The YABT and MASHAV Transform the Lives of Young People in the Region with Entrepreneurial Projects

The Dominican United Nations Association (ANU-RD), GFDD/Funglode, the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), and the Organization of American States (OAS), with the support of the Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV), organized yesterday the presentation "Israel and YABT: 15 years working in the economic development of the youth of the hemisphere".

More than 23,000 young people in
the region have benefited, directly or indirectly, from the Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV) and the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) by incorporating themselves into corporate laboratories and training programs that the organizations provided.

This information was offered by Nattanya Cohen, director of MASHAV training department, and Luis Viguria, CEO of YABT.

At the ceremony, Ignacio Mendez, vice minister of Industry and Commerce in the Dominican Republic, intervened to thank the organizations and said the country needs the support of Israel on the issue of innovation to be sustainable over time.

In the activity, which was held on June 15, within the framework of the Forty-sixth General Assembly of the OAS, a summary
of the initiatives to support entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Dominican Republic was presented.

Ambassador Gil Haskel, CEO of MASHAV; Luis Viguria, CEO of YABT, and Cohen referred to the projects supporting the young people developed by YABT and MASHAV in the world.

Haskel spoke about the achievements that Israel has made as a nation and how this experience can help other people. "Our country was destroyed 2,000 years ago, so we
created a nation and an infrastructure out of nothing," he recalled.

The ambassador said that through MASHAV, Israel wants to share his knowledge and "let countries around the world know that anything is possible."

Viguria mentioned the work carried out by YABT in American countries, through the training programs and business laboratories where the steps to generate creative and innovative ideas that can be transformed into
real business are taught.

Cohen spoke about the programs that MASHAV and YABT have developed on entrepreneurship since 2001. He said that MASHAV and the State of Israel contribute to economic growth and development of Latin America and the Caribbean through entrepreneurship programs, thousands of micro and small businesses have been created.

The event was moderated by Emil Chireno, executive director of ANU-RD, who highlighted the work done by YABT and
MASHAV with young Dominicans.

Marcos Villamán, chairman of the Global Institute of Higher Studies in Social Sciences (IGLOBAL), was responsible for the welcoming remarks. He stressed the opportunity that young Dominicans have received for development initiatives from YABT and MASHAV.

The presentation showed some of the local companies and institutions that have been positively-impacted by the initiatives. New projects working together for the
development of youth in Latin America and the Caribbean were also announced.

Jorge Comprés, founder of Nocciola; Lorena Julio, founder of COMPARLANTE, and Adis Ozuna and Nathalia Garcia, founders of Colorblind Design, talked about their experiences and how the YABT and MASHAV program has helped them start their businesses.

At the end of the event, there was a special recognition for Shula Ferdman, who was the first facilitator of the entrepreneurship
program.

In 2014, ANU-RD and GFDD/Funglode signed an agreement with YABT and MASHAV, in which two seminars to support entrepreneurship were organized: Business Lab focused on Innovation, and Support Systems of Microenterprises/ Nex Links "Technological Innovation".