UVG’s Entrepreneurship Center, (UVG-CREA) joined forces with the university’s Design Innovation & Arts School (DI&A) to carry out an event at UVG’s Central Campus, which brought together the talent of creative and entrepreneurial minds. The Garage Emprende is a series of panel discussions organized by UVG-CREA in which prominent graduates and experts with entrepreneurial experience share their stories with students, graduates, entrepreneurs and teachers from the AGEXPORT and UVG communities.

Within the Garage Emprende framework, the DI&A led a session titled “Creative Industries – the Orange Economy” as part of its own initiative called Creative Fest. Similar to Garage Emprende, Creative Fest sponsors panel discussions with professionals from various industries, known for combining creativity and innovation in their daily work,  to share their valuable knowledge with the audience.

The panel discussion was moderated by Cecilia de León, Director of UVG’s Bachelor’s in Product Design and Innovation program, with the following guests: Andrea de la Paz, Alhvi Balcárcel and Alfredo Zayas. The main focus was the “orange economy” or creative economy, which includes all those activities that link creativity and entrepreneurship, and that transform innovative ideas into creative goods and services. During the conversation, each panelist shared how their work has played a role in the growth of the orange economy in Guatemala, their experience, lessons learned and advice to others.

Andrea de la Paz, Alvhi Balcarcel, Alfredo Zayas and Cecilia de León. Photo: UVG

First to share their story was Andrea de la Paz.  She is the creative director of Conik Studio, a company dedicated to creating storytelling and branding strategies to improve communication with customers in a more attractive and creative way. She emphasized finding more opportunities than challenges in her experience and advised the audience to recognize the importance of their company’s branding because “presentation leaves an impression”.

Alhvi Balcárcel is a co-founder and video game developer at Selva Interactive. She has published four games; her most recent creation, Illuminaria, is the first Guatemalan game published on the Nintendo Switch platform. Among the challenges she faced, financing her company was among the most important. She persevered by applying to different initiatives and projects, and highlighted the importance of perseverance in making ideas a reality.

Another panelist, Alfredo Zayas works on audio branding. He is a creative director, audio designer and music producer at Upper Sound. This company seeks to shed light on the importance of creating a sound identity for brands and individuals in Guatemala and Central America. His biggest challenge is in educating and helping brands understand that just like their visual aspect, their sound aspect is also very important to brand identity. Alfredo advised attendees to be consistent in everything they do, because this can set them apart from the competition.

Garage Emprende, Industrias Creativas. Photo: UVG

Of course, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other new technologies were also key topics of discussion. Regarding these, participants agreed that beyond being a threat, they  can also become useful tools. Participants highlighted that in the business world, humans add unique value such as brand understanding, creativity and business strategy, strengths that artificial intelligence cannot replace. Participants also recognized the usefulness of AI in streamlining processes, and the importance of learning to use these tools.

The panelists’ stories offered participants a lot to think about. They highlighted how creativity and innovation can drive successful businesses as well as contribute to the economic growth of the region. The inspiration and knowledge shared during this event left an impact on those seeking to begin their path as entrepreneurs in the promising world of the orange economy.

With the support of the Achieving Sustainable Partnerships for Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE) Project, through the UVG-CREA Entrepreneurship Center, the linking of entrepreneurship and innovation is promoted, providing support to the UVG community through initiatives and spaces for knowledge exchange like this one. ASPIRE is funded by USAID and implemented by MIT, UVG ​​and AGEXPORT, with the goal of creating a world-class, replicable model for collaboration among Latin American universities, the private sector, and local communities. The UVG-CREA Entrepreneurship Center fosters an entrepreneurial spirit through programs, events and activities that promote inspiration, training and connection with the entrepreneurship ecosystem at UVG.

Don’t miss the upcoming entrepreneurship activities! Check out the UVG Innovation page and find out more.

About ASPIRE

The Achieving Sustainable Partnerships for Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE) Project is a five year, $15 million project funded by USAID and implemented by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), and the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT) with the goal of creating a world-class, replicable model for how Latin American universities, in collaboration with the private sector, government and local communities, can respond to local and regional development needs.  The project implements a collaborative approach based on MIT´s experience in the innovation ecosystem.