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WEXCHANGE: THE FORUM FOR LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Multilateral Investment Fund Member of the IDB Group Established by Supported by Networking + Mentoring + Pitching

Recap WeXchange 2014

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WEXCHANGE:THE FORUM FOR LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Multilateral Investment FundMember of the IDB Group

Established by Supported by

Networking + Mentoring + Pitching

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Copyright © 2015 Inter-American Development Bank. This work is licensed under a Creative Com-mons IGO 3.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC-IGO BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/legalcode) and may be reproduced with attribu-tion to the IDB and for any non-commercial purpose. No derivative work is allowed.

Any dispute related to the use of the works of the IDB that cannot be settled amicably shall be sub-mitted to arbitration pursuant to the UNCITRAL rules. The use of the IDB’s name for any purpose other than for attribution, and the use of IDB’s logo shall be subject to a separate written license agreement between the IDB and the user and is not authorized as part of this CC-IGO license.

Note that link provided above includes additional terms and conditions of the license.

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Inter-American Development Bank, its Board of Directors, or the countries they represent.

CREDITSAuthor: Yandiki, Inc.Supervision: Susana García-Robles, Mónica Pina Alzugaray, Rebeca Granda MarcosEditing and Photography: Elizabeth Byrne Terry, 2014Design: Tipoforma

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The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, works to support economic growth and poverty reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean through promoting investment and private sector development. As part of its program, the MIF seeks to support entrepreneurs as well as small and medium enterprises by creating a favorable ecosystem for early-stage financing through angel investing, seed and venture capital, and entrepreneurship. For more information, visit www.fomin.org.

Multilateral Investment FundMember of the IDB Group

WeXchange is powered by the IDB’s Demand Solutions Program.

NXTP Labs is an acceleration program that provides early-stage funding. The program focuses on Spanish-speaking technology startups that are pursuing global or regional opportunities. NXTP Labs provides seed funding, consulting services, hands-on advice, training, and most importantly, access to a top-notch network of mentors across Latin America, the United States and Europe. For more information, visit: www.nxtplabs.com.

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Miami, Florida, USA

2 DAYS 147 participants

}31 investors

31 mentors

17 countries represented

#WeXchange

48 women entrepreneurs

WexchangecommunityWeXchange14

WHAT IS WeXchange?

WeXchange is the first ever regional forum for women entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean who are seeking early-stage financing. It was established in 2013 by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank, in collaboration with NXTP Labs.

2014’s forum was held in Miami, Florida, USA December 11-12 at Miami Dade College, Freedom Tower, and Miami Light Project.

Once again, this forum brought together women entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors from Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Europe.

Over the course of two days, speakers talked about the challenges and opportunities that women in Latin America often face in the entrepreneurial world, and what it takes to overcome them.

During WeXchange 2014, a Pitch Competition was held. It featured six businesswomen, pre-selected through an online process, presenting their pitches to a panel of judges.

The event also featured successful women entrepreneurs as role models for the region.

Participants left Miami feeling empowered, inspired, proud to have been part of WeXchange, and eager to participate in future gatherings.

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CONTENTS DECEMBER 11

DECEMBER 12

Welcome .......................................................................................................................... 10

Crazy is a Compliment ..............................................................................................12

The Biggest Lies Entrepreneurs Tell Themselves .......................................14

Speed Dating ................................................................................................................. 16

Pitch Competition ........................................................................................................17

The Six Finalists ............................................................................................................. 18

Mentoring Sessions .................................................................................................... 20

Building Better Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs .................. 21

Fireside Chat: The Never-Ending Challenge... Finding the Funding ......................................................................................... 22

Women Who Move the World ............................................................................ 24

From the Trenches: How I Survived the Entrepreneurial Journey .. 28

Pitch Competition Awards Ceremony ............................................................ 30

Latin American and Caribbean Woman Entrepreneur’s Day ............. 32

Manifesto of Women Entrepreneurs from Latin America and The Caribbean ........................................................................................... 34

Scenius, not Genius: An Example of Collaborative Work ..................... 38

How to Build a Personal and Collective Brand: The Power in an Image ................................................................................... 40

Unveiling the Icon of the Latin American and Caribbean Woman Entrepreneur .............................................................. 42

Tweets from After the Forum .............................................................................. 44

Top Tweets WeXchange 2014 .............................................................................. 46

Supporters ....................................................................................................................... 48

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WeXchange, the Sequelby Susana Garcia-Robles

Almost three years ago, the MIF asked us to apply a “gender lens” to all of our operations. So our Early Stage Equity team brainstormed about how we could do this, and decided to take an entrepreneurial approach.

First, we began contacting our colleagues and friends who had a role in building entrepreneurial ecosystems in the region. After many calls, a clear focus for our intervention emerged: women entrepreneurs’ need to strengthen and expand their networks, and to find women role models.

