One idea, one project. Young Hondurans are trained in entrepreneurship with Tetuan Valley

The path of entrepreneurship is exciting, a fantastic and demanding adventure that requires much more than an idea and an attitude from the person who starts it, that is why, Tetuan Valley and the Veron Foundation and the Veron Foundation have teamed up to provide young Hondurans with the necessary tools and knowledge so that they never feel lost in their development. And what will be more important in the long run, to create a community in which to share experiences, because that will be the way to find answers to the thousand and one questions that will surely arise. 

The Tetuan Valley method includes a pre-training before getting into the field, which has been developed during the first quarter of this 2021 with 4 sessions: 

1. The Pitch: how to present and communicate your project. The importance of social skills.

2. Design thinking: The user-centered method that follows the phases of "designer's thinking" to help you answer the question "how could we do to...". It is about empathizing + defining + ideating + prototyping + validating/testing.

3. Buyer persona: The semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer that will help you plan, focus and put into action strategies to attract and retain your target, better understanding their characteristics, needs, motivations, objectives, etc.

4. Inspirational session: Dagoberto from Mandaditos Méndez and Marta Ugarte from Nukula, told their experiences as entrepreneurs, their beginnings, their feelings, their problems, their way of looking at and living the project. Never has a title for a meeting been better defined, because they were certainly inspirational, two impressive and very valuable interventions.

With this background, five young people, graduates of the School of Glass and Hospitality of Honduras, were selected to start the Startup School of Tetuan Valley, a program of 6 intense weeks, to get your idea to move to the plane of reality. Want to meet them? They are: 

ANTHONY GÓMEZ: His goal is to set up a restaurant called "MI CHEFCITO". He is passionate about cooking and has decided to name the business because that's what he was called at home.

Mentor: Luis Chau - Instacash It must be said that Luis has a long experience in hospitality that Anthony will be able to take advantage of.

WILMER MOLINA: Glass technician is the only one who has already proven that his idea like. Innovative and creative and has already managed to sell some of their craftsmanship making themselves known on Facebook and among friends. For example, one of its most successful products are small glass plates with a Spotify code that includes the song requested by the buyer. So far he has used the facilities of the school to start but aims to create and sustain his business.

Mentor: Marta Ugarte - Núkula - Her startup is getting more and more notoriety and Wilmer can learn a lot from its growth.

FRANKLIN FERRUFINO: Graduated in the specialty of cooking, he has in mind to set up the "Shalom Bakery and Cafeteria" His added value is to be able to serve all those who also have special needs due to allergies, intolerances or health problems and to offer a plus of nutritional quality to his customers.

Mentor: Andreína Gómez - ComTok - Her startup is linked to the healthcare sector and will be a great support for the specialized attention that Franklin wants to give to its clients.

DUGLAS DANIEL CHAVEZ: He bets on "La Cafetería y Repostería Dani" but not just any one, but a place where activities can be held, especially for children, young people and the elderly. A program designed for them to have fun or be entertained in a safe way.

Mentor: Angélica Pimentel - Poin Places - Specialized in discovering and devising the most attractive places for children and their families, she will be Duglas' great support.

CRISTHIAN AGUILERA: His idea is to set up the "Abarroteria Aguilera". Remember those village stores where you could buy eggs or a tool? That is a grocery store in Honduras, a place where you can find everything and thus avoid that people in your community have to move to the city to buy what they need. 

Mentor: Clara Eugenia Ruiz - Teen co - Psychologist specialized in recruitment, will be Cristhian's main pillar to attract and retain his clients.

All of them had a specific mentor who helped them take their first steps and accompanied them beyond the training sessions. These were conducted weekly online from the Tetuan Valley platform with participants present at the facilities of the School of Glass. 

At the end of the program, the 5 young people successfully graduated in a Demo Day with experts from the Tetuan Valley community, as well as Honduran entrepreneurs.

Currently, monthly online meetings are held Spain-Honduras to continue monitoring the projects, but above all of each of the entrepreneurs. The objective is to maintain the community, so that the young people feel accompanied and at the same time are a key support for the next entrepreneurs who join the project.