Female entrepreneurship promoting community sustainability is one of the winners of Impulso Chileno

What began as an urgent need amid challenging times is now a sustainable venture with regional reach. Eugenia Norambuena, from the Tarapacá Region, was selected as one of the 500 winners of the seventh edition of the Luksic Foundation’s Impulso Chileno program, an initiative that this year will award more than $1.2 billion to strengthen businesses throughout the country.

In the Tarapacá Region, eleven beneficiaries will receive funding to invest in their ventures. In Eugenia’s case, the support will be $5 million, which she will use to strengthen KiraLú’s production, improve its processes, and invest in supplies to continue growing with greater stability.

Four years ago, she formally joined the project that her sister had started with dedication and creativity. Together, they shaped a proposal based on the artisanal production of soy wax candles in containers made from reused bottles, betting on the circular economy and creative recycling.

At KiraLú, each bottle is cut, sanded, and transformed by hand into a unique container, promoting responsible consumption and the reuse of materials. The proposal seeks not only to offer a natural and sustainable product, but also to raise environmental awareness in the community.

“We believe that our venture contributes to the region by promoting responsible consumption and offering natural and reused products. We also seek to inspire other women to become entrepreneurs and discover that creativity and sustainability can have a positive impact on the community,” she says.

With the funding, Eugenia plans to consolidate her own workshop, which will allow her to increase production capacity and further professionalize the business. Her goal is to expand the brand to new stores and fairs, as well as to expand her lines of natural and reused products.

Support For All Entrepeneurs In The Country

The Luksic Foundation seeks to promote Chile’s development, trusting in people’s abilities to generate well-being and opportunities. Along these lines, it implements programs that support skills development at crucial stages of people’s lives, providing them with the skills they need to thrive, take advantage of opportunities, and improve their quality of life.

Among these is the Impulso Chileno program, which since 2018 has supported more than 1,420 entrepreneurs throughout the country, reaffirming its commitment to the regions and to initiatives that arise from the communities.

“When a business grows in its region, it improves the lives of families and generates employment for its community. The fact that 78% of those selected come from regions outside the Metropolitan Area confirms that talent is found throughout Chile and that supporting it is key to decentralizing opportunities. We trust in the talent and abilities of those who promote their projects in the country, and we want to invite them to think big so that they can continue to grow their businesses,” concluded Cristián Schalper, Director of Entrepreneurship at the Luksic Foundation.