Five Latin American “Social Entrepreneurs of the Year” announced

During the Opening Plenary of the World Economic Forum on Latin America, the Schwab Foundation announced its Latin American "Social Entrepreneurs of the Year".

 
Roberto Kikawa – Projecto CIES (Brazil)
Roberto Kikawa is a renowned Brazilian gastroenterologist. He is also a brilliant engineer and has devised the largest mobile medical center in the world. The “hospital in a van” delivers specialized, high-technology medical care such as mammographies and endoscopy to remote and low-income communities in Brazil. In the last 2 years, Projecto CIES, has treated more than 24,000 people. The medical vans are also sold through a social business to other countries in Latin America and Africa.

 

Francesco Piazessi – Echale a Tu Casa (Mexico)
Echale a Tu Casa helps people in the poorest communities of Mexico to build and improve  their homes. Echale trains individuals in construction skills, using local earth-proof materials such as compressed earth blocks and helps create micro construction industries in the communities. In addition, Echale offers financial literacy classes and partners with the government to extend mortgages to families.
Nearly 26,000 homes have been built through Echale. The micro-construction industries of Echale have generated 130,000 jobs and 65 million  dollars of income.

 

Tomas Recart – Enseña Chile (Chile)
Inspired by the work of Teach for America, Recart returned to Chile after his studies in Harvard to found Enseña Chile. Enseña Chile recruits Chile`s prominent future leaders, from different professional backgrounds, to teach in public schools in low-income communities for two years. As they experience what it is to transform the lives of hundreds of kids, they become part of a movement of leaders that will advocate for educational reform. Enseña Chile is poised for fast growth: In 2009 it selected 29 teachers to work in 14 schools. Today there are more than 100 teachers reaching more than 13,000 students in 40 schools."

 

Claudia Valladares – Banca Comunitaria Banesco (Venezuela)
Claudia Valladares started Banca Comunitaria within Banesco to bring financial services to the 40% of the Venezuelan population that is “unbanked”. Banca Comunitaria provides access to savings accounts and micro-credit  to low-income individuals in Venezuela, specializing in providing business financing to small entrepreneurs.  With its network of 176 retail agents, Banesco has reached more than 100,000 individuals across Venezuela. It rigorously tracks its social impact with 16 indicators.

 

Felipe Vergara - Lumni (Colombia)
Felipe Vergara was shocked to see that his best friend in high school, a most gifted mathematician, was not able to attend university because his parents could not afford it. After leaving a consulting career, Vergara founded Lumni to provide financing for underprivileged students. Lumni creates capital funds that invest in high-potential students across various disciplines, including teaching and nursing. After graduation, students pay back a fixed percentage of their income during a fixed number of months. On average, they earn 3x to 6x more than they would without a university degree. To date, Lumni has financed 2,000 students across Colombia, Chile, Mexico and the US.