WeXchange was then born, with the idea of bringing members from different entrepreneurial communities together with two objectives: highlighting women entrepreneurs; and giving them access to mentors, investors, role models, and other successful entrepreneurs.

And so we embarked on the first edition of WeXchange in December 2013. It was good that at the time, we couldn’t fathom the amount of work and prep we needed to get us there, because we might never have dared to do it! But once we started, we were fully committed to making a success out of this venture. And so it was: Two days in Miami, 140 participants, 14 countries represented. As I said at the forum’s reception, we were making history.

From our rather naïve perspective, we thought that afterward, we would go back to Washington to wrap things up and get in the

holiday mood… Instead, the phone didn’t stop ringing and the emails kept coming with requests to meet and brainstorm about ideas that WeXchange had inspired. We were humbled by the stories of how our message had resonated among women entrepreneurs and had strengthened their resolution to keep forging ahead, even when faced with the many typical startup challenges.

2014 was a year of growth and change. For starters, the MIF adopted WeXchange as a “flagship” event, and this meant having much-appreciated in-house support. The “trio maravilla” (I and my colleagues Monica Pina and Rebeca Granda) was seeing the growth of the little startup WeXchange… And, given the results, we can again affirm that teamwork really works!

We invited Linda Rottenberg, Endeavor’s CEO and co-founder (and a longtime MIF friend and partner) to be our keynote speaker. Her stories of being called “la chica loca” as she launched Endeavor made the audience realize that “crazy is a compliment”—which is the title of Linda’s recently-published book!

We also invited many other speakers we had come to know over the past year, focusing on women who had made a difference, both on the ecosystem side, and as entrepreneurs. The role models we featured included NXTP Labs co-founder Marta Cruz, Global InvestHer founder Anne Ravanona, Endeavor entrepreneur from Brazil and founder of Beleza Natural Leila Velez, and The Competitiveness Company CEO Beverley Morgan.

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Because WeXchange is all about leveling the playing field for women entrepreneurs, and we dislike the idea of being looked at as a ghetto, we had another NXTPLabs founder, Ariel Arrieta, speak about the lies entrepreneurs tell themselves and investors, some to keep themselves going in the face of huge challenges, and some that can be lethal to their ventures.

While the entrepreneurs were off meeting with mentors, the rest of us gathered to discuss what we can do to keep improving the environment for women in business. A main takeaway was that we need to tell our stories to the world, to attract investors, inspire other entrepreneurs in the making, and to show that there are role models from Latin America and the Caribbean.

There was a pitch competition organized by NXTP Labs, and out of six talented entrepreneurs who presented their companies, the winner was Carolina Medina from SokoText, a social business that leverages

mobile phone technology to benefit small-scale food vendors whose primary clients are poor and low-income consumers.

We had a frank chat on the never-ending challenge of finding funding with two pros: Bedy Yang from the global accelerator 500 Startups, and Jimena Pardo from Carrot, Mexico’s first car-sharing service.

And we had what I call “The Hunger Games”: a speed-dating session in which the entrepreneurs had to “fight” to get to as many investors as possible. It is fun to watch how in the beginning everybody is polite and, after a while, adrenaline kicks in and they begin to make their way to the investors in a more decisive manner!

The next day, we supported NXTP Labs’ initiative to establish December 12 as the Day of the Woman Entrepreneur from Latin America and the Caribbean. All present were invited to sign the Manifesto and wear the icon that represents women entrepreneurs.

A couple of my highlights: Having entrepreneurs from Paraguay and Jamaica attend, proving that the

entrepreneurial “bug” is everywhere, and

Receiving the hugest compliment of all: an email from the MIF Manager, Nancy Lee, who told us “…I came away with the feeling that it... could actually change some people's lives.”

And now we’re starting to think about WeXchange 2015! Will you be there? Be sure to join our WeXchange Facebook community to stay in touch until then.

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WELCOME

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WeXchange 2014 opened with a welcome speech from Susana Garcia-Robles, MIF Principal Investment Officer in charge of the Early Stage Equity group, during which she gave a brief overview of the MIF’s work in early stage equity, serving as both an investor and as a catalyst for improving the ecosystem for entrepreneurs in the region.

She stated that “women entrepreneurs are just as motivated and talented as their male counterparts, but don’t have the same networks and ease of access to mentors, partners, and funding.” García-Robles also noted the importance of WeXchange as “a community where women are able to develop these networks, and access those role models and mentors.”

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Linda Rottenberg was the forum’s keynote speaker. She shared the experiences that made her an entrepreneur, and how they led her to help other startups through Endeavor.

Linda encouraged all in attendance to pursue their own out-of-the-box ideas, no matter what others say.

