Puerto Rico students pitch startups to Orlando Bravo at Bravo Day
Seventy-five public high school students spent eight months receiving business training through the Bravo Family Foundation.
What happens when you bring together 75 public high school students, eight months of business training and a prominent entrepreneurial mentor? For the Bravo Family Foundation, the result is Bravo Day — an annual event where students from Caguas, San Juan and Mayagüez pitch their business ideas to co-founder Orlando Bravo.
The students are participants in the Bravo Challenge for Youth, part of the foundation’s Empowering Young Entrepreneurs (EYES) program, which launched in 2022. Over the past eight months, they have received training in business design, leadership, finance, storytelling and personal development.
“This program was created with the belief that entrepreneurial mindsets should be developed early,” said Blanca Santos, CEO of the Bravo Family Foundation. “We want young people — especially those who may think they don’t belong in the business world — to gain access to mentorship, hands-on learning and a curriculum that’s both rigorous and real. Once a year, Orlando meets them face-to-face to hear their business ideas and offer thoughtful, direct feedback. It’s about dreaming big — while staying grounded.”
The students presented a wide range of concepts, including apps for financial coaching and tech support for seniors, as well as services for pet care, interior design, home buying, and niche consumer markets such as clean eating, beauty, boating and clothing for irregular sizes.
Bravo Day served as the culminating pitch event, with students presenting to a live audience.
“It’s impressive how these students have managed to match creative business ideas with real-world analysis — market research, competition, cost structure, return on investment and more,” said Bravo. He encouraged the students to keep pursuing their ventures with confidence, even in uncertain times.
The foundation has supported students across Puerto Rico and plans to expand EYES to Fajardo for the 2025–2026 school year. The program’s goal is to deliver entrepreneurial training to more communities, especially on the island’s east coast.
Officials also announced that Bravo Family Foundation will offer summer tech immersion activities, including coding, programming and networking opportunities for students interested in digital careers.
