Hecho en PR partners with Chicago museum to export local products
The Hecho in Puerto Rico Association has announced an alliance and collaboration agreement with the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, based in Chicago, Illinois, to bring the e-commerce platform Hecho en Puerto Rico Marketplace to the U.S. city.
Through this alliance, both organizations aim to increase cultural and economic exchange between Puerto Rican communities in the diaspora and on the island through the online Hecho en Puerto Rico Marketplace.
The goal is to increase the export of products made in Puerto Rico and open new markets to Puerto Rican entrepreneurs living in Chicago, the trade group said. The initiative seeks to foster bilateral relations between the communities in Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican diaspora.
The alliance was unveiled during a ceremony at the 23rd Festival de Artes del Barrio, an annual celebration of Puerto Rican culture and heritage in Chicago. The event included a signing ceremony for the agreement between both the two nonprofit organizations, solidifying their commitment to provide access to local products and give visibility to Puerto Rican artisans and their work.
“As soon as I met Jorge, I knew it was the beginning of a new era where our two organizations, working together, could dramatically increase our impact in supporting both communities here in the United States and In Puerto Rico,” Billy Ocasio, chief officer of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, said referring to Jorge Ramírez, president of Hecho en Puerto Rico.
“The Marketplace will allow Puerto Rican families, most of whom have a direct or indirect relative living in the diaspora, to send Hecho en Puerto Rico products that they treasure and miss so much,” said Ramírez. “More than sending a product, it is a way of saying: ‘We’re thinking of you, we miss you, but above all, we love you.’”
The marketplace was originally launched in April to provide an easy-to-use online platform for consumers on the island to order a variety of products from association members at their convenience. A second phase will start Aug. 1, to begin exporting to Chicago.