CRAZY IS A COMPLIMENT

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If you're not being called crazy when you're starting off, then you're probably not thinking big enough.

Innovations are great, but mini-innovations are often the ones that change the world.

Entrepreneurs are not risk minimizers; they are risk maximizers.

Give yourself permission to pursue a crazy idea.

Chaos is the friend of the entrepreneur.

You don't need to wear a hoodie and live in Silicon Valley to be an entrepreneur.

As a woman, you don’t have to be awesome, you can be flaw-some.

Alicia Robb @aliciarobb: If you are not called crazy when you are first starting out, you are not thinking big enough @WeXchange14 @lindarottenberg

Claudia Solis @claudiagsolis: Give you permission to pursue a crazy idea @lindarottenberg @WeXchange14 #entrepreneurs

Dany González @danyglz: Crazy is a compliment. Thank you for your great talk @lindarottenberg #WeXchange2014 #rolemodel @epicqueen

Linda Rottenberg @lindarottenberg: .inspiring morning with so many passionate, talented and crazy women entrepreneurs @lavca_org @RoblesSusanaro @WeXchange14 @fominbid

You can view this presentation at http://tinyurl.com/pbcp4j6

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THE BIGGEST LIES ENTREPRENEURS TELL THEMSELVES

Ariel Arrieta defined himself as a serial entrepreneur who has “founded and flopped” a few times.

He explained that the life cycle of a company consists of eight stages: Commitment, action, traction, identity, prime, comfort and monarchy, exit, and death. Each of these stages has a distinct significance in the evolution of a company.

Arrieta also shared 32 good and bad lies that entrepreneurs tell themselves. Here are some of them:

Good Lie #1. I can fix the problem.

Bad Lie #1. If it doesn’t work I can go back to my last job.

Good Lie #4. Ego kills more companies than lack of capital.

Bad Lie #6. Sales will be better next month.

Bad Lie #12. I’m delegating but nobody does things better than me.

Good Lie #12. I have not failed. I’ve just found 1000 ways that won’t work.

Good Lie #14. Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.

Bad Lie #14. I make the rules but usually I'm the first to break them (as one exception)

Bad Lie #15. We reward the ones that do what we ask and punish the ones that don't.

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Nora Palladino @nora_beat Having options is a bad lie for entrepreneurs. You can not have a plan b. Your startup is your only plan @aarrieta #WeXchange2014

NXTP Labs @NXTPLabs Full house listening to @aarrieta on @WeXchange14

Laru Linares @laru05 @aarrieta: 19/ Good Lie 4. Ego kills more companies than lack of capital. #WeXchange @CreaPanama

Germán Castaños @germancastanos - Excelente título Ariel. Si que sabés como meterte en el cerebro límbico y reptiliano de tu auditorio @foundersintofun @aarrieta @NXTPLabs

Mariano Mayer @gugamayer Now at #WeXchange2014 @aarrieta talks (and twitts) about the "Biggest lies entrepreneurs usuallly tell to themselves"

Part 1: http://tinyurl.com/maogt2v

Part 2: http://tinyurl.com/pdeelxf

Part 3: http://tinyurl.com/q9d87w7

You can view this presentation at

Ariel Arrieta, Co-Founder & CEO, NXTP Labs

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Susana Garcia Robles @RoblesSusanaro Today I feel joy and pride in my work on behalf of women entrepreneurs @WeXchange14 @fominbid @moni_pina @GrandaRebeca

NXTP Labs @NXTPLabs - Speed dating time @WeXchange14 @marta_cruz in action, Now! Speed dating is almost over. When you make that deal, be sure to credit #WeXchange14!

SPEED DATINGThe women entrepreneurs had the chance to meet investors and experts and pitch their businesses to them during the hourlong Speed Dating session.

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PITCH COMPETITIONDo you want to be a trendsetter in the entrepreneurial world? WeXchange asked… and they answered.

The WeXchange Pitch Competition seeks out and rewards the most innovative women entrepreneur in Latin America and the Caribbean.

WeXchange partner NXTP Labs conducted a pre-selection process involving all of the registered projects (more than 70), and chose six women to have the opportunity to compete in Miami, pitching their companies to a jury of international experts.

The first prize winner was announced during the cocktail reception at Freedom Tower (see page 30 for details).

Judges: Juan Vallejo, General Director and Co-Founder, Inception Capital, Rania Anderson, Founder, The Way Women Work, Leslie Jump, Founder and Executive Director, Startup Angels, Humberto Matsuda, Managing Partner, Performa Investimentos, Jocelyn Cortez Young, Founder and Executive Director, Minerva Capital Group.

Carolina Medina, winner of the Pitch Competition, pitching her company, SokoText.

