Foundation for Puerto Rico closes 1st Leadership Academy
Foundation for Puerto Rico’s (FPR) Innovation Center held the graduation ceremony of its first Leadership Academy, an initiative to train leaders interested in contributing to the island’s socioeconomic development.
As part of the graduation event, an exhibition featured 81 transformative impact projects and descriptions that were crafted by participants during the five months of the academy and for which they received individual mentorship.
Exhibited projects covered the modalities of impact proposal and business canvas. Likewise, numerous participant testimonies were also on display to demonstrate the impact of this novel program.
“The first Leadership Academy has shown how training business, community, governmental and organizational leadership is crucial for the socioeconomic development of Puerto Rico. The individual and collective challenges we currently face demand new knowledge and skills from our social leadership, which in turn will allow us to enhance opportunities and be competitive,” stated Alexandra Lúgaro, executive director of FPR’s Innovation Center.
“It is a priority that we recognize the importance of continuing to train transformative leaders who are effective as agents of change in all sectors so that they assume leading roles in the island’s transformation,” she said.
The first Leadership Academy had the participation of 214 leaders from 50 municipalities, of which 38% identified themselves as business owners: 21% as government employees, 22% as community leaders, and 19% as leaders of non-governmental organizations. Out of all participants in the free initiative, 69% are women.
The Academy’s curriculum consisted of 17 courses designed by experts from multiple disciplines to impact participants with new skills and hands-on knowledge on topics such as: design thinking, entrepreneurship, “3D modeling,” innovation, information technologies, human resources, energy efficiency, user experience design, digital literacy, use and management of social media, strategic communication, creative writing, digital marketing, resilience and sustainability, among others.
In addition, participants obtained a digital study plan that allowed them to learn on their own schedule and can interact and receive feedback from highly qualified mentors in the design and crafting of a Transformative Impact Project.
Launched in July, the Leadership Academy was created by the FPR’s Innovation Center to strengthen the capabilities and competencies of community leaders, business owners, government employees and leaders of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The program seeks to foster their personal and professional growth, and in turn accelerate projects and initiatives focused on Puerto Rico’s economic recovery.
The Center for Innovation was created in 2021 to continue the legacy of Foundation for Puerto Rico of promoting innovation as an economic development strategy through research and intersectoral alliances.
“We congratulate all those who, even with the immense burden of their full-time work, completed this innovative program, convinced that changing Puerto Rico requires new skills and competencies that adjust to our new realities,” said Lúgaro, who added that the Innovation Center will continue to promote new Leadership Academies.
