Quiport and Junior Achievement promote youth entrepreneurship in local communities with the program La Compañía
With the purpose of promoting the entrepreneurial spirit among young people in communities near the Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quiport, in partnership with the Junior Achievement Foundation, organized the second edition of the program La Compañía. This initiative allowed students from schools in Pifo, Tababela, Yaruquí, Checa, Ascázubi and Puembo to learn about entrepreneurship and carry out real business projects.
Over the course of four months, 66 students from six schools worked in teams to create and manage their own companies. They were guided by 19 Quiport volunteers, who gave workshops on business management in human talent, finance, customer service, marketing, business plans, sales and sustainability. The participants demonstrated their ability to operate in a competitive environment, from the conceptualization of their ideas to the commercialization of their products.
The program culminated with an event at the Wyndham Quito Airport Hotel, where the students presented their companies and strategies to Quiport authorities. The awards ceremony was later held, in which their efforts were recognized in different categories:
Company of the year: Dulzura Manabita, from Tres de Diciembre Educational Unit in Checa, focused on the marketing of traditional sweets from Manabí. As winners, its members received scholarships at the ISMAC Technological University Institute and a consumption card.
Second place: Manguey JA, from Yaruquí Technical Educational Unit, whose members also received scholarships at the ISMAC Technological University Institute and a lower-value consumption card.
Special mentions:
Innovation: Quilla Nina from Ascázubi Technical School.
Best graphic image: Dulzura Manabita from Tres de Diciembre Educational Unit in Checa.
Best financial management: Manguey JA from Yaruquí Technical Educational Unit.
Best Sales Strategy: Tropical Grinch from Colegio Salazar Gómez de Pifo.
Students expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real projects, highlighting this experience as an important step towards the world of entrepreneurship.
Ramón Miró, president and CEO of Quiport, highlighted the impact of these initiatives on youth and community development: “We are proud of the students’ commitment and creativity. It is essential to continue promoting spaces where young people can develop their entrepreneurial skills and contribute to the growth of their communities.” He also thanked Junior Achievement and the Quiport team that participated as volunteers in this program.