Hope, growth, inspiration, support, opportunity and companionship. In this way, the winners of the fourth version of Impulso Chileno defined and described their experiences during the eight months of the program. In an emotional virtual ceremony, the entrepreneurs, mentors, professors and representatives of the School of Management of the Catholic University, the Simon de Cyrene Corporation and the Luksic Foundation, officially closed the 2021 edition of the contest.
Cristián Schalper, director of the Entrepreneurship area of the Luksic Foundation, congratulated the commitment and effort of the winners: “I want to start by thanking each of you for your commitment during these months. I have the conviction and hope that your work and dedication, the meetings with your mentors, and what you have learned in the classes with your professors, will be solid pillars to continue building and developing your ventures. We are very proud of you.
200 winners from all over Chile
As a result of the impact of the economic crisis generated by the pandemic, in 2021 the Luksic Foundation doubled the number of winners of the fourth version of Impulso Chileno to a total of 200 entrepreneurs from the 16 regions of the country, who received between $3 and $5 million, in addition to training and mentoring to boost their ventures. According to the testimonials given by the winners, many of them have increased their sales and clientele, learned to manage their resources better and have seen significant personal and professional growth.
On behalf of the winners, Gonzalo Kleinstein, from the commune of Parral in the Maule Region and owner of the “Empanadas donde la Negra” business, said: “With joy and emotion I can say that each and every one of us represents the Chile that is admired around the world for its drive, its courage and above all its ability to never give up on what it wants to achieve. Today, as we bring this program to a close, I think I can proudly say that we have managed to show that when we believe in ourselves, there will always be someone willing to support us, to guide us and to make us not only good entrepreneurs, but also good people”.
Andrónico Luksic, founder of the program and director of the Luksic Foundation, also wanted to be present and wish the entrepreneurs success in the new stage they will follow. “We are proud to have 200 stories of tenacity and self-improvement, with women and men who continue to make Chile a better country for everyone. Thank you very much for your dedication, we know that it was not easy and that it required a great effort from you. Much success in all your endeavors and congratulations to all of you”, said Andrónico through a video.
With emotion and pride, Gonzalo Kleinsten delivered a final message of encouragement to his classmates: “I have no doubt that this has just begun, because now is the right time to show what we are made of. To show that being an entrepreneur is a wonderfully difficult but worthwhile journey. Let’s move forward, let’s keep moving forward because with Impulso Chileno, yes, it is possible”.
Fifth edition
In the four versions of the contest, Impulso Chileno has awarded a total of 420 winners from all regions of the country with funding, training and mentoring to boost the growth of their businesses. The Luksic Foundation is currently preparing the fifth version and will announce the new application period and all the news in September.
