Grupo Guayacán, P.R. Builders open call for 3rd edition of joint fellowship program
The Puerto Rico Builders Association (PRBA) and Grupo Guayacán Inc. (GGI) announced the call for applications for the third annual PRBA-Guayacán Fellowship which will sponsor the participation of up to two PRBA members in the 2019 Guayacán Venture Accelerator (GVA).
The GVA is an executive education and development program for companies established in Puerto Rico seeking new growth opportunities. Through this partnership, PRBA seeks to offer its existing and new members access to one of Guayacán’s cornerstone programs and advance the development and strengthening of the construction industry through entrepreneurship and innovation.
“As we move toward the long-term recovery of Puerto Rico, we must take advantage of the rebuilding as a driving force for sustainable economic activity,” said PRBA President Emilio Colón-Zavala.
“We hope that our entrepreneurs have a leading role in this process, so we must arm them with the tools and capabilities necessary to continue developing and growing their businesses,” he said.
The GVA consists of a series of 14 educational workshops offered by a group of academics, executives, and investors from Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland. The program covers topics such as: Identifying growth opportunities, strategic planning, exit strategies & transition planning, and corporate governance.
In addition to the educational curriculum, each participating company will be paired with a mentor to help them design and implement their growth plans. Lastly, companies will benefit from a series of coaching sessions where distinguished entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals offer their perspectives and advice, the sponsors stated.
“We’re thrilled to continue our collaboration with the PRBA and expand the Fellowship program to continue increasing our impact in the construction industry, which will play a leading role in Puerto Rico’s long-term sustainable recovery,” said Laura Cantero, executive director of Grupo Guayacán.
In 2018, the PRBA sponsored the participation of two new members in the GVA: AZ Engineering, an electrical engineering firm focused on renewable energy and electrical efficiency, and ConsPro a wholesale distributor of specialized concrete construction products. Both companies completed the program successfully and will pay their fellowship forward to a 2019 participant.
“The GVA is the best investment of time and resources that local companies can make right now. In our case, the program helped to facilitate communication and align the visions of the two generations that make up our management team,” said José Antonio Sabat, vice president of ConsPro.”
“Through this process, we were able to visualize new growth opportunities for our company. This year, we are proud to support a fellow company in our industry by paying forward the PRBA’s 2018 Fellowship,” he said.
Companies interested in the 2019 GVA are invited to a recruiting event to be held April 11 at 9 a.m.
