Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development arrives in Aguadilla to support local entrepreneurship
Don Cravins, from the Minority Business Development division of the Chamber of Commerce, visited the Aguadilla Business Center to find out more about the coworking space and entrepreneurial programs of Friends of Puerto Rico for adults and youth.
AGUADILLA, PUERTO RICO – Honorable Don Cravins, Under Secretary of Commerce for the United States, visited Aguadilla Business Center last October 12th to discover in-depth the efforts that the center delivers to boost entrepreneurship in the western region, especially with the SEED Young Entrepreneurs program by Friends of Puerto Rico. As the leader of the Minority Business Development Agency in Federal Commerce, Licentiate Cravins boosts the development of minority commercial businesses by facilitating access to support and resources needed to succeed in urban, rural, and tribal communities. The visit was part of MEDWeek 2022 (Minority Enterprise Development), a federal initiative of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the Chamber of Commerce.
During his visit, the Under Secretary chatted with local entrepreneurs at the Aguadilla Business Center, a Coworking space for businesses to work and be launched; he also visited the Ana Javariz school in Aguadilla, one of the academic installations hosting the youth entrepreneurship program by Friends of Puerto Rico. Based on agricultural and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education for youth in Puerto Rico, SEEDS allows students, particularly girls from 9 and beyond, to develop entrepreneurial skills like financial intelligence, emotional abilities, communication, and sales. Besides different workshops and mentorships offered by the program, SEEDS also helps finance entrepreneurship by youth with seed capital and Café Ama Love sales.
“This visit is important for the local entrepreneurial community since it shows the federal government the efforts that are being made to boost the socioeconomic transformation and financial empowerment of citizenship in west Puerto Rico. It’s also an opportunity to make our needs known while working in a rural area, and building multisector collaborations that deliver a stronger entrepreneurial sector each time”, said Angelique Sina, president, and co-founder of Friends of Puerto Rico.
After the event, Cravins commented, “The time I spent with Friends of Puerto Rico was extremely well-spent. Whether it was visiting the students in their school or meeting with entrepreneurs, it’s clear that the people of Puerto Rico are motivated, innovative, and resilient. I’ll use these experiences to help inform the labor of the Minority Business Development Agency as we build a new and expanded agency.”
On the other hand, the Mayor of Aguadilla Julio Roldán Concepción expressed his thanks for the visit of Under Secretary Cravins, since it will allow expanding the compromises and economic development plans of the Municipal Administration and allow the opportunity to continue expanding the benefits for small and mid traders from Aguadilla, alongside with sustainable development and new businesses in the communitarian sector of the town. “Don Cravins’ visit will provoke larger management of our administration and our vision of integration between the economic sector, the community, and the Strategic Plan to boost and promote an organized economic development in Aguadilla. Also, the Under Secretary will see first-hand the economic impact that can be achieved by developing businesses with a communitarian foundation that benefits all citizens”, expressed the Officer from Aguadilla.
Cravins also obtained a better knowledge of the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the region thanks to meetings he held with entrepreneurs like Roberto Becerril, CEO of Integra Bioprocessing, Pedro Hernández Bello, CEO of Lares Broadcasting Corp., Licentiate Joel Méndez, CEO, Vittata Gastrobar; Obeth Soto, CEO, Itacon Corporation; Aledawi "Widy" Figueroa, CEO, Smile Again Learning Center; and Dr. José Vega from the Bravo Family Foundation.
See highlights of the event in our Facebook album.
ABOUT FRIENDS OF PUERTO RICO
Since 2015, Friends of Puerto Rico has supported the economic development of Puerto Rico through entrepreneurial, and educational initiatives and by creating opportunities for all, with a focus on women and girls. It has mobilized an impassionate community of over 30,000 entrepreneurs, donors, and organizers from all over the world centered on boosting economic success and innovation to plant the next generation of leaders.
For more information:
Sol Rivero, 202-702-4134
Sol@friendsofpuertorico.org
@friendsofpuertorico @aguadillabusinesscenter
