When young German shipping merchant Juan Gildemeister opened an export trading company in Lima, Peru over 160 years ago, he brought with him an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for hard work, and intuitive business skills that inspired those around him. What set him apart, even in the 1800s, was his willingness to take risks to achieve his vision while offering a helping hand for others to achieve theirs. Juan prospered in his business ventures and became a respected community leader and government representative.
Unfortunately, some of the same barriers Juan confronted 160 years ago continue to keep Peruvian entrepreneurs from achieving their dreams: namely a lack of start-up capital, access to markets, and the necessary technical assistance to improve product offerings. Juan recognized these challenges and generously helped many of his contemporaries by investing in their enterprises.
It is from these entrepreneurial roots that the Hampshire Foundation was created, allowing three families from the third and fourth generation Gildemeisters to continue to foster the entrepreneurial vision of their ancestor and give back to their country of origin. The Hampshire Foundation reflects their family values of integrity, compassion, commitment, and opportunity while encouraging systemic change to improve the quality of life for individuals living in the rural areas of
The family’s broad experience gained over nearly a decade of funding projects in Peru lead to the creation of a distinct initiative within the Hampshire Foundation in 2007 called Peru Opportunity Fund. The Fund’s mission continues to be focused on partnership to provide solutions that will lead to social improvement, sustainable economic growth, improved quality of life, and income generation within Peru’s rural communities.
MISSION
Achieving sustainable growth for rural Peruvians.