FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Reina Valenzuela
202-841-3757
OscarMoreno, CTO of Starfish*Global, to serve as Mentor at La Idea Business Pitch Competition for Latin American Diaspora
Up to 60 semi-finalists from the U.S. and Latin America are set to participate in the International Business Pitch competition for the chance to win an award package of up to $50,000 in cash and in-kind business services valued at over $100,000.
Atlantic City, NJ – November 13, 2013 – Starfish*Global is proud to announce that its Chief Technology Officer, Oscar Moreno, has been invited to be a Mentor at the U.S. La Idea Business Pitch Competition, to be held in New York City on November 15, 2013. The competition was launched in 2012 by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as a U.S. Department of State initiative in partnership with the International Diaspora Engagement Alliance (IDEA), with the goal to support and develop sustainable, inclusive business partnerships between U.S. and Latin American small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs.
Mr. Moreno will serve as a mentor in the areas of IT management as teams of entrepreneurs prepare for their live pitch in front of a group of judges during the competition in New York City – the first of two international events. The second event will take place in Bogotá, Colombia on November 18 and 19, 2013. Judges will evaluate participant businesses on their formal business relationships with Latin America, management expertise potential, potential for growth and sustainability as well as the innovation quotient of the business idea itself.
Up to 60 semi finalists will showcase their business ideas to compete for advancement to the finalist round, which will be held in Miami, FL in December. The grand prize winner will receive up to $50,000 in grant awards, as well as a package of tailored business support services valued at over $100,000. Business support services are being provided by: Dell, Capital One, NCR Corporation, Goodwin Procter, Inc., .CO, Starfish*Global, and Matiz Architecture and Design.
According to the latest projections, over 2.3 million Latino entrepreneurs are currently opening businesses at twice the national rate of other demographics. On the other hand, Latin America’s increasing affluence represents a unique opportunity for U.S. Latino entrepreneurs. The La Idea Business Pitch Competition seeks to be a catalyst for collaboration between these thriving segments that create jobs, contribute to social development, and serve as role models and examples for the Latin American diaspora.
ABOUT LA IDEA
La Idea is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Boom Financial, Inter-American Development Bank, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Small Business Administration, Univision News, WellSpace, Accion, and FHI 360. The partnership builds on the unique strength of each of the partners, including the U.S. Department of State and USAID’s experience coordinating similar business competition plans focused around diaspora communities. These business plan competitions have included the African Diaspora Marketplace (ADM), Caribbean Idea Marketplace, and Libya Diaspora Marketplace (LDM). For more information on La Idea, please visit www.laidea.us.
ABOUT STARFISH*GLOBAL
As a strong supporter of entrepreneurial initiatives, Starfish*Global LLC, is proud to provide a broad spectrum of technology and management services that help organizations in Latin America translate their strategic business agendas into initiatives and solutions that measurably improve performance and facilitate growth. Starfish*Global has been supporting LA IDEA by providing website development and hosting for winners of the business competition.