Program will train 100 popular entrepreneurs in SP
Fundação Dom Cabral and Instituto Polaris launched this week, in São Paulo, "Impulso - Polaris Entrepreneurship Program", an initiative that aims to train 100 popular entrepreneurs through executive training and access to guided microcredit.
The project was presented during an event held in the capital of São Paulo and provides training with a personalized methodology, monitoring by mentors and access to credit for participants who complete all stages of the program.
According to Antônio Batista da Silva Júnior, executive president of Fundação Dom Cabral, the proposal seeks to combine qualified training and financial guidance to strengthen small businesses.
"The Impulso program seeks to transform lives, generate opportunities and consolidate entrepreneurship through education and credit, microcredit, financing the entrepreneurial dream", he stated.
According to him, the first pilot class has already started and the first results are beginning to appear through reports from participants.
"We are already collecting the results of testimonials from entrepreneurs who participated in the program's classes and received credit as well", he said.
One of the focuses of the initiative is to serve entrepreneurs who, according to the organizers, end up outside the traditional financial system.
"The traditional financial system ends up not providing coverage to a huge mass of popular entrepreneurs in Brazilian communities. As I say, they fly under the radar", stated Antônio Batista.
The program provides microcredit of up to R$12,000, with interest of 0.95% per month. Access to financing will only be available to participants who fully complete the training.
In addition to credit, participants will have support for preparing a business plan, formalizing companies and financial organization.
According to Fundação Dom Cabral, the proposal is to ensure that resources are used in a structured and sustainable way.
"Experience shows that credit alone is not enough to make the business sustainable. Entrepreneurs need to train themselves", stated Antônio Batista.
The vice-president of Social Education at Fundação Dom Cabral, Ana Carolina de Almeida, stated that the partnership expands the institution's social reach.
We don't see B3's losses in May as structural, says analyst | MARKET OPENING
"Access to quality education is one of the main vectors of social transformation. With this partnership, we expand the scope of our operations to support popular entrepreneurs in structuring and sustainable growth of their businesses", he said.
Gigi Cavalieri, from the Polaris Institute, highlighted entrepreneurship as a tool for social transformation.
"By combining training and access to targeted credit, we create concrete conditions for these entrepreneurs to grow in a structured and sustainable way", he stated.
The organizers state that the expectation is that the model will serve as an example for new similar initiatives in the country. According to Antônio Batista, around a third of the Brazilian economically active population today works in entrepreneurship, often out of necessity.
"We want this initiative to be an example for society and for other institutions and companies to also join in this dream of transforming the entrepreneur", he stated.
Source: CNN