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THE SIX FINALISTS

WeXchange @WeXchange14 - Arranca el Pitch Competition! Participan: @Almashopping_co @zynnco @FirstJobLatam @omlatam @Sokotext @zolvers_latam http://ow.ly/i/7TFZR

FOMIN @fominbid - So proud of all the #WeXchange2014 pitch competition finalists! @RoblesSusanaro @marta_cruz @NXTPLabs @WeXchange14

WeXchange @WeXchange14 ¡¡Felicitaciones a @carmed04 de @sokotext, ganadora del Pitch Competition de #WeXchange2014!! #beinspired

Revista Mprende @revistamprende #Mprende Felicita a la Colombiana @carmed04 de @sokotext, ganadora del Pitch Competition de @WeXchange14

iNNpulsa Colombia @InnpulsaCol - Con el triunfo de @carmed04 en el Pitch Competition de @WeXchange14 celebramos el Día de la Mujer Emprendedora Latinoamericana y del Caribe

MonicaPinaAlzugaray @moni_pina - Gracias @Miss_Internet por tu inspiración e incansable apoyo a @WeXchange14 y a las emprendedoras!

Miss Internet @Miss_Internet - @LorenaEA presentando @OMLatam en @WeXchange14 #girlsrock

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1 2 3Sofía Giraudo (Chile): Founder of Firstjob.me (www.firstjob.me), a site that recruits young professionals with 0-2 years of job experience.

Cecilia Retegui (Argentina): Co-founder of Zolvers (www.zolvers.com), a platform designed to facilitate help for a wide variety of household chores, which may be used in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.

4 5 6Carolina Medina (Colombia): Co-founder of SokoText (www.sokotext.com), an application that helps to improve the distribution of food products and other basic goods in impoverished neighborhoods.

Maria Leal (Guatemala): Founder of Zynn (www.zynn.co), a tool that facilitates precision in business, by means of mobile devices and working in the cloud.

Lorena Amarante (Argentina): Co-founder of OM Latam (www.omlatam.com), the first Latin American interactive social network geared toward marketing professionals.

Priscilla Maciel (Argentina): Co-founder of Almashopping (www.almashopping.com), a virtual store that offers beauty products and cosmetics, and serves all of Argentina.

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MENTORING SESSIONS Women entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to participate in one-on-one mentorship sessions with more than 30 experts from Latin America and the United States. Entrepreneurs were asked to identify their mentoring needs and were paired with experts who had specific knowledge and expertise in the areas they were looking for.

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BUILDING BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

During the afternoon of the first day, an open dialogue was held that dealt with how the private and public sectors can contribute to increasing the number of high-growth women entrepreneurs.

Nancy Lee, MIF General Manager; Mariano Mayer, General Manager for Entrepreneurship in the government of Buenos Aires; Alicia Robb, Senior Fellow at the Kauffman Foundation; Guadalupe Castañeda, Partner at Ernst & Young Mexico; Catalina Ortiz, CEO of Innpulsa; and Ángeles Navarro, Director of Global Networks Chile, took part in this enriching discussion.

After the meeting, Mónica Pina Alzugaray (Investment Officer, MIF Early Stage Equity Group) shared some reflections and conclusions:

Commitment to promote more women entrepreneurs as role models in the media (i.e. interviews, blogs, etc.). It’s necessary to tell these stories to all audiences.

Commitment to give time flexibility to programs that promote entrepreneurship among women in the public and private sector.

Commitment to implement different solutions/programs to promote women’s entrepreneurship, gather lessons learned, and pivot and share those lessons with other organizations promoting entrepreneurship.

Essentially: MORE ROLE MODELS, MORE FLEXIBILITY, AND MORE ACTION/LESSONS LEARNED.

iNNpulsa Colombia @InnpulsaCol Encuentro mujeres emprendedoras @WeXchange14 éxito para Latam! COL participación, ganamos concurso y @MincomercioCo apoya Dia Emprendedora

Susana Garcia Robles @RoblesSusanaroExperts gather to talk about ecosystems @WeXchange14 @NXTPLabs @MartaPAparicio @gugamayer @cataortiz1 @moni_pina @GrandaRebeca @fominbid

http://tinyurl.com/ozgtml4You can view this presentation at

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FIRESIDE CHAT: THE NEVER-ENDING CHALLENGE... FINDING THE FUNDINGBedy Yang, Managing Partner of 500 Startups, and Jimena Pardo, Co-founder of the car sharing service Carrot, gave some tips for entrepreneurs who are trying to bring together enough resources to make their businesses thrive.

Yang told the audience about some of her experiences at 500 Startups, and Pardo pointed out that she started her company with her own money.

Here are some useful tips on seeking funding:

1. Know Your Audience. This means knowing what motivates your investors. Their first priority is an exit, and secondly they do not want to pass up a good deal.

