August 21, 2015
Paraguay Emprende
is celebrating the successful conclusion of the 2015 National Workshop and
Business Plan Competition which took place from August 13 to 15 in the city of
Luque near the capitol, Asunción. The
national workshop and business plan competition was made possible by the
collaborative efforts of Peace Corps Paraguay, the Secretary of Youth of the
Paraguayan National Government, the Cooperativa Universitaria and the Asociación
de Jóvenes Empresarios, a non-profit network of young entrepreneurs.
The 2015 theme “Realizar
Tus Sueños,” or “Realize Your Dreams,” highlighted the possibility for Paraguayan
youth to convert their entrepreneurial dreams into reality. The activities at the three-day workshop
concentrated on promoting the entrepreneurial spirit, and specifically focused
on business plan implementation, networking and financing. These topics were enriched by the expertise
of Paraguayan organizations such as KOGA, a social enterprise incubator, and
Fundación CIRD, an economic development non-profit.
57 youth
participants representing 11 departments of Paraguay presented their business
plans, which had been developed over the past several months in Paraguay
Emprende’s “Construye Tus Sueños,” or “Build Your Dreams,” entrepreneurship
courses. The participants valiantly pitched
their business ideas to Paraguayan business professionals who acted as judges to
determine the viability of each project.
PYG$84.000.000 was awarded in seed funding to the 30 participants who’s
business plans were most likely to yield sustainable businesses and a positive
community impact.
Paraguay Emprende
will now move forward with the follow-up stage of its program cycle by
providing the seed funding winners mentoring and consulting services. To conclude the National Workshop, winners we paired
with Paraguayan mentors who over the next year will provide their specific
industry expertise, support and perspective to each young entrepreneur, in
order to help them successfully navigate the challenges of establishing a
successful and sustainable business in Paraguay.
For more
information, please find Paraguay Emprende on Facebook, visit our website at www.pyemprende.wordpress.com or
send us an email at pyemprende@gmail.com
