July 2026 Trip
A video from Ron’s July 2026 trip.
Watch video ↗2026 Mid-Year Impact Update
From training to income.
From local programs to scalable systems.
The first half of 2026 shows what happens when practical education, local leadership, and disciplined stewardship come together. Students are building skills, confidence, businesses, income, and stronger communities—and our partners are helping the model travel further.
1,300+
students equipped
Sponsored programs in Nicaragua, Dominican Republic & Haiti
~30%
trade-school graduates launched businesses
First-half program reporting
>$4
of impact per $1 invested
Reported in Nicaragua
8
countries reached
3 sponsored + 5 partner programs
First-Half Impact at a Glance
What we planned for 2026 is coming to fruition.
Our 2025 year-end report focused on scale: stronger local systems, digital delivery, leadership development, and ministry partnerships. Mid-year 2026 is the point when those priorities have become visible.
More access, closer to home
Business and trade-school programming is active across four cities, backed by local relationships and a growing training infrastructure.
Pastors trained; a late-2026 launch anticipated
Ten pastors have been trained to lead the Kingdom Builder Academy. We anticipate a late-2026 launch, connecting marketplace training with pastoral leadership.
IACET-accredited online academy launched
The Spanish-language online Business Academy, accredited by IACET (International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training), launched in April, creating a new path for high-quality business education beyond a physical classroom.
Eight countries, growing local leadership
BlessBack Business Academy has already expanded into eight countries. We continue to train new leaders with our in-country ministry partners to strengthen and extend the work in these communities.
Nicaragua: Proof of Model
Nicaragua is becoming the proof point for scale.
Nicaragua’s first-half results show progress in reach, graduate outcomes, financial habits, certification, and social return.
Nicaragua | First Half 2026
Practical skills are translating into economic movement.
In the first half of 2026, the Nicaragua program reached 1,275 people through academies, trade schools, and community workshops. A total of 158 students completed technical and business courses.
1,275people reached
158graduates
55.5%established an active savings habit
INATECofficial cooking-program certification
16active programs
4cities
Our cooking program obtained government certification through INATEC, the National Technological Institute (Instituto Nacional Técnico y Tecnológico), a Nicaraguan government agency that provides technical education and training.
The important story is not attendance. It is what students do with the training after they leave the classroom.
We estimate more than $4 in social impact for every $1 invested in Nicaragua, using an SROI framework that includes the value of free education, graduate income and savings, and community benefit.
Training that fits the realities of family life.
Our students balance education with the immediate responsibility of supporting their families. Many live in households with monthly incomes below about $273. For the most economically vulnerable applicants, that income is below about $137, often supporting three to five or more dependents.
Under $273monthly household income described by many applicants
Under $137monthly household income in the most vulnerable group
3–5+dependents supported in the most vulnerable group
These economic conditions can make it difficult to complete a 16-week program. When a job or income opportunity becomes available, some students need to take it immediately to provide for their families. Transportation costs, caregiving responsibilities, and medical emergencies add to that pressure.
Alongside our 16-week programs, we offer 4–6-week mini-courses, one-day workshops, and virtual/Zoom courses. These options give students more ways to gain practical skills while meeting work and family responsibilities.
Investor support for local staff, program materials, and flexible course delivery helps us make training accessible within these everyday realities.
Nicaragua | Blessing Back in Masatepe
A church gave our program a home. Our team helped renew its preschool.
Bethel Church in Masatepe graciously provides rent-free space for our Business Academy headquarters and its four staff members. In 2025, we renovated the office space and an auditorium that seats 60 students for classes.
The church also operates a preschool in a connected area, but its classroom and courtyard were run-down. A more basic need affected every school day: the water was shut off daily by the city from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The church could not afford the tank and pump needed to provide water during those hours.
As a Blessing Back project, more than $5,000 was raised, and the Nicaragua Business Academy team managed the renovation. The work renewed the classroom and courtyard and added a rooftop water tank and pump so children and teachers have water during school hours.
This is what blessing back looks like in practice: local leaders using their skills to serve the community that supports them. Bethel Church’s generosity created a home for the Academy. Our investors and partners helped the team give back with a cleaner, more welcoming preschool and dependable access to water during the school day.
