January 17, 2022 – Last month, WPDI held its first-ever Business Plan Competition in Tijuana, a city located in Mexico’s Baja California state. Designed to help empower young entrepreneurs with the financial and backstopping support they need to grow their enterprises, 14 groups entered into the competition. Ultimately, three winning entrepreneurs were selected, impressing WPDI’s review panel with their compelling business plans and enthusiastic pitches; we are confident that each of them have robust potential and will positively impact their communities.
WPDI’s Business Plan Competitions are a cornerstone of our Business Bootcamp initiative, which aims to help young entrepreneurs strengthen their knowledge and skills and create opportunities for them to start successful businesses. Open to former trainees who have graduated from the intermediate level of our Business & Entreprepreneurship courses, the competitions offer a competitive space where youths can promote their business ideas and demonstrate their acumen. The successful finalists are subsequently supported by WPDI and our partners with both financial support and backstopping, including monitoring and evaluation of their progress as well as specialized trainings and networking opportunities.
Since the entrants already had a strong grasp of business fundamentals thanks to their training with us, all the 14 projects submitted in the competition were notable for their quality and relevance. Each was reviewed by the six-member review panel, composed of representatives from WPDI, the community, and our partners which provided feedback to youths. During the review process, the panel whittled down the proposals under consideration, leaving six semi-finalists.
Towards the end of the competition, the six semifinalists were asked to present one final pitch to the review panel. All had taken into consideration the feedback received, which made for tough competition. Ultimately, the judges selected the three finalists they felt had the strongest possible chances of achieving success. They are as follows:
1. MALBEC Beauty Salon, represented by Sandra Karina Nuñez Enciso.
2. Cafe Haitiano, started by Dales Louissaint, a Haitain immigrant to Mexico.
3. Ruta 1 MX, a travel company founded by Carlos Garcia.
With the competition now complete, the three winners are already preparing to start and grow their enterprises. As Dales told us, “This city has given me so much and I can’t believe I will be able to have my own business! With WPDI’s support system, I know I will be successful. I’m excited to help change this city.”