2. Build Your Network. Connect with mentors and build bridges to connect with other entrepreneurs and networks. Know what your expertise and skills areand build them up.

3. Focus on the “-TION”. Figure out what creates traction, make things friction-less, takeaction, and do it all with good communication.

You can view this presentation at Part 1: http://tinyurl.com/pxhul54 - Part 2: http://tinyurl.com/py98ybf

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WOMEN WHO MOVE THE WORLD Anne Ravanona, Founder and CEO of Global Invest Her, and Marta Cruz, Co-founder and Director of NXTP Labs, shared motivating ideas during their presentations.

Anne Ravanona Commitment: To help women entrepreneurs better understand the funding process, to gain funding more quickly by learning from successfully funded women entrepreneurs and investors, and to promote a global community of peers and connections with professionals to help them reach their funding goals . Be inspired through the stories of great women role models - you cannot aspire to be something you cannot picture!

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“Believe in yourself. Be yourself.”

"Spread your talent around the world."

"There's a place in hell for women who don't help other women."

"We can't be Superwoman.”

Aportemos @aportemoshoy @anneravanona @GlobalInvestHer presente en @WeXchange14 #Miami Maravilloso escuchar tu experiencia! #WeXchange2014

Dany González @danyglz11 de dic. We need more women like @anneravanona @GlobalInvestHer !!!! #inspiring #loveit #wexchange2014 women who move the world!

Some of Anne Ravanona's comments:

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“Failure is not the end of the game... it is the kick-off to starting something new and learning from it. Google’s mantra: ‘Fail fast, fail smart.’”

“Stop thinking of any limitations and start thinking of your possibilities.”

“Your potential is greater than your performance.”

“We can’t change who we are, but we can change how we act, and how we participate in the business world.”

Marta Cruz, Co-founder and Director of NXTP Labs, shared motivating ideas during her presentation.

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mamaconectada @mamaconectadaEscuchar a @marta_cruz y @anneravanona te inspira a construir tu propia historia #WeXchange @WeXchange14 @RoblesSusanaro @macalara

Irina Rymshina @iRymshina Women don't fear failure, they fear success - @marta_cruz @NXTPLabs @fominbid @macalara @RoblesSusanaro @WeXchange14 #wexchange14

Laru Linares @laru05 Da el mismo trabajo hacer una compañia pequeña que una grande vamos a lo grande @WeXchange14 @CreaPanama @marta_cruz

Rut Sosa @rutsosa Definir qué es éxito p/ cada una es lo importante dice @marta_cruz @WeXchange14

Irina Rymshina @iRymshina Women don't fear failure, they fear success - @marta_cruz @NXTPLabs @fominbid @macalara @RoblesSusanaro @WeXchange14 #wexchange14

You can view this presentation at: http://tinyurl.com/nw3a39m

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FROM THE TRENCHES: HOW I SURVIVED THE ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEYLeila Velez, CEO and Co-founder, Beleza Natural, strongly believes that not even the sky is the limit. Her inspiration is to be motivated by passion, and fueled by a sense of accomplishment through her company, Beleza Natural, as a driving force for social and economic change in Brazil.

She told the audience that self-esteem is a powerful tool for transforming people’s lives. “I am fully committed to promoting entrepreneurship by participating in groups that foster change in Brazilian laws and the entrepreneurship ecosystem,” she said. Mulheres do Brasil and CEO Champions are a couple of examples of the kind of initiatives she supports.

WeXchange @WeXchange14 - Estamos llegando al final! Leila Velez-Beverly Morgan:"From the Trenches: How I Survived the Entrepreneurial Journey"

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Beverley Morgan, Manager, The Competitiveness Company, is inspired by the certainty that together we can create a better world. She also believes that her firm The Competitiveness Company, the premier project management consultancy in Jamaica and one of the most recognized in the Caribbean, has the potential to play a leading role in achieving it.

You can view this presentation at: http://tinyurl.com/kdhr77b

“I am committed to working diligently and creatively to contribute to the development of an enabling environment that encourages the participation of more entrepreneurs, and nurtures their development and success,” she stated.

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PITCH COMPETITION AWARDS CEREMONYThe first day ended with an evening at the Freedom Tower, where all attendees were able to connect and get to know each other better. Susana García-Robles and Marta Cruz closed the day by announcing the winner of the Pitch Competition.

First prize was awarded to Carolina Medina of Colombia, co-founder of SokoText, a social networking business that uses the power of mobile phones to better meet demand for fresh food in the slums and unlock wholesale prices for microentrepreneurs.

