Grupo Guayacán opens call for 12th edition of I-Corps Puerto Rico program
Developing a business idea could be the best way to kickstart the new year and set up for success. With this in mind, Grupo Guayacán is starting off 2021 with an open call for the new edition of I-Corps Puerto Rico (I-Corps PR), its idea validating program.
This program seeks to identify teams who are interested in conceptualizing and validating the market potential of their business ideas.
“Last year was one of the greatest challenges for both rising and experienced entrepreneurs. New projects and ideas have arisen from those challenges, and now is the time to take them up again and get them going,” said Laura Cantero, exective director of Grupo Guayacán.
“At Grupo Guayacán, we’re committed to providing our entrepreneurs with the tools they need to make their ideas a reality. We invite you to apply and be part of I-Corps PR to get your ideas off the ground,” she said.
For the program’s 12th edition, Grupo Guayacán is looking for 25 teams of students, professors, and researchers, as well as entrepreneurs that are a part of the general community, have a business idea they seek to validate, and create a scalable business model around that specific idea.
This will be the program’s third completely virtual edition, and it is free for all participating teams. Interested teams must complete an online application before the Feb. 17, 2021 deadline.
“There are many ideas that may seem fantastic to us as entrepreneurs, but this does not mean they will necessarily translate into viable businesses. I-Corps PR provides participants with proven tools to validate the feasibility of your idea,” said Diana Matos, founder of Mujerona and I-Corps PR graduate.
“Moreover, it helps you steer your project in the right direction, while placing you in a position that allows you to receive financial support through Grupo Guayacán and other collaborators within the same entrepreneurial ecosystem,” she said.
“This is the ideal opportunity to put that idea you have been mulling over to the test,” Matos said.
Her business manufactures a line of accessories made from recyclable materials while encouraging women to recognize their own capabilities. Mujerona was awarded first place in the last edition of I-Corps PR, winning a total of $5,000.
I-Corps PR participants take part in an intensive course to validate their business idea and help determine its potential and feasibility.
The training provided by I-Corps PR may also become vital in determining whether a new business is accepted into other Guayacán entrepreneurial education programs that could broaden its development potential and provide access to more opportunities for financial support.
