Grupo Guayacán, Liberty Foundation partner for ‘Conectando tu negocio al éxito’ program
Grupo Guayacán and Liberty Foundation have kicked off 2022 with an open call seeking entrepreneurs interested in participating in ‘Conectando tu negocio al éxito,’ their new entrepreneurial training program, which will offer mentoring and financial aid to start-up companies throughout the island.
This program seeks to promote the innovation and growth of Puerto Rican entrepreneurship to promote the island’s socioeconomic development.
The call for applications opens Jan. 25th, and they can be filled online through the following link. Interested entrepreneurs have until March 10th to apply.
“This collaboration allows us to expand our program offering and increase our impact by allowing us to provide participating companies with the boost they need to grow their businesses,” said Laura Cantero, executive director of Grupo Guayacán.
“Through the program we can continue to expand, diversify, and strengthen Puerto Rico’s entrepreneurial base, the mission that has guided Guayacán for 25 years. Moreover, this is an ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs who need support in the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey, since it will allow them to focus on growing their business, while also preparing them to participate in other entrepreneurial development programs,” she said.
Through this initiative, Guayacán will offer mentoring and seed capital to 100 businesses that offer products or services in the areas of education, healthcare, and social welfare, arts and culture, and environmental protection, which are the pillars that guide Liberty Foundation’s areas of impact.
The program will begin in June, and will consist of 10 entrepreneurial education workshops, technical assistance, mentoring, and an opportunity for participants to win $100,000 in seed capital.
“The main objective of ‘Conectando tu negocio al éxito’ is to provide our entrepreneurs with the tools they need to take their businesses to the next level, thus furthering entrepreneurship on the island as a driver of economic development” said Yadira Valdivia, executive director of the Liberty Foundation.
The foundation is investing $500,000 in this program, which is part of a broader initiative to bolster projects that promote the socioeconomic development in Puerto Rico, with a total investment of $1 million granted recently by Liberty as part of the company’s relaunch.
To participate, the business must be an original project and have a sales volume of less than $250,000. In addition, it must have at least two employees, which may include the business owner.
Guayacán will hold a virtual info session on Feb. 17th for those interested in participating in the program. The selected businesses will be able to compete for seed capital and will acquire tools to design a growth plan as well as the strategies to implement it, to make data-driven financial decisions, and to prepare their pitch.
For more information about the event, and to register, click here.
