Waving the Magic Silver Wand: How Collaboration, Capital, and Community Can Transform Small Business Posted on April 27, 2026April 27, 2026 By Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant (small.news) — On April 22, 2026, Silver Lining’s Juan Pablo Rivadeneira, Claudia Uribe, and Omar Farahat joined small.talk to share what they’d change about the global small business landscape if they had a Magic Silver Wand. Claudia, Omar, and Juan each shared their own perspectives on what small businesses truly need to survive and thrive in today’s world, touching on themes of collaboration, access to capital, consumer mindset, and the power of inclusive partnerships across the broader SME ecosystem. Q: Who are we? A: Juan — I was born and raised in Ecuador, and I am proud to be Ecuadorian. I serve as Senior Growth Manager for LATAM. The LATAM region is inspiring because Latinos are resourceful and entrepreneurial. I love working with small business owners, whom I see as modern superheroes. They pursue dreams—helping the environment, supporting families, or creating jobs. I admire their drive and the work they put into supporting them. A: Claudia — I’m new to Silver Lining. I am Colombian, born in Colombia, but now live in New York, so I’m an American Colombian citizen. I am passionate about small businesses because I believe economic strength and mobility come from individuals creating their own path through small business ownership. I am here with Silver Lining, supporting that growth because the path to economic mobility is not equitable. I believe, with Silver, we can make it equal for everyone so they have the same support, structure, accountability, and opportunities to succeed for themselves, their families, employees, and communities. A: Omar — I am the Senior Growth Manager for MENA in Asia, based in Cairo, Egypt. I’ve been with Silver Lining for four or five years, almost as long as Juan. I began my entrepreneurial journey before COVID. The main challenge was handling everything on my own, from strategy to marketing. You quickly become an operator, strategist, and marketer all at once. Without adequate systems or support, especially in MENA, this challenge is universal. For me, these experiences are deeply personal. My goal is to ensure small business owners not only survive, but have a fair shot at growth and success. Top Stories The Classroom Was My First Boardroom: What Small Business Owners Can Learn From Teachers Who Build Companies When people picture a small business owner, they rarely think of someone managing 25 restless seven-year-olds in the morning. Some take vendor calls on lunch break. But they should. You’re Not Undercharging, You’re Mispositioned The same product can earn radically different prices depending on where it sits. To earn more, stop competing on cost—focus on placing your offer in a market where its value is already recognized. The World Cup Is Coming: Canadian Small Business Owners’ Window To Cash In Is Closing Fast With the world’s largest sporting event landing in North America in just seven weeks, your business faces a unique, time-sensitive opportunity: prepare now to capture the incoming crowds and revenue, reports BusinessWire. Q: Carissa frames the next as a magic wand question: If you could wave a Magic Silver Wand and make one change to positively impact the global economy, what would it be? A: Claudia — Several past guests from Africa and the Caribbean identified collaboration, trust, and communication as key. I agree. Before considering creative solutions, the basic thing is simply to talk to each other. We’re all working to help small business owners succeed. Many organizations, especially in the US, have good intentions, but the ecosystem remains fragmented. Small business owners often don’t know how to connect with these organizations, and overlapping efforts can create confusion. I agree with that. From a personal point of view, if I could wave my Magic Silver Wand, I think small business owners in the US focus on day-to-day operations and cash flow issues, which I believe is a global issue. They also wonder about AI and what to do with it as it approaches. With my magic wand, I’d give everyone an AI back office to handle administrative tasks, so they can reconnect with the passion that inspired their business. A: Juan — That last part is powerful and closely linked to my reflection. Continuing from where Claudia left off, in previous episodes, Mamie Stewart said that if she had a magic wand, she would wish everyone could have a supportive team. I agree, because finding qualified people—as Claudia noted—is so difficult that small business owners feel it’s almost magical to find those who truly believe in them and want to join their vision. I’m not sure what it means, but you’re right. Opportunity and access make people think individually. This relates to what we often discuss: striving for silver, not gold. Personally, that’s my view, especially for