North America

Our limited world

datatics Aineth Torres, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

Just a few facts about our impact on the environment that cannot be denied:

1. Oil is a non-renewable resource. Practically everything we do depends upon de availability of oil. No alternate source of energy has been found that can sustitute this resource without also depending on it for production.

2. Climate change is a reality which will cause places to disappear either due to flooding or droughts.

3. We all will suffer when this happens.

The question is what type of (near) future do big corporations envision for themselves given such facts? And countries? Why still these issues are not at the headlines of every major newspaper everyday?

Most probably Henry Ford didn´t even think about all this when he made mass production a reality.    Did he ever realized the cost for the environment against the benefits of shortening distances (mile distances obviously) between people? Did he envisioned  having an average of more than 2 cars per family and the great ecological footprint that this means?

What is true is that no matter the circumstances that made inventors in the past ignore environmental damage in the search for “progress” we should learn to rethink the effect that decisions can have when not taking into account the interconnections of our planet.

Moreover, we are in a truly urgent need for people proposing intelligent ways of living. People who search for sustainable ways of progress and who translate strong ethical values to the global stage.

Here is where the important role of social entrepreneurs comes in. Sustainable modes of life have to emerge at every corner of our world and need to be adopted by everyone. Will we do it ontime to avoid a collapse? Well, at least we´ll be better prepared for anything if we start envisioning and testing better alternatives now.

15th Week

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

Last week was pretty busy, as I am supporting with the screening of entrepreneurs for a program. We need to go through over 100 applications, which is quite a task. The funny thing is that the most difficult part is scheduling phone interviews with entrepreneurs, as they always end up re-scheduling again and again. Although I am a Latin American, I never had the opportunity to work over here, so I guess I am now experiencing the Latin American working culture!

The attitude towards time is less rigid than among Europeans, which can be sometimes pleasant, but may also be a challenge when you have a full day! But I am really enjoying other habits such as the abrazos (embrace), which I think is the nicest form of greeting people.

Misión Pueblos Mágicos 1: PLAN

datatics Aineth Torres, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

List of Pueblos Mágicos:

1. Real de Asientos, Ags
2. Todos Santos, B.C.S.
3. Palizada, Camp.
4. Parras de la Fuente, Coah.
5. Comala, Col.
6. San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chis.
7.  Creel, Chih.
8.  Dolores Hidalgo, Gto.
9.  Taxco, Gro.
10. Real del Monte, Hgo.
11. Huasca de Ocampo, Hgo.
12. Mazamitla, Jal.
13. Tapalpa, Jal.
14. Tequila, Jal.
15. Malinalco, Méx.
16. Tepotzotlán, Méx.
17. Valle de Bravo, Méx.
18. Cuitzeo, Mich.
19. Pátzcuaro, Mich.
20. Sta. Clara del Cobre, Mich.
21. Tlalpujahua, Mich.
22. Tepoztlán, Mor.
23. Santiago, N. L.
24. Capulálpam de Méndez, Oax.
25. Cuetzalan del Progreso, Pue.
26. Zacatlán, Pue.
27. Bernal, Qro.
28. Jalpan de Serra, Qro.
29. Bacalar, Q. Roo
30. Real de Catorce, S.L.P.
31. Cosalá, Sin.
32. El Fuerte, Sin.
33. Álamos, Son.
34. Tapijulapa, Tab.
35. Mier, Tamps.
36. Huamantla, Tlax.
37. Coatepec, Ver.
38. Izamal, Yuc.
39. Jeréz de García Salinas, Zac.
40. Teúl de González Ortega, Zac.
41. Mineral del Chico, Hgo.
42. Tlayacapan, Morelos
43. Cadereyta de Montes, Qro.
44. Tula, Tamaulipas
45. El Oro, Edomex
46. Xico, Veracruz
47. San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco
48. Xilitla, San Luis Potosí
49. Mineral de Pozos, Guanajuato
50. Sombrerete, Zacatecas
51. Mineral de Angangueo, Mich.
52. Cuatro Ciénegas, Coah.
53. Magdalena de Kino, Son.
54. Pahuatlán, Pue.
55. Loreto, B.C.S.
56. Valladolid, Yucatán
57. Metepec, Edomex
58. Comitán, Chiapas
59. Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas
60. Huichapan, Hidalgo
61. Tequisquiapan, Querétaro
62. Batopilas, Chihuahua
63. Chignahuapan, Puebla
64. Cholula, Puebla

65. Municipio de Pinos, Zacatecas
November the 11th, 2012 : 7 visited, 57 to go!

14th Week

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

This last week I have been working a lot with the accelerator’s analysts in a project  in conjunction with a University and a bank. Its main objective is to promote social entrepreneurship helping promising enterprises grow, consolidate and develop through a training period and the deployment of capital.

I have been supporting in the filtering of the participating companies (which come from a broad variety of sectors)  in order to determine the finalists. It is a very interesting activity as it gives you insight into very different industries and business models.

