Global Entrepreneurship Week / Bolivia Bolivia gets together around the Global Entrepreneurship Week
Public and private institutions have created an alliance in a search for a new generation of businessmen who will be more committed with the generation of employment and social responsibility.
Good news for Bolivia. Within the framework of the Global Entrepreneurship Week, Bolivia gets together and begins to create a strategic alliance between public and private institutions, with the objective of supporting the uprising of a new generation of entrepreneurs and businessmen who will be more committed with the generation of employment and social responsibility.Bolivia’s social and economic development needs the impulse and strength of this new generation of productive and competitive private entrepreneurs, who will also be honest and with a high vocation towards to social responsibility, said Miguel Hoyos, general coordinator of “Red Bolivia Emprendedora”, during the launching of GEW, that took place on Friday 13th.In this country, the organization and development of the Week involves big enterprises, but there is also the State, represented by the central, departmental and municipal government.Above these, there are other academic and entrepreneur supporting institutions, “all of them with a strong belief in young entrepreneurs and convinced that Bolivia can make it”, said Hoyos.“Young people are the true change agents. They are the ones who will lead the productive revolution that the country is claiming for and they will create decent and sustainable employment”, added Hoyos.The minister of Production and Small Business, Javier Hurtado, criticized the acting of some enterprises that just seek for profits without caring about nature or Bolivian society.He asked the actual and especially the future entrepreneurs and businessmen to act with a new mentality, to be a real new generation of businessmen, capable of combine businesses with the caring of environment and respect for Bolivia and its people.“We need to go from philanthropy to a real concept of social responsibility, because, in order to develop, the country needs a new business vision that includes responsibility and the generation of value and decent living conditions”, he pointed out.Hurtado informed that the central government is working in order to become a supporting arm for entrepreneurs from all over the country.The main executive of Kauffman Foundation –one of the world organizers of the GEW besides Make your Mark–, Jonathan Ortmans, send a message from Washington. He asked Bolivians to get together in this event that can help the country to overcome poverty, because every single human being is able to transform a good idea into an economic activity that brings means of support and development for his/her country.Nevertheless, he asked for a higher participation of universities, where entrepreneurs are supposed to be educated.“Universities are the ideal place for young people to explore their business potential, where they can see themselves as driving forces for a pro-business society”, said Ortmans.
The voice of entrepreneurs
There’s nothing better than lead by the example. That’s why “Red Bolivia Emprendedora” invited five great Bolivian entrepreneurs to share their talent and work during the launching of the GEW.They were one of the main attractions of the event, as public saw them working, asked and learned from their stories and advices.Each one of the entrepreneurs said that they attended to the event in order to show that Bolivia has a big potential and that it is cradle of great entrepreneurs. But above all this, they demanded more attention, for they mean to become the creators of a new Bolivia.One of the guests was Walter Melendrez, from “Ceramicas Walter”, a small business that is selling delicate ceramics products in 15 countries. “We need events like Global Entrepreneurship Week, in order to show the world that Bolivia has great entrepreneurs”, said Melendrez.Nancy Martinez, from “Cotillonería El Sol”, arrived to La Paz –where the inauguration ceremony took place- right from Tarija (in the south of the country). She showed and gave beautiful toys to the public. She makes delicate cloth and wool products, with the support of “Fundación Emprender”.“We want to make progress, we can create jobs, but we need a bit more help”, she pointed out.Kamer Srl, a growing enterprise, works wonders with organic Bolivian chocolate. During the event, it seduced the public with delicious flavors.“We are what this country needs: innovative entrepreneurs who can give work to more Bolivians, especially to the young ones, as it has already been told here”, said José Campos, the head lead of Kamer Srl.Artisans from Anatina Toys showed their best talents by making their toys in the very same salon where the event took place and they sent a unity, peace and work message to the country. Anatina Toys is an initiative of “Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento - Soboce”, a cement factory with a high social responsibility commitment that has founded an independent organization for working with Bolivian entrepreneurs.Patricia Quisbert is a very especial entrepreneur from El Alto city, who also attended the event. Her entrepreneurship is called “Modas Patty”, where she creates elegant and innovative women clothing.“We want to demonstrate that in El Alto there are great producers and that we are as good as strangers. But people and authorities have to pay more attention to us”, she said.The ceremony of the GEW ended with the handing over of gifts donated from the five entrepreneurs and a toast.