Small-scale produce vendors and kiosk owners are the gatekeepers for food accessibility in urban slums. However, a lack of capital means that they cannot afford to buy in bulk, and they travel long distances to markets every day to buy just enough stock to help them get by. SokoText leverages the widespread and increasing use of mobile phones to solve these problems, helping microentrepreneurs become game-changers. With SokoText, they can boost their business while becoming the key agents that empower people living in impoverished areas to eat better, and have access to nutritious foods.

Medina is a food security specialist who has experience in the fields of policy research, journalism and marketing. She is passionate about social impact and different ways of measuring it.

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FOMIN @fominbid So proud of all the #WeXchange2014 pitch competition finalists! @RoblesSusanaro @marta_cruz @NXTPLabs @WeXchange14

FOMIN @fominbid · 12 de dic.Congratulations to Carolina Medina and SokoText for winning the #WeXchange14 pitch competition! @SokoText

Catalina Ortiz @cataortiz1 Carolina Medina de @SokoText q se lució y ganó concurso @WeXchange14 Orgullosa de ella y mujeres emprendedoras Latam

Dany González @danyglzCarolina de Colombia, presenta @sokotext. Increíble lo que se puede hacer vía SMS para cambiar el mundo. Me encanta! #wexchange2014

iNNpulsa Colombia @InnpulsaCol La emprendedora colombiana Carolina Medina de @SokoText deja en alto el emprendimiento latinoamericano en Pitch Competition de @WeXchange14

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@CeciAlvarezC apoya Día Mujer Emprendedora enfrentando reto de + inclusión mujer en crecimiento empresaria

NXTP Labs @NXTPLabs · Hoy anunciamos el día de la #MujerEmprendedoraLAC. Reafirma tu compromiso emprendedor y adhiérete al manifiesto en http://ow.ly/FNeq8

Epic Queen @epicqueen "Buscamos igualdad de oportunidades para las mujeres emprendedoras"- el Manifesto de la Mujer emprendedora de LATAM y Caribe #WeXchange2014https://twitter.com/macalara/status/543443098735759360

Sylvia Chebi @sylchebi · 12 de dic. Gobierno de Colombia y Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires apoyan el Día de la Mujer Emprendedora de Latam en @WeXchange14

CaroDams @DamsCarolina Quiero una remera así!!!!! :)!!!! Muy buena!! Desde Argentina las acompaño!!! @macalara @WeXchange14 @fominbid @RoblesSusanaro @marta_cruz

Paty Galvan @patygalb Be a Role Model! Join #womenentrepreneurLAC http://manifiesto.martacruz.com.ar/ @marta_cruz @fominbid @RoblesSusanaro @WeXchange14

MonicaPinaAlzugaray @moni_pina @WeXchange14 @marta_cruz : "from now on, on dec 12 we should celebrate the LAC woman entrepreneur"

You can view this presentation at http://tinyurl.com/lecz89k

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LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR’S DAYAfter an entire year of work and commitment, Marta Cruz, co-founder and managing director at NXTP Labs, made her goal a reality by establishing December 12 as the Latin American and Caribbean Woman Entrepreneur’s Day.

On the subject of this new celebration, she stated, “This isn’t just an event, it’s a way to solve a common problem. Women from all over the region have to constantly face a lack of funding and recognition for their ideas. Their businesses are much less likely to make a big impact on society.”

According to Marta Cruz, the spirit of this day is to think about and promote initiatives to help women entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successes.

Read the Manifesto and add your signature here: http://www.mujeremprendedoralac.org/

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CONSIDERING THAT

. Women entrepreneurs propose equality and diversity in business leadership.

• Forwomenentrepreneurs,familyisanengineandan inspiration, not an impediment.

• Womenentrepreneursdreamofabetterworldand work to build it.

• Women’svalueneedstobereconsidered,inbusiness and in society in general.

• TheLatinAmericanandCaribbeanregionhas specific needs related to understanding and lowering the barriers facing women entrepreneurs.

• Womenentrepreneursseekequalopportunitiesto undertake entrepreneurial ventures, and, if necessary, to fail and try again.

MANIFESTO OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS FROM LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

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WE DECLARE

On December 12, 2014, in the city of Miami, a day on which women entrepreneurs gathered in an effort to represent all women entrepreneurs of the region, the Day of the Woman Entrepreneur of Latin America and the Caribbean was established. Those gathered signed the following 12-point Manifesto, which set the foundation for working together towards the future. Those who signed that day, together with the signatories below, affirm:

1. Women entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean must always seek to grow along with their businesses, and to add value and jobs through their organizations.

2. Women entrepreneurs must become agents of change who advocate for gender equality in opportunity, so that other women can undertake enterprises and lead their own organizations.

3. Women entrepreneurs should actively avoid silent acceptance and tolerance of the social roles that have systematically limited women’s entrepreneurial leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean.