$5,000+raised for the preschool project
Classroom & courtyardrenovated for learning and play
Water during school hoursprovided by a new tank and pump
Stories Behind the Numbers
Let students and pastors tell the story.
Hear how practical training is helping students build their livelihoods and pastors strengthen their ministries and families.
Trade school → income
A testimonial shared by BlessBack Business Academy.
Watch video ↗
Better business decisions
A testimonial shared by BlessBack Business Academy.
Watch video ↗Healthy Shepherds/Healthy Homes: Pastor Testimonials
Hear pastors share their experiences at our Healthy Shepherds/Healthy Homes conference.
Watch video ↗Haiti | Learn to Advance · MOHI, Mission of Hope International
Practical training, disciplined loan repayment, and a habit of saving.
Roughly every 20 weeks, a group of 24 women moves through our Learn to Advance academy in Haiti with our ministry partner, MOHI (Mission of Hope International). Business training is paired with a microloan and savings component, giving students practical tools to build their businesses and support their families.
24 womenper cohort, roughly every 20 weeks
100%loan repayment continues
5%of earnings saved by students
The microloan and savings component continues to deliver encouraging results. We are maintaining 100% loan repayment, while students save 5% of their earnings. These habits strengthen financial discipline alongside the skills needed to run a business.
Nathalie Edme: From student to barbecue business owner.
Nathalie studied in our Computer Academy and then continued in our Business Academy. Bringing technical skills and creative thinking together helped her recognize her own entrepreneurial dignity: the value of her ideas and her ability to build a business.
She put three principles of creative thinking into practice: fluency, generating ideas; flexibility, adjusting her approach; and originality, turning a distinctive idea into something customers could recognize.
Nathalie used digital tools, including social media marketing, to put those ideas to work. She launched a successful barbecue business and differentiated her brand in a crowded market.
Her story shows why we pair technical training with business education and creative thinking. Students learn a skill, see new possibilities, and gain practical tools to turn those possibilities into income.
Dominican Republic | Luperón · MOHI
Practical business education, followed through at the place of work.
In Luperón, a coastal town where micro-enterprises serve agriculture, food service, retail, and nautical tourism, BlessBack Business Academy works with MOHI to help entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses. Our Tier 3 (Sponsored) program offers three distinct 16-week tracks.
16-week track
Foundational Business Academy · Level 1
Marketing, costing and pricing, cash-flow management, budgeting, customer service, and investor pitches.
16-week track
Next Level Business Academy · Level 2
Change leadership, brand and social media, supply-chain efficiency, and AI for small business.
16-week track
Computer Academy
Basic computer functions, Microsoft Office, and Google for Business tools.
The classroom is the beginning of the relationship.
Weekly classroom learning is paired with on-site business coaching and field visits. Our local coach follows up with students and graduates, discusses sales progress, reinforces customer service and financial management, and prays with entrepreneurs for their businesses and families.
Work schedules and family responsibilities can interrupt attendance. Continued visits help local leaders stay connected and offer practical guidance when a student cannot be in class.
What graduates are putting into practice.
Mackendy Pierre · Jireh grocery store
Mackendy continued applying his training after graduation. In March, he was adding products to his grocery store and using what he had learned about the supply chain. By April, he was managing his supply chain efficiently and providing strong customer service at Jireh. Follow-up coaching addressed restocking, sales, and product bundles.
Giory Williams · Putting customer service to work
Giory acknowledges that dealing with some customers can be difficult, but she remembers what she learned about customer service. She puts that training into practice by winning over customers who arrive in a bad mood through good service. Her experience shows how classroom principles can shape everyday business relationships.
Jackeline Sant Fleur · Planning around seasonal demand
Jackeline, a graduate of the Academy, has found the course useful in her business. In May, she was preparing cushion sets for Mother’s Day, using a seasonal opportunity to bring products to market.
These examples show the value of investing in local teaching and continued coaching. Entrepreneurs have someone who knows their business, helps them apply the training, and encourages them through the challenges of earning a living.
Ministry Support Partner | Technology As Needed (TAN)
Reliable technology is expanding access to practical digital skills.