National integration
The Global Entrepreneurship Week also means unity. Six cities, in five of the nine Bolivian departments are working together in the organization of this event, which objective is to show young people that there are other opportunities to create their future and show that Bolivia is cradle of great entrepreneurs.There is an assigned institution member of “Red Bolivia Emprendedora” in each of these cities. The group Nueva Economía is responsible of the activities in La Paz and the Universidad Pública de El Alto (UPEA) for El Alto. Fundes is the chosen one for Cochabamba, CDC for Santa Cruz and “Fundación Emprender” is responsible in Sucre and Tarija.During the launching of the GEW, Miguel Hoyos, general coordinator of “Red Bolivia Emprendedora”, presented these institutions as responsible of regional coordination. High representatives from the institutions sent messages of unity and they also expressed their commitment to support new entrepreneurs.Jorge Vaca, representative of Nueva Economía and coordination in La Paz, called people and private and public institutions to join this project, for it is an opportunity for young people. “Let’s keep on dreaming, because the sky is the only limit”, said Vaca.Freddy Cruz, principal of Business Administration career at UPEA, said that, as the industrial seat city of the western part of the country, El Alto is committed with the support to new entrepreneurs and the creation of new jobs, in order to beat poverty in that city and in Bolivia.Álvaro Bazán, from “Fundación Emprender”, said that in Tarija and Sucre, there are new ideas and projects that are indented to promote new entrepreneurs. He also said that during the GEW, this region will show the world all the things they are working on.Wilvar Ibáñez, from Santa Cruz, the most booming region of Bolivia, said that the GEW will be the best opportunity for Bolivia and its entrepreneurs to show the world that they can get together and work for a better future.
Posted : 2 Months, 6 Days, 19 Hours, 23 Minutes ago | Edited : 2 Months, 6 Days, 19 Hours, 11 Minutes ago
Bolivia is already living the Global Entrepreneurship Week
Bolivia is one of the 56 countries that are participating in the Global Entrepreneurship Week
Regardless the delicate political and social situation Bolivia is going through, this country receives good news today and begins to live in the great Global Entrepreneurship Week. This event has been brought to the country by Red Bolivia Emprendedora (Bolivian Entrepreneurship Network). Bolivia is a country with such a great potential. It is a diverse land that offers an opportunity for living, working and producing in each of its departments. However, in the past years, this country has been delaying its development, due to an extremely political agenda that pushed into the background the economic and productive issues, explains Miguel Hoyos, general coordinator of “Red Bolivia Emprendedora“. An economy that is highly dependent of natural resources has left, as a consequence, a weak and less competitive productive sector. This type of economy is also the cause of the dominion of a mentality among Bolivians that rely more on what the government can give them (subsidies, bonuses and the like), causing, as a result a high poverty and unemployment rates. Official data shows that in Bolivia, the open unemployment rate is about 8%. This means that, from a hundred Bolivians old enough to work, eight don’t have a job. The situation gets worst when, from a hundred Bolivians, at least 40 have temporary jobs, with a low payment, without working schedules, without social security; in a few words, they are underemployed. “Even worst, in the past years, many Bolivians had no other choice than accepting a job in fields that have nothing to do with their academic formation. In this case, the young ones are the most affected”, says Hoyos. Therefore, unemployment and underemployment don’t care about ages, capabilities or gender. But every time, it becomes more obvious that there are more and more young people –men and women- in the unemployed rows, who can’t find another way out but to leave the country in pursuit of opportunities. But, fortunately Bolivia seems to have found a way out of this situation. “We believe that entrepreneurs are the true agents of change and inclusion, and they are men and women capable of becoming the main actors of a productive revolution in a united Bolivia”, says Hoyos. Thus, during the Global Entrepreneurship Week, “Red Bolivia Emprendedora” expects to show to the young ones that they can become the entrepreneurs that Bolivia needs, that is, they are capable of creating enterprises to produce high value products, generating employment and income for many people.
