ALDN - Equipping Entrepreneurs in Mongolia

Asia Leadership Development Network (ALDN) was formed in 2015 when founder and director Baolerhu Ligden transitioned from Shanghai, China, to Sacramento, USA, after a season of seeking God’s direction and calling for the next chapter of his life. As one of the first 50 young Mongolians to receive Jesus in China in the mid-90s, he wrestled with the decision to continue working in the healthcare industry or serve his nation more directly. Searching for clarity, Baolerhu went back to Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, China to meet with pastors, entrepreneurs, and politicians in a handful of provinces where he served in ministry. He asked what had happened since the Gospel had come 25 years ago and about the most important challenges the Mongolian church faced. These leaders shared a story of joys and setbacks.

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They described a young church where almost all leaders were first-generation Christians. The average age of churchgoers in Mongolia today is 23. Mimicking what missionaries had taught them, these churches emphasized the verbal proclamation of the gospel in church services. This produced growth in numbers, but sadly, shallow discipleship led to a high rate of moral failure and limited impact on the community and broader culture.

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In response, Baolerhu discovered a calling to create Asia Leadership Development Network (ALDN). The organization has a vision to equip leaders and alleviate spiritual, economic, and ethical poverty in Mongolia and among the global Mongolian diaspora of more than 10 million people. ALDN is young and fast-growing, with a team savvy in technology, remote working, and creating learning environments through in-person and virtual programs.

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After emerging from communism in 1990, Mongolia is still in the early stages of developing a robust free market. High unemployment and widespread corruption persist, but with 98% of the population able to read and write, massive potential for growth exists. Because Mongolians lack business experience and knowledge, ALDN identified training, support, and coaching as critical for a growing community of Kingdom businesses. ALDN started reaching Christian business leaders in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, in 2018 by hosting faith-driven conferences, publishing and distributing Christian teaching material, and launching a popular podcast with over 200,000 downloads. In 2020, they launched a global business hub, Unleash Academy, and later added entrepreneurship training in partnership with Sinapis through our Aspire Launchpad and Entrepreneur Academy programs.

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While ALDN primarily operates in Mongolia, they target Mongolian-speaking people worldwide, including the Mongolian diaspora in China, Russia, South Korea, Europe, and the U.S. In 2021, they completed two online Aspire cohorts for participants from Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, China, and in 2022, plan to extend their reach to the Mongolian community of approximately 65,000 immigrants in the United States. ALDN is building the first generation of Kingdom-minded Mongolian entrepreneurs, and it thrills us to serve alongside them.

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We beleive that in order to experience the holistic transformation of a nation or a community, it takes more than just evangelism or church planting. This is why we are building an ecosystem in Mongolia to devleop leaders in all aspects of God's kingdom. These leaders can change Mongolia from the inside out through their gospel-compelled deeds. Baolerhu Ligden, Founder and CEO