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2009 LiderES Update
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Meet the Winner: Dominique Ruegsegger | Finca Santa Clara |
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Thank you to all the sponsors who made this event possible--Citi Foundation, DED, AVINA, DHL, Ola Verde, SNV, and uniRSE. Agora Partnerships and Premio LiderES support all of the entreprenuerial leaders, large and small, that are working to improve their communities through business. |
 Over 150 people attend the first annual Premio LiderES Award Dinner |
 Winners, Domenique Ruegsegger and Paulo Reyes |
| LiderES Prize Awards Ceremony held in Managua |
First prize in Nicaragua to recognize the power of small and growing businesses to transform communities.
June 3rd Managua, Nicaragua -- Over 150 people attended the inaugural LiderES Prize at the Crowne Plaza hotel. Two $10,000 prizes were awarded to recognize the achievements of small business entrepreneurs who are making a difference in Nicaragua, the hemisphere’s second poorest country. The ceremony brought together leading members of the business community, including some representatives of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, TechnoServe, AVINA Foundation, SNV Netherlands Development Organization, Vital Voices, and the Nicaraguan Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Watch the event highlights--Spanish with English subtitles
Go to the Premio LiderES website
A key part of the event was a special discussion about corporate social responsibility and entrepreneurial leadership among representatives of leading development organizations. Moderated by Agora Partnerships Nicaragua managing director Ricardo Terán Terán, participants included Americo Herrera from the German development program DED, Edgard Bermudez from AVINA’s regional program, and Miguel Mendez from Dutch development organization SNV. The event also featured a key note by José Ángel Rodríguez of Citibank. Citi Foundation a founding member of ANDE, was the main financial sponsor of the contest. Additional support was provided by uniRSE, DED, SNV, AVINA, DHL, and Ola Verde restaurant.
Meet the Winners:
Entrepreneurial Social Impact Category
Mr. Paulo Reyes | Agro Eco Servicios
Is
the first and only company in Nicaragua that commercializes organic fertilizers,
pesticides, pro-biotics for livestock and other organic raw material
for agriculture.
www.agroecoservicios.com
Entrepreneurial Leadership Category
Mr. Dominique Ruegsegger | Finca Santa Clara
Produces
and sells gourmet marmalades and jams made from raw materials sourced
from an association of local local organic farmers and individual
families throughout the region.
www.fincasantaclara.org
Perspective--What does LiderES mean? Watch the post event interviews:
Ben Powell | Ricardo Teran
Congratulations to the finalists
Mamá Delfina
Caribbean Supply
Panaderia Corazón de Oro
| LiderES Interview With Ben Powell |
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What does Premio LiderES stand for?
It stands for Liderazgo Empresarial Sostenible, or sustainable entrepreneurial leadership, which is desperately needed throughout the world.
What is the goal of the Lideres Prize?
There are two goals. The first is to shine a light on entrepreneurs operating in extremely difficult environments, who are making a difference in people’s lives. These are men and women who wake up every morning and work their hearts out to create businesses that not only thrive in very challenging markets, but that also make their communities better. The second goal is to help build an eco-system in Nicaragua and later Central America that better supports and encourages these kinds of entrepreneurial leaders. The only way you do that is through partnerships, because the problems are too great for any one organization to solve alone.
How do you define "entrepreneurial leader?"
At their heart, entrepreneurial leaders are business people who feel their business can make the world a better place, and take steps to make sure that it does. They demand more performance from their companies than just profits because they understand the potential of business to solve some of our most pressing problems. They use businesses to fight poverty, increase opportunity, and make their communities better. This prize is to give them some encouragement and recognition. Ultimately these are the people that are going to determine whether a country can break the cycle of poverty or not.
Do these businesses that are being recognized for social impact also make money?
Absolutely. You can’t be a successful business if you are not making money.
How do you measure social impact and commitment?
The judges looked at a variety of indicators, including in depth interviews to access the attitude and aspirations of the entrepreneurs. A great certification process for telling true commitment from marketing nonsense – and one we use at Agora – is B Labs'.
Was Agora involved in the judging?
No. We convened an independent expert panel of judges. We have no prior affiliation with any of the winners, but we are going to provide each of them with free consulting going forward.
How is prize building an ecosystem to support entrepreneurship in Nicaragua?
The LiderES Prize was the first time to our knowledge in Nicaragua that leaders from some of the top enterprise development organizations in the world like SNV, DED, and AVINA Foundation got on the same stage and made the case to entrepreneurs that working to fight climate change or increase employee opportunity is not only good for the world but also good for business. I think we built a lot of trust among all the sponsors, and that is going to result in all of us working closer together. I want to especially thank Citi Foundation for its leadership – without Citi’s support this prize would have never existed.
What’s your hope for the Lideres prize going forward?
Our goal is to expand LiderES next year across all of Central America. Hopefully the prize can send a clarion call to entrepreneurs and business owners across the region that real leadership in business is not about size or strength, but about attitude and impact. Let’s give the people who are putting it all on the line to do something creative, disruptive, or different a chance to compete. Let’s unleash the talent that’s out there and get it working to solve all the problems we face.
We are looking for partners as we expand the Prize regionally.
| Interview with Marion Descottes, LiderES project manager. |
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Marion Descottes, the first Agora Fellow and native of Paris, France, organized the Premio LiderES. We are extremely grateful for her incredible work to make the event a success.
What did you learn running LiderES?
It was a great experience participating in the launch and implementation of LiderES. I met amazing people that are dedicated to making the world a better place and learned that everybody can have an impact and that business is a great tool for implementing change.
Talking about impact, what kind of impact do you think LiderES has on entrepreneurs?
I think LiderES plays a great role in the education, recognition and network of entrepreneurs. LiderES helps entrepreneurs understand the importance of their businesses in their community and on the environment and designates role models for other entrepreneurs. And finally, LiderES brings people together! I saw the winners and representatives of international organizations networking during the awards ceremony, open to working on projects together.
Tell us about the winners.
All of the entrepreneurs that we met during the selection process are very committed to their work and community. The winners of the 2009 edition of LiderES are extremely proud to have received this award and are inspired now more than ever to continue to have a social and environmental impact.