Centro Mipymes-INTEC graduates 18 women of the Female Entrepreneurship Program

Santo Domingo. -The training, accompaniment, autonomy and economic empowerment of micro and small businesswomen were the elements that dominated the First Women Entrepreneurship Program of the Mipymes Center of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), in which 18 women successfully completed mentoring.

Juan Calderón, director of the INTEC Mipymes Center, said that in first version of the program received 92 applicants, of which after a process of purification and evaluation they selected 20, who ran a four-month program which included training for your business.

"The training and skills were focused on the needs of being a woman, mother, wife and starting a new business or promoting an already created one, worked hand in hand with the Gender Center of INTEC and professors of the Economics and Business Area," he highlighted. .

Calderón, congratulating the graduates, pointed out that the INTEC Mipymes Center is contemplating the possibility of install the program definitively, to offer it to all women who need advice, or they will start a second group next year.

"I congratulate you for assuming the commitment to come weekly for four months, and leave the responsibilities of their homes and dedicate themselves to fulfill the program.", Said.

The program has been replicated in several universities in the country, through the MSME centers of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Mipymes (MICM), with logistic, financial support and transmission of the methodology used.

Calderón indicated that within the INTEC values, gender inclusion and equity are present in its strategic plan, programs and activities. In addition, he added that in the coming months will show the impact of the program in these small businesses. "On a personal level, it has generated impact, but after this closure, in a report we want to show the change in their businesses and ideas".

In this regard, Víctor Rodriguez, in charge of Business area of ​​the Vice Ministry of Development of Mipymes of the MICM, stressed that the graduates will be success stories which will be presented in the next programs and in the national report which will be held in September.

"We will make a report on Female Entrepreneurship, with the idea of ​​visualizing the work of Dominican women, especially small businesses, and that they obtain much more resources to impact other women," he said.

Rodríguez said that being part of this project it's not only apply a methodology, but to achieve get clients, suppliers, impact their communities and expand their projects nationally and internationally.

The MICM executive said that as a ministry they are proud of the reach achieved and how women manage their initiatives. He also explained that the program was born through the Regional Center for the Promotion of MSMEs, based in El Salvador.

Rodríguez affirmed that the INTEC Mipymes Center is a reference at the national level, and was recently awarded by the MICM as the best performance during 2018. "They have done an exceptional job, and we always bet on their continuous improvement to innovate and keep growing, both in the center and in their companies."

On your side, Kania Castellanos, adviser of the INTEC Mipymes Center, who had the responsibility of coordinating the project, acting as facilitator and mentor, said that the program estuvo marked awarded by the collaboration, teamwork and growth competition between women.

"There they became women who had a small idea to be entrepreneurs, leaders, focused on their business and committed to the community," he said.

Castellanos pointed out "all progress begins when we get out of the comfort zone and that is what you did in these four months. You were not satisfied with what you had, you looked for more and supported each other and that made you get the best out of you, getting your strengths and virtues, and overcoming weaknesses !.

He explained that, during the four phases, the entrepreneurs carried out signatures of agreements; video delivery, the first great challenge to communicate your business idea; they participated in motivational speeches; finance workshops, legal issues and sales, and culminated with the presentation of projects.

In the graduation, in addition, videos of the experiences of the graduates during the program were presented, the most outstanding companies were recognized and a group activity was carried out to close the process of transformation and development.