Building on the conviction that a sound economic base is one clear path to social and political stability, MEII breaks from traditional aid models and designs innovative development finance initiatives that foster economic opportunities and dignity, not dependency. A non-profit organization, MEII leverages public and private resources to deliver innovative finance and technical assistance programs to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in order to stimulate sustainable economic activity and long-lasting job creation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).