TAN, managed by Richard McKnight, has, over time, provided dozens of computers that helped BlessBack Business Academy implement and expand Computer Academies in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
10new computers provided for the Nicaragua Computer Academy in July 2026
Technology that puts learning directly into students’ hands.
The computers are already being used in hands-on classes, giving students more opportunities to practice practical digital skills and learn on reliable equipment.
This partnership strengthens the learning environment for students and teachers while building the technology foundation needed to expand Computer Academies in both countries.
Thank you, TAN, for making a practical investment in students, teachers, and future opportunity.
Academy & AI
Practical technology for business and ministry.
We are putting AI to work through practical tools for our leaders and teachers, web apps for our trade schools, and training for ministry leaders. Our teaching covers Gemini, Google NotebookLM, and ChatGPT.
The Pastoral Guidance & Readiness Gap
Barna Group’s U.S. research, conducted in partnership with Gloo, highlights a need for informed pastoral guidance on AI. Read Barna’s research ↗
33%One in three practicing Christians want their pastor’s guidance on navigating AI.
12%of pastors say they feel comfortable teaching about AI.
These findings reinforce the importance of helping ministry leaders understand AI and guide its use with discernment.
AI and web apps for leaders and teachers
At this stage, we have used AI and created web apps for our leaders and teachers, including resources for our trade schools. These tools support the people responsible for preparing and delivering practical training.
AI best practices for ministry
We have held several mini-courses with Assemblies of God pastors on best practices for using AI in ministry. Through Gemini, Google NotebookLM, and ChatGPT, we help leaders consider how these tools can support their work thoughtfully and responsibly.
Student mastery comes first.
We are careful about when we introduce AI tools to students. Students first need to demonstrate a level of mastery of the subject or trade without AI. That foundation helps them evaluate AI-generated suggestions and use the tools with informed judgment.
The purpose remains the same: equip people with practical tools that strengthen their businesses, teaching, and ministries. Technology is useful when it helps people apply what they learn and serve their communities well.
Volunteer Spotlight
Sharing experience to bless back.
On her first BlessBack trip, Sharon Fentum volunteered to create and teach a Project Management conference for our partners, Assemblies of God Church and the Church of the Nazarene in Nicaragua. It was a direct response to strong demand for training in this area.
Sharon brought more than 30 years of corporate project management experience to the classroom. By freely sharing her knowledge and skills, she put our Business Academy mission of “blessing back” into practice: using the experience we have gained to equip others.
The teaching was so well received that we will develop a six-week Project Management mini-course to launch in 2027. Sharon’s contribution is helping us build a new training opportunity around a need identified by our local partner.
We need more volunteers like Sharon to help us build our Business Academy. Whether you join us on a trip, help create curriculum, or teach classes virtually, your experience and skills can equip others. Even if you cannot travel, there is a place for you to bless back.
Remaining 2026 Priorities
What we will do and track in the remainder of 2026.
Our final priorities for 2026 combine new training initiatives, local leader development, and continued tracking of graduate outcomes.
Equip pastors with business skills
During our recent trip to Nicaragua, we recognized a gap: pastors receive training in biblical doctrine but often lack the business skills essential to running their churches. We will adapt our courses for business leaders and entrepreneurs into a 12-week program for pastors.
Track economic outcomes
Continue to track what happens to income, savings, business starts, and business performance after students graduate.
Develop local leaders
We are training new leaders in the countries we currently support, preparing them to teach and lead Academy programs in their own communities.
Build the digital pathway
We are using the online platform to train new leaders. This allows us to train more efficiently and provide an accredited training platform as we develop leaders across our partner network.
Partner / Invest
Help strengthen the work behind every student’s progress.
The Academy's reach depends on the people and operating infrastructure that make high-quality training possible. Student success begins long before a graduation photo—with local staff, curriculum, program materials, technology, trade-school supplies, mentoring, and trusted community partnerships.
Byron Arana
Nicaraguan National Director · BlessBack Business Academy
Watch Byron’s message ↗What your investment supports
- Strengthen and expand local staff so more cohorts can be launched, supported, and followed after graduation.
- Fund curriculum, training materials, technology, trade-school supplies, and instructional equipment.
- Build the systems behind scale—facilitator development, measurement, mentoring, and local partner capacity.
We invite you to partner with BlessBack Business Academy in this work.