Grupo Guayacán recently launched its annual fundraising campaign, the Guayacán Giving Day, to strengthen its endowment fund and continue making an impact on local entrepreneurs.
This year, the organization has directly supported 257 participants through its five business development programs. The 2023 Guayacán Giving Day will be held Oct. 11, with the slogan “Encaminando sueños.”
The fundraising campaign is open for contributions from individuals, organizations and businesses that want to support the development of entrepreneurs in Puerto Rico.
This year, Grupo Guayacán has assisted 142 local businesses with education, mentoring and equity-free seed capital. Of these businesses, 64% are women-led.
The businesses that have benefited from Guayacán’s entrepreneurship programs this year, and are part of the Guayacán Giving Day campaign, include Selenia Beauty, Los Pleneros de la Cresta, and Instituto Psicopedagógico de Puerto Rico. Their founders concur that the education they received from the programs is invaluable.
“Not only does Guayacán invest in its participants through the equity-free seed capital granted in certain programs, but they also make numerous professional tools and resources available for us to unleash our potential and boost our impact on the local economy,” said Mizael Sánchez of Piketú, creators of a local hot sauce brand.
That perception is also shared by Chelsea Serrano of Meliora Centrum, a clinic that offers mental health services for children, teenagers and their families.
She explained that donations like the ones received on Guayacán Giving Day, and the backing of other institutions enable businesses like hers to receive entrepreneurial education for business development at no cost.
“This represents an investment in us, and it even opens doors for us to grow our businesses and positively impact our communities,” she said.
Grupo Guayacán urges the public to donate via ATH Móvil (/Guayacan) or on its website.
As originally reported by: NimB