my region. There are three things that would make a difference. Cheating the question a bit, if I had a magic wand, I’d wish: First, better access to capital. Access to capital is crucial. Financial markets often see small businesses as risky instead of as opportunities. Changing this would help Latin America and the world grow. Seeing finance as an opportunity empowers believers. Modern-day superheroes take risks. Give them the extra room to persist. Second, as mentioned, it should be easier to build effective, passionate teams to help realize dreams. I don’t know how, but it’s a wish. And the third thing would be the general public’s perspective. Public perception of small businesses matters. Often, it’s negative. What do I mean? I mean, have a worldwide mindset shift so we don’t always choose the cheapest option, but instead support our community. So rather than going to Walmart, Timu, or any app for the lowest price, I would go to my local bookstore or convenience store. I would support my local musician. If we saw even a 30% global shift toward supporting small businesses, especially in consumer habits, things would be completely different. Of the three changes, I would choose this one because it would generate more incentives, liquidity, and support for local businesses. A: Omar — Interesting. Building on what has been shared, you all have covered many important perspectives. As I reflect on these points, I just want to add because I don’t believe there is more to say, but if we focus on small business owners, and I believe one of the guests mentioned this before, the value essence, you mentioned it, Juan, strive for silver. Let’s help those small business owners. On the ground, we have seen it a lot in the last couple of years, you and me, Juan. So that would be a focus point for small business owners. Another perspective is inclusivity across the SME ecosystem—banks, institutions, and others. If you think of barriers like access to financing and support, rather than everyone working individually to help small business owners, something powerful could happen. We’re seeing lots of collaboration. This is an amazing shift in the last couple of years, but more is needed. The powerful thing is that it doesn’t just support businesses individually; it also supports collaboration at scale. It strengthens the entire ecosystem of small business owners. So maybe that touches on what you’re saying, but if I had a magic wand, I would bundle both ideas together and focus more on partnership. There is a big opportunity to connect small businesses to those opportunities for more inclusivity. I think that would be my simple wish—the right direction—because small business owners don’t know where to look first. We need awareness and to put all efforts together. That would be my simple one. Challenge for Viewers A: Juan — I want to take this opportunity. If you’re watching right now, whether you’re a consumer, a bank, a CDFI, or someone in the small business ecosystem, and if you are a small business owner, I think we could do three challenges based on this conversation. Carissa believes, and we have said it, we’ve been doing this for 21 years. Hopes, wishes, and prayers are great, but small, consistent action makes the difference. I think each of us has said something that could be a challenge. If you’re a bank, financer, or someone who connects people, what’s your challenge? Going by what Claudia said, talk to your fellow bankers, talk to your government, make that communication happen. Claudia said, “Hey, I would love to see a lot more communication so efforts are consistent and unified. I want to challenge you. 10% more local, buy more, 10% more of your total consumption for the month, make it local, and make 10% more every month. See how that would change. And if you’re an SMB, as Omar said, I want to challenge you to believe in yourself and know that what you’re doing is already incredible, right? Take that extra risk, don’t think that you are doing worse than you think, and just challenge yourself. Do you want to shop small? Check out our new buy.small Marketplace! Latest Stories
The Classroom Was My First Boardroom: What Small Business Owners Can Learn From Teachers Who Build Companies When people picture a small business owner, they rarely think of someone managing 25 restless seven-year-olds in the morning. Some take vendor calls on lunch break. But they should.
You’re Not Undercharging, You’re Mispositioned The same product can earn radically different prices depending on where it sits. To earn more, stop competing on cost—focus on placing your offer in a market where its value is already recognized.
The World Cup Is Coming: Canadian Small Business Owners’ Window To Cash In Is Closing Fast With the world’s largest sporting event landing in North America in just seven weeks, your business faces a unique, time-sensitive opportunity: prepare now to capture the incoming crowds and revenue, reports BusinessWire.