4. Women entrepreneurs should take responsibility for making their work visible in their communities, so that other women around them gain courage to start enterprises of their own.

5. Women entrepreneurs should question whether there is a “gender bias” for deciding who presents their business’ “pitch” for investment capital.

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6. The venture capital industry must seek gender diversity in companies.

7. The venture capital industry should recruit and promote more women as partners in fund management firms.

8. The venture capital industry should seek out and invest in early-stage with women on their founding teams.

9. Women entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean should power jobs in their communities through an inclusive and respectful environment, seeking to open communication and generate opportunities for men and women alike.

10. Women entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean should commit to making entrepreneurship a valid lifestyle choice, rather than a reaction to unemployment and low wages.

11. Women entrepreneurs will commit to keeping the entrepreneurial agenda as part of the productive programs of their cities, countries, and regions.

12. The people and organizations who endorse this manifesto commit to marking the 12th of December as a day for creating a space for communication, collaboration, and learning dedicated to the overcoming the challenges and barriers facing women entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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SCENIUS, NOT GENIUS: AN EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATIVE WORKMaca Lara, Communications and Marketing Manager of NXTPLabs, explained how the design of the logo for Latin American & Caribbean Woman Entrepreneur’s Day came together.

It was a collaborative process where a lot of women entrepreneurs provided their input and points of view. “Creating an icon or a logo must be a collective process. It can’t be a unilateral solution,” said Lara. Nothing is the outcome of one single person’s work..

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Isabela Echeverry P @iecheverry @macalara no busquemos genios - pensemos en escenios - construcción colectiva- de lo mejor que vi en @WeXchange14 @pulsosocial

Carla Cassanello @carlacassanello "Un genio no es un genio en sí mismo si no hay un escenario" @macalara @WeXchange14

Gary Urteaga @urteaga Great talk @macalara @WeXchange14 #SCENIUS "the whole ecology of ideas that give rise to good new thoughts & work".

isabelle chaquiriand @ichaquiriand @macalara genial presentando los estereotipos femeninos/ masculinos en el #DiaDeLaMujerEmprendedora LAC @WeXchange14

Carla Cassanello @carlacassanello "Estamos presionadas por estereotipos. Hay un sólo mensaje: tenemos que ser lindas" @macalara @WeXchange14

Irina Rymshina @iRymshina When entrepreneurs run out of words, they invent new! @macalara @NXTPLabs @WeXchange14 @fominbid #wexchange14

Anne Ravanona @anneravanona Fantastic presentation by @macalara from @NXTPLabson how designed logo for LATAM & Caribbean Women Entrepreneurs Day

You can view this presentation at: http://tinyurl.com/lecz89k

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Tini @tinicha - Interesantísimo todo lo que está explicando Gustavo Stecher en #WeXchange2014. #design #brandinghttps://twitter.com/gugamayer/status/543443487086374913 https://twitter.com/urteaga/status/543429040569597953

Patricia Diaz @patdiaz The ingredient for a great brand: identity through Visual Identity System VIS @gustavostecher @WeXchange14

Irina Rymshina @iRymshina To build a strong and powerful brand you only need IDENTITY @gustavostecher @NXTPLabs @fominbid @WeXchange14 #wexchange14 @marta_cruz

Gustavo Stecher @gustavostecher "The only thing you cannot fake is your passion" @aarrieta @WeXchange14

Gary Urteaga @urteaga "An image is worth a thousand words but an icon is worth a thousand images" @gustavostecher @WeXchange14 @NXTPLabs

You can view this presentation at http://tinyurl.com/lecz89k

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HOW TO BUILD A PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE BRAND: THE POWER IN AN IMAGEThrough various symbols of his country, Argentina, Gustavo Stecher, Founder, Nobrand and Menos es Mas., explained the process by which an image becomes an icon representing an entire nation.

Iconic + cultural branding: a human condition of belonging to something.

Finding a true identity, just from the root.

A brand’s innovation is in its emotive and communicative capacity.

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UNVEILING THE ICON OF THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR

AN ICON DESIGNED TO REFLECT A COMMON IDENTITY AMONG WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSAfter Marta Cruz and Susana García-Robles unveiled the logo for the Latin American and Caribbean Woman Entrepreneur’s Day, they declared: The time has come for governments and organizations from across Latin America and the Caribbean to support and join us in this celebration!

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You can also join the celebration by signing the manifesto here http://www.mujeremprendedoralac.org/

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WeXchange @WeXchange14 -Y se acabo! Hemos llegado al final del #WeXchange2014! Agradecemos de todo corazón a las emprendedoras que han participado este año!

FOUNDERSINTOFUNDERS @foundersintofun -Maravilloso evento @WeXchange14 y felicidades a todas nuestras emprendedoras de América Latina y el Caribe.

