Three Puerto Rican entrepreneurs who have their businesses in Caguas, Puerto Rico, shared their experiences and gave their advice to high school students during the “Juventud Edúcate y Explora” business discussion.
Yoel Rivera, from Ultimate Solutions; Felix Rivera, from Engiworks; and Luis Rivera, from Gym for All, talked about their beginnings in their respective careers, their motivations, challenges, and fears. In addition, they answered questions from the students to clarify their concerns regarding entrepreneurship.
“Juventud Edúcate y Explora” project of the Municipality of Caguas consists of offering tools to students in eleventh and twelfth grades to explore their vocational or professional interests and offers talks in different work areas. It is a project backed by an executive order signed by the mayor of Caguas, William Miranda Torres.
“They are at a crucial moment, a moment to decide what they will do with their lives from now on. They will have the opportunity to hear how we can continue after that dream and when it is achieved, continue dreaming without giving up or quitting. We want to help identify each other’s abilities and strengths. When they leave here, if they put their heart and interest, they will leave thinking in a different way”, Miranda Torres told the students.
The activity was attended by students from the schools: Eloisa Pascual, Vocacional República de Costa Rica, Manuela Toro, Gerardo Selles Solá, Juan J. Osuna, José Gautier Benítez and Pruébalo Learning.
Yoel Rivera shared how to overcome the fears that entrepreneurs may have. “Our business decisions can affect a lot of people, even more so when they are large and complex projects, since any wrong decision can have serious implications and sometimes that scares me a lot. However, I have learned that it cannot stop us. I have been able to learn that I can turn these fears into my gasoline”, said Yoel. His company is dedicated to offering services and engineering solutions to the Pharmaceutical Industry. Ultimate Solutions has a staff of 220 employees in offices in Puerto Rico, the United States, and Spain.
Felix Rivera narrated, among other things, his childhood moments that led him to study mechanical engineering and set up his business. “I want to remember that moment where I connected with the phrase ‘What is a life worth living?’ When I connected with death, I realized that life is short. I was convinced that if this is the only life I have, what do I do with this opportunity? How do I maximize the experience of living? Along that path, I had the opportunity to look for mentors and explore other options and learn from them”, said Felix, while urging those present to dream, identify their talents, offer value in what they do, and leave their mark by using your talents to the fullest.
While Luis Rivera, an Olympic gymnast, spoke of always having a clear vision, a lot of discipline, and consistency. “I’ve met a lot of talented people who don’t have discipline and don’t get far. Discipline and consistency are fundamental”, Luis expressed and insisted on making a plan, educating himself, and evaluating the data when setting up a business to find out its viability.