The conversations I am having with entrepreneurs for this matter have made me realiaze that in the past 2 months I have learned a lot! Being almost at my half-way point, I must say there has never being a dull moment, and I feel as if I am gaining lots of skills.

iMx

datatics Aineth Torres, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

This week I had the opportunity to attend an event of iniciativa Mexico (iMx).

iMx started as a joint project of the most important media companies in Mexico seeking to promote and support citizen initiatives with true social impact. The project was launched towards the celebration of the bicentennary of the Mexican independence and the centennary of the Mexican revolution. It was seen as a way to bring up the best of Mexicans in face of the raising violence  that prevailed in the country.

In 2010 and 2011 they received a total of 104,007 idea and project applications. About 100 projects passed to a second round and, after being evaluated by Ashoka, each year about $116 MMx were distributed among the selected projects.

The finalists of iMx were awarded capital to invest in their operations. In addition they were provided with periodic training to help them improve the management and operations of their organizations.

Being among so many citizens that are in the field working hard to generate a positive change in their communities was a humbling experience. They are common mexicans with an outstanding empathy for what happens around them.

I also had the opportunity to learn about the many challenges they face to keep their organizations going. Among them, the most commonly mentioned were resistance to change and economic strugless.

Even though the program was launched for all types of initiatives (for-profit and not-for-profit), I was surprised to see so many not-for-profit. Indeed only about 1 in 10 were for-profit organizations. As I was talking to a few of the NGOs that seemed to be able to generate a viable business model. They all seemed to be quite interested but, at the same time, afraid about the uncertainties faced with a for-profit model. Moreover, I perceived in them the conflict between doing good and being profitable.

In other parts of the world we´ve seen how some well known companies have struggled making this decision and others have opted for a hybrid model to better achieve their altruistic goals. What´s the best approach for organizations is there to be determined by each. In the mean time, in the mexican social environment, the existence of Bcorporations and L3C (low-profit limited liability company)s represents an opportunity for making money, attracting investors and addressing social issues that most probably will receive much attention in the coming years. Let´s see how well accepted these new models are and whether they can see the same or better growth compared to what NGOs saw in Mexico in the 80´s and 90´s. Right now only about 5% of mexican citizens participate in non for profit organizations which is very low compared to the 21% of participation overall seen in Latino America(1). The major causes seem to be a very poor civic culture supported by lack of mechanisms to make laws easy to implement (2).

(1)(2) Source: DIAGNÓSTICO DE LA SITUACIÓN DE LOS ACTORESSOCIALES QUE PROMUEVEN EL DESARROLLO SOCIAL. SEDESOL 2009. Mexican Government.

Being in Mexico

datatics Aineth Torres, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

I am super happy for being back in my home country to live and work in it and learn more about it!.

Impact investing means to me the possibility of creating a life with a purpose.

We work not only with the purpose of making a living (or it might be better to ask what “to make a living” means for each of us -you might want to follow the discussion started by Etsy´s founder). We live while we work so, why not making our work experience something we are thrilled about as we want to make the time we spend when we are on vacation or when we are with family and friends?. I can not agree with seeing our jobs as something separated from the fun of life because it implies that we haven´t learnt to value our own lives.

Of course, we have the opportunity to enjoy our jobs no matter the type of organization we work at… The problem as I see it is that many organizations (especially businesses but not only businesses) have lost the sense of their value to the purpose of profit. Employees get disconnected from the purpose of their jobs and great corporations don´t measure their growth to the extend they preserve healthy ecosystems and the dignity of all the stakeholders they interact with.

Impact investing is an opportunity to measure organizations for the good they do beyond the profit they make. It is an opportunity to regain focus on the value of service and of relationships. An opportunity to redirect the flow of benefits only seen by about 1% of the world´s population to be enjoyed in a more balanced manner by each person in the way she/he wants (e.g. not only by getting the latest car model or pair of tennis shoes). Because, at the end, economic prosperity only can be enjoyed to the extend we can live safe, happy and healthy lives… and see that others around us do the same.

This is why I don´t see impact investing as an option but as the path to follow and I hope my experience as an FMS will help me to strengthen this position.

12 and 13th weeks

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to the south of Mexico. I visited some ancient buildings in the Yucatan Peninsula. I particularly enjoyed the ruins of Uxmal, with its harmonious well preserved structures. I stayed at Merida, a beautiful small metropolitan city with a colonial architecture.

I also went along the Caribbean Sea coast staying in many beautiful beaches. There were also some ruins which were incredible, especially the ones located by the ocean.

Regarding my work, I summarized the outcome of my last Strategy BC, one of the activities of the acceleration process, where entrepreneurs received feedback from consultants in order to strengthen their companies. I coordinated the next meeting and I am preparing in order to help the entrepreneurs make the most of the next session.

11th week

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

I continued holding meetings with different organizations active in the seed capital sector.

I also had the opportunity to attend an event called green solutions, a platform that seeks to showcase the innovative technologies that focus on small and medium enterprises (SME’s) in order to find valuable initiatives to contribute actively in the climate change mitigation.

