to strengthening female entrepreneurship and the importance of initiatives that generate real impact in people’s lives. The Itaú Women Entrepreneurs program has existed for over 12 years and has already reached more than 900,000 women across the country—we remain steadfast in our purpose to empower, connect, and inspire more and more women to claim their spaces with autonomy and leadership. We know that entrepreneurship can be a very solitary activity, especially for women, who, in addition to facing the common challenges of all entrepreneurs, also face gender-specific barriers,” says Luciana Nicola, Director of Institutional Relations and Sustainability at Itaú Unibanco.
The second class of the program has already been held with over 100 more entrepreneurs, and the third round is taking place in the second half of 2025, concluding in November.