Six of the most important capital cities of Bolivia are getting prepared for the event.
Red Bolivia Emprendedora is the hostess
With the impulse and coordination of Red Bolivia Emprendedora, Bolivia gets organized for the Global Entrepreneurship Week. Six cities will host over 30 different activities during that week: La Paz, El Alto, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Sucre y Tarija, in order to show the young ones that the road to entrepreneurship can be the opportunity they are looking for. In each of these cities, an organization has been chosen as a regional coordinator. The group Nueva Economía is responsible of the activities in La Paz and the Universidad Pública de El Alto (UPEA) for El Alto. Fundes is the chosen one for Cochabamba, the Departmental Competitive Council for Santa Cruz and the “Emprender” Foundation is responsible in Sucre and Tarija. Among the activities being organized, La Paz, the historical seat of the government, will host the contest Entrepreneur Ideas, which aims to find potential entrepreneurs and future business among the population. Another institution that is doing his best for supporting entrepreneurs is the Office of the Municipal Mayor, which has prepared two activities: the competition Entrepreneur Culture, for school boys and girls and Wings for Enterprising, for university students. These two contests intend to give young people the opportunity to show their creativity and innovation skills. El Alto, the industrial seat city of the western part of Bolivia and the cradle of great microentrepreneurs, is preparing a master conference about the development of entrepreneurship, with the participation of well known professionals and successful entrepreneurs. Besides, there will be a competition for young people from schools and the public university. Santa Cruz, the most booming and progressive region of the country, announces a micro and small enterprises fair and an interesting contest to bring about the ability of youngsters to be creative in the publicity arena. Cochabamba, one of the most hard working regions, will have a series of seminars and workshops to motivate young people to give their first steps in the entrepreneurship field. Finally, in the south, the organizers are preparing the international a huge event, PILAS, dedicated to the young ones, where more than a hundred students will gather together for a few days and share workshops, talks, games and competitions, among other activities, in order to awake their skills for doing business and their enterprising spirit. There also has been announced the competition MESE, a virtual tournament about creation, management and development of business. The tournament will be on line, and it will be available for students from all over the country.
Posted : 3 Months, 1 Week, 2 Days, 4 Hours, 8 Minutes ago | Edited : 3 Months, 1 Week, 2 Days, 3 Hours, 59 Minutes ago
Gran expectativa en Bolivia por la Semana Mundial del Emprendedorismo
Posted : 6 Months, 1 Week, 3 Days, 9 Hours, 41 Minutes ago | Edited : 6 Months, 1 Week, 3 Days, 8 Hours, 48 Minutes ago
Eventos de gran impacto se realizarán durante La Semana Mundial del Emprendedorismo
Posted : 6 Months, 1 Week, 3 Days, 9 Hours, 54 Minutes ago | Edited : 6 Months, 1 Week, 3 Days, 9 Hours, 44 Minutes ago
Global activities to link all countries
In addition to thousands of activities being planned by partners , a few signature activities are designed to connect bright young minds across the globe.
Unleash It!
While there is no shortage of challenges facing the world today, countless ideas never come to the surface—leaving problems unsolved and opportunities missed—simply because no one stopped to consider them. Unleash It! uncovers these challenges—then links them to enterprising problem-solvers.
Before we can unleash the ideas of the next generation of entrepreneurs on the challenges of today, we need your help in identifying those challenges – no matter how big or how small. Anyone can post a challenge, e-mail your challenges to challenges [at] unleashingideas [dot] org
Speed Network the Globe
Networking is a skill that serves everyone—whether they ever consider starting an entrepreneurial venture or not. Organize a speed networking session in your community and enable local young people to sharpen their networking skills—talking to each other, local entrepreneurs, potential investors, community leaders, or anyone else interested in learning from – and sharing with – others. E-mail cspavin [at] unleashingideas [dot] org to learn more about what you can do to help network aspiring entrepreneurs.
_thumb.png){kind=logo}