On Thursday I organized my first strategy BC, which is an activity that is part of the acceleration process of the companies, where I had to coordinate a meeting between entrepreneurs and their mentors. Through this process, the entrepreneurs receive advice and feedback from experienced consultants, which helps them strengthen their business model.

During the weekend I went to the Zocalo, Mexico’s city beautiful central square. The beauty of the architecture in building after building is stunning. The main square, the Cathedral and the Palacio de Bellas Artes are all so impressive.

 

 

 

 

10th week

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

This will be a short post since last week I had to fly all the way to Europe in order to vote for the Venezuelan elections!

Nonetheless, it was a very busy week. I held several meetings with different organizations that are active in the seed capital financing scenario. The conversations were very interesting, as the people shared their insights on the industry, how they think it will evolve, and the challenges and chances that lie ahead.

I will continue holding such meetings during the coming weeks in order to learn more from the industry and continue mapping the sector.

9th Week

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

This past week I have been mainly working at my seed capital sector mapping project. I must say the team has been extremely helpful in facilitating contacts and introducing me to people who might be able to help me, which is making it easier for me. I believe I am improving my people skills, which is a great thing.

As I have been involved in a lot of things lately, I still need to gain exposure to some of the accelerator programs, and I will start doing so this week. I will be in charge of organizing and running some of the Strategy Boot Camp sessions, wich are part of the services offered to the entrepreneurs thorugh the accelerator.

Aside from the work, I have visited some museums und new parts of the city, which is so huge that I feel as I wont have enough time to see it all!. I have also visited some “tianguis”, which are open air markets where people sell their crafts. I must say that I am amazed by the quality, beauty and variety of the crafts here.

8th week

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

Last week I flew with the team to Monterrey, as we had an event where entrepreneurs pitched their enterprises to investors in order to find funding and keep growing their enterprises.

I spent two days there, and had the opportunity to meet some very interesting people and more importantly, watched the presentations of ca. 30 entrepreneurs. It was amazing to see the improvements they achieved after receiving the feedback from the accelerator’s team.

Besides Monterrey, I had a meeting with one of the managers of one of DF University’s incubator to see if they could provide us with pipeline, in case they would find something suitable. It seems as if incubators are flourishing in Universities.

6th and 7th week

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

The last two weeks have flown by and have been filled with a variety of projects.

One of my main projects was to conduct some market research for a company that we are currently assessing, to determine whether it would be interesting to invest in it. This has been very valuable as I had the opportunity to acquire knowledge about an interesting sector.  On another note I feel like I am now fully integrated into the team and my tasks are required for some of our workstream to progress smoothly.

I am also supporting with the organization of some activities for an event that will take place this week in Monterrey, and where many entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to meet some investors. I am very excited to have the chance to assist to such an event.

There has also been quite a bit going outside the office. Last weekend was Mexico’s “grito”, the “Independence Scream”, where most people join into a popular festivity. On top of that I moved to a new apartment, so I have really had my hands full!

5th week

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

Last week I continued sourcing for entrepreneurs, and interviewed four more enterprises to evaluate their interest to participate in the program.

My placement is allowing me to be involved in all facets of the firm, including sourcing deals, assisting portfolio companies, and conducting market research studies. This last week in particular, I have been reading a lot about the student loan sector in Mexico, a sector that, if properly developed, could hold great potential in providing youth from low income backgrounds the access to higher education and thus, allow them to improve their living conditions.   

Although the impact that the business ventures I am exploring still remains to be seen, I find it very inspiring to be able to talk with such motivated people and watch their attempts of finding solutions to improve their communities.

 

4rd week: Meeting some impact investment players

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

During the week I had the opportunity to attend an impact investment mapping exercise. It was an initiative to identify stakeholders in the impact investing field, including the participants and the relationships between them. The idea is to create a visual representation of the sector, and identify both the strengths and the weaknesses it has.

Through the workshop I had the opportunity to meet some very interesting people and explain them about Village Capital’s model. This week I have also been interviewing some entrepreneurs to test their potential interest in participating in a VilCap’s program.

On a more personal note, I am still discovering Mexico City. I am amazed at the beauty of the city and how huge it is! I had my first “rush hour subway adventure”, a crazy but interesting experience!

Continuing with entrepreneurs outreach

irebea Irene Garcia, North America, Scouts in the Field, South America

This week I have been working on the screening of some start ups to see if they qualify for Vil Cap’s program. I have pre-selected 30 that I want to interview during this and next week either over the phone or face-to-face. I am looking forward to learning about the broad variety of businesses that the entrepreneurs are creating.

I also had the opportunity to go to the “Start-up Week”, which was an event that seeks to gather a lot of actors in the small and medium enterprises arena to help with start ups’ creation and growth. I though it would be a great opportunity to find some incubators, business accelerators, etc, which proved to be right.

During the three weeks I have being here I have met fascinating people from a variety of areas of the impact investment sector, and have had the opportunity to participate in some interesting conversations.  I am really enjoying my experience so far.