Julio's journey and how he became an entrepreneur to build a New World

When first listening to SEEDS student Julio, one might assume he is a born salesman - smiling and confident, Julio takes joy in sharing about his newly created business. What you might not know at first glance is that Julio is a new entrepreneur. 

Julio is the founder of New World, which aims to reuse and convert waste into useful sustainable products. He says the idea came to him when he and his friend were brainstorming how to make a product that was both useful and made out of recycled materials.

In searching for an object, they found a can - and thus the idea to make a lamp was born. They have since expanded their product line, from earrings to other forms of jewelry, Julio and his team are actively finding new ways to create beauty out of the ordinary. 

When asked what he learned from the SEEDS program that he didn’t know, he said basically everything. Everything regarding entrepreneurship was new to him, from how to choose a business, build a business plan, speak to large groups of people, etc. His favorite class, he shared, was coming up with the product itself. 

Throughout his participation in SEEDS, Julio not only learned how to think of a product and market it - but how to innovate. Using what was available to him and his team, Julio has been able to build skills that are infinitely valuable: he is learning how to pave a way for himself in his community. 

Julio is one of the most recent graduates from the SEEDS program from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. SEEDS is a STEAM-based entrepreneurship education program for youth in Puerto Rico. SEEDS allows students to tackle real-world business problems and engage in a mentorship program with leaders in business from on and off the island. 

To find out more about New World visit the SEEDS business page here to watch New World’s business pitch and ways you can support Julio and other students.