Young people will create entrepreneurial ideas

Yesterday the "Hult Prize Challenge 2017" was officially launched, which is a worldwide call. Roberto Maldonado, president of Colineal. ACR. The Hult Prize global movement, which summons university students to create solutions to problems with economic, social and environmental impact, was launched yesterday in Cuenca through the University of Azuay (UDA).

The "UDA Hult Prize Challenge" is an annual entrepreneurship competition and the winner of the final will be awarded with USD 1 million, as seed capital, to execute his idea. The rector of the University, Francisco Salgado, He highlighted the importance of youth participation in this type of initiative to generate positive changes in humanity.

Camera

Xavier Patiño, president of the Cuenca Chamber of Commerce (CCC), highlighted the importance of this challenge organized by the Hult Prize Foundation of the Hult International Business School, with the support of former President Bill Clinton's foundation. of the CCC, Patiño encouraged young people to participate in this challenge that will first have to go through some facets before reaching the grand finale. This challenge is carried out through the specialized platform "crowdsourcing" of open innovation to propose solutions to challenges facing society in various fields.

Costumer

Marisol Peñaloza, from Cuenca, one of the members of the qualifying jury, urged the young people “we who have had so many difficulties as rural women, we have been able to; you who have your education, who have everything at hand, you can do it”. Businessman Roberto Maldonado, president of the Colineal furniture company from Cuenca, highlighted this Challenge, but told the young people that if their interest in participating is for money, they are wrong, because they could win, but they would never put it into practice in the long run. term his ideas, would only be conjunctural. The businessman shared with the young people his experience in founding this factory that emerged under limited economic conditions "but with all the passion in the world." Today it is one of the largest industries in the country, providing 1.000 jobs.

Costumer

Analiz Gonzáles, 26, from Cuenca, an economist from the UDA, and with a Master's degree in Europe, competed in the "Hult Prize Challenge 2016" just when she was studying in Barcelona. Her group, made up of Latin Americans, was one of the four semifinalists in Spain, as they represented the U. of Barcelona. Her project was "Empowerment Tourism" to reach people who do not have connectivity in rural areas and generate a double income for low-income families. Her group won: 12 thousand dollars, accompaniment in the process, relationship with entrepreneurs and arrived in Dubai, where her project had an incubation phase, then it did not reach the final.

But did they apply the project? "Actually I am very honest, we could not make it happen because we have all returned to our countries to look for opportunities." The requirement to participate in this 2017 Challenge is to be a UDA student and first participate in a contest that will be organized by this university, prior registration by groups, each of three or four people from different careers. When enrolling, it is not necessary to have the idea ready, first they will receive two weeks of mentoring; then there will be a campus party.