Grupo Guayacán opens EnterPRize 2021 Judging Session to the public

The 16th edition of the EnterPRize business competition is in its homestretch, and for the first time, the public will be able to witness the companies’ final presentations and vote for their favorite team for the special award “Sembrando el Futuro.”  

This award is one of many prizes that will be granted on Dec. 2, as part of Grupo Guayacán’s 25th anniversary event, the nonprofit announced.

Grupo Guayacán, the entity that organizes the competition and offers different business training programs, informed that the EnterPRize 2021 Judging Session will be held Nov. 5 starting at 9 a.m. and will be broadcast on its Facebook page as part of its 25th anniversary content programming. The public must register at and participate throughout the session.

“As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, this year we wanted to allow the public to participate in the final event,” said Katerina Sánchez, program director of Grupo Guayacán.

“The idea is that, for the first time, the public will be able to join in and witness the entrepreneurs’ work and growth during the competition,” she said.

“We have 28 start-ups eager to present their businesses to the judges and the public to compete for various seed capital awards. We want this event to encourage other entrepreneurs to join and support Puerto Rico’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Sánchez added.

This year, a diverse group of 28 companies and nonprofits are participating in EnterPRize and competing for more than $220,000 in seed capital, among other prizes.

EnterPRize is a competition for emerging businesses and offers an educational program, mentoring from professionals in several fields, and coaching during and after completing the program.

The companies compete for three main prizes, offered by Grupo Guayacán, in the amounts of $25,000, $15,000, and $10,000, and special prizes within various categories that this year add up to more than $220,000 in seed capital from sponsors: Popular Inc., MCS Foundation, FirstBank, Puerto Rico Tourism Co., Aerostar Airport Holdings LLC, Assurant, bMedia Group, EMR Advisors, EO Puerto Rico, El Almacén del Vino, Familia Díaz Rivera, Ferraiuoli LLC, Flamboyán Arts Fund, Fundación Ángel Ramos, Hyundai, Liberty Puerto Rico, Luis Alberto Ferré Rangel and Sarah Bird, Mampostea’o, Oriental, Puerto Rico Farm Credit, Titín Foundation, TOTE, and Walmart Puerto Rico.

The Department of Economic Development and Commerce also supports the effort.

As originally reported by: News is my Business