Cornetta wins $20K prize, retail space at Plaza Las Américas
Entrepreneur Héctor Montalvo has been named the winner of the fifth Travesía al Éxito Empresarial competition for his product, “Cornetta,” a handcrafted Bluetooth speaker inspired by vintage gramophones and built in his Cataño workshop.
Travesía al Éxito Empresarial is a small-business competition created by Plaza Las Américas to support emerging entrepreneurs with retail exposure, seed capital and mentoring.
As part of the award, Montalvo will receive a year of free retail space at Plaza Las Américas, $20,000 in seed funding from Banco Popular and eight business mentoring sessions to help advance the concept into a full commercial venture.
“Winning this competition represents much more than a professional achievement; it is an opportunity to demonstrate that creativity and local craftsmanship can have a place in the modern market,” Montalvo said.
He thanked Plaza Las Américas, Banco Popular and WAPA-TV “for believing in Puerto Rican entrepreneurs and offering us this platform.”
The Cornetta kiosk is scheduled to open April 1.
Plaza Las Américas officials said the program continues to pursue its goal of supporting emerging small businesses by offering exposure, guidance and physical space.
“Cornetta is an example of innovation with local roots, and we are excited to welcome them as part of our group of merchants next year,” said Edwin Tavárez, the mall’s general manager.
Banco Popular, a partner since the fourth edition of the competition, said the program aligns with its efforts to support entrepreneurship on the island.
“We celebrate Héctor’s achievement and recognize the tremendous efforts of all the entrepreneurs who took part in this edition,” said Carina Camacho, senior vice president of the Commercial Credit Division.
WAPA-TV executives said they remain committed to giving visibility to participants and highlighting the stories behind each project.
