During the second day of the Semana Emprende (Entrepreneurship Week) at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), Club Emprende (Entrepreneurs Club) worked with the ASPIRE Project to organize a student panel consisting of UVG students who took part in the Boston Regional Summit for this year’s Hult Prize. Participating UVG students shared their experience participating in this international entrepreneurship competition. The Hult Prize brings together young people from around the world to share business proposals which have the potential to generate social impact. To be considered for this competition, students must present their proposal to a panel of judges, and explain how it will address current global issues.

The UVG student panelists were: Elisa Samayoa and Julio César Ávila from Data Science Engineering, Ximena Alvarado and Ana Lucía Pineta from Industrial Engineering, and Sebastián Barrios from Biomedical. Together, his team of students was responsible for the design and presentation of Jecowear, a unique approach to improving the life-cycle of fashionwear, by providing a way for fashion producers to give their clothing a “second life” in a way that’s both sustainable and profitable. 

During this event, the panelists shared some of their unique experiences participating in this global entrepreneurship competition. They explained how they became involved in the competition, and the motivation, support from the university, and adaptability that was required when pursuing this award. The panelists  reported that on several occasions during the development of their proposal, they had to make modifications to their approach.

Their submission was completed due in large part to the technical assistance, and support from other entrepreneurs and UVG staff.The panelists  went on to encourage other UVG students to participate in the next Hult Prize, and enjoy the unique, inspiring experience.

The ASPIRE Project continues to facilitate events where students learn how their entrepreneurial ideas can generate social impact within Guatemala and worldwide. These events are held in sync with UVG’s goals to foster and train entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that meet local and regional needs.

About the ASPIRE Project

ASPIRE is a five-year, $15 million project, funded by USAID, and implemented by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), and the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT). This partnership leverages existing assets and brings together new methods of expansion for the innovation, research, and entrepreneurship capacities of higher education institutions in Latin America. The project will create a replicable, world-class model for how higher education institutions and their collaborators in the private sector, government, and local communities can address local and regional development challenges.