Marifer Legaspi @ferylegas - Argentina & Mexico :) gracias por todo @macalara ha sido un evento increíble!! #wexchange14 @WeXchange14

Catalina Ortiz @cataortiz1 - Wonderful women entrepeuners from all LATAM today at @WeXchange14 Great day of inspiration. Colombia showing its emerging place as leader

Catalina Ortiz @cataortiz1 - Congrats @marta_cruz y @RoblesSusanaro @NXTPLabs @fominbid x evento impecable para enfrentar reto de + mujeres emprendedoras @WeXchange14

Tweets from after the forum

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From WeXchange

¡Llegó el día! ¡Da inicio en este momento el #WeXchange2014! http://ow.ly/i/7TFZ8 // 6 RT- 4 FAV

.@RoblesSusanaro: oficia como Maestro de Ceremonias, dando la bienvenida a las participantes del #WeXchange2014. http://ow.ly/i/7TGow // 6 RT - 4 FAV

"The Biggest Lies Entrepreneurs Tell Themselves", avanza el #WeXchange2014 de la mano de @aarrieta, CEO de @NXTPLabs http://ow.ly/i/7TG6S // 9 RT - 7 FAV

Ahora: "Building Better Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs" un diálogo abierto acerca del crecimiento de las mujeres emprendedoras. // 8 RT - 6 FAV

Arranca el Pitch Competition! Participan: @Almashopping_co @zynnco @FirstJobLatam @omlatam @Sokotext @zolvers_latam http://ow.ly/i/7TFZR // 8 RT - 1 FAV

¡¡Felicitaciones a @carmed04 de @sokotext, ganadora del Pitch Competition de #WeXchange2014!! #beinspired // 8 RT - 10 FAV

Jimena Pardo y @bedy hablan del problema de conseguir fondos. "The never ending challenge...finding the funding" http://ow.ly/i/7TGfn // 6 RT - 5 FAV

.@omlatam: Digital Marketing Literacy is no longer optional for any kind of business. #wexchange2014 // 4 RT - 8 FAV

.@FirstJobLatam, based in Chile and Colombia, works with 70+ companies and has 70,000+ users @wayrachile @500startups // 7 RT - 3 FAV

From Followers

@carmed04: "If you're not being called crazy when you're starting off then you're probably not thinking big enough" @lindarottenberg @WeXchange14 // 13 RT - 8 FAV

Top Tweets WeXchange 2014

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@cataortiz1: Congrats @marta_cruz y @RoblesSusanaro @NXTPLabs @fominbid x evento impecable para enfrentar reto de + mujeres emprendedoras @WeXchange14 // 6 RT - 10 FAV

@mamaconectada: Escuchar a @marta_cruz y @anneravanona te inspira a construir tu propia historia #WeXchange @WeXchange14 @RoblesSusanaro @macalara // 10 RT - 7 FAV

@carlacassanello: "There's a place in hell for women who don't help other women" @anneravanona @WeXchange14 // 6 RT - 4 FAV

@moni_pina: "From the ashes of disaster, grow the roses of success.learning from our failures will be key for our success" @RoblesSusanaro @WeXchange14 // 5 RT - 5 FAV

@cataortiz1: Wonderful women entrepeuners from all LATAM today at @WeXchange14 Great day of inspiration. Colombia showing its emerging place as leader // 7 RT - 8 FAV

@marta_cruz: Ready to go for rehearsal @WeXchange14 @AlmaShopping_ar @OMLatam @Zolvers_latam @SokoText @FirstJobLatam @zynnco // 9 RT - 8 FAV

@lavca_org: Dia de la mujer emprendedora de America Latina y el Caribe!! @NXTPLabs @fominbid @marta_cruz @WeXchange14 // 10 RT - 10 FAV

@RoblesSusanaro: Today I feel joy and pride in my work on pro of women entrepreneurs @WeXchange14 @fominbid @moni_pina @GrandaRebeca // 12 RT - 13 FAV

@patygalb: Be a Role Model! Join #womenentrepreneurLAC http://manifiesto.martacruz.com.ar/ @marta_cruz @fominbid @RoblesSusanaro @WeXchange14 // 6 RT - 8 FAV

@GlobalInvestHer: #WeXchange2014 @NXTPLabs @marta_cruz launches Women Entrepreneurs Day for Latin America & Caribbean 12/12!Makehistory // 15 RT - 12 FAV

@urteaga: Congrats @NXTPLabs & @fominbid for @WeXchange14 an amazing plataform for #female #entrepreneurs #startups @marta_cruz // 11 RT - 16 FAV

@fomin: So proud of all the #WeXchange2014 pitch competition finalists! @RoblesSusanaro @marta_cruz @NXTPLabs @WeXchange14 // 16 RT - 11 FAV

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