April 24, 2024 – A multi-platinum music producer, a Grammy-nominated entrepreneur, an early-stage tech investor, a startup accelerator founder, and more are among the first speakers taking the stage at GEC+Puerto Rico, co-hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, in San Juan on July 15-18, 2024.
GEC+ comes to the Enterprising Island with a 10-year track record where founders at all stages of development and policymakers, investors and support organizations from economies of all sizes come together to bring ideas to life, drive economic growth, and expand human welfare. Most recently, Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) and GEC+ events were held in Melbourne, Australia and Cape Town, South Africa.
The Puerto Rico event will convene founders and startup champions under the theme of Vision 2035: An Entrepreneurial Future for Latin America + the Caribbean – and will explore an ambitious roadmap for a more vibrant and thriving economy. The program will dive into frontier technologies driving new industries, forward-thinking initiatives bringing historically underrepresented communities into the entrepreneurial economy, and the actions that attendees can take now to get ahead.
Speakers announced today include Maejor Brandon Michael Green, a multi-platinum producer, singer and song-writer who has worked with the likes of Justin Bieber, Drake, Ciara, Frank Ocean, and countless others. Maejor will bring a Hollywood perspective on how to connect entrepreneurship with culture, art and creativity.
Rebeca Hwang is a venture capital investor, inventor, entrepreneur, educator and ecosystem builder. Most recently, Rebeca premiered Indiferencia Artificial, the first Argentine stream dedicated to artificial intelligence, on Telefe’s digital channel. She is the co-founder Kalei Ventures, which invests in early-stage technology startups from Latin America, and is also on GEN’s board of directors.
“As a Latin American who has lived in the heart of technological innovation in Silicon Valley for the last 20+ years, I have never been more excited about the potential of a new technological wave in boosting the potential of my region,” said Hwang. “My vision for entrepreneurial innovation in Latin America is that for the first time in recent history, we have the opportunity to lead in terms of the adoption of artificial intelligence before the rest of the world. My aspiration is that we move from “labor intensive” to “human expansive.” Join us as we build this vision at GEC+Puerto Rico.”
Hwang will moderate a panel about artificial intelligence and the future of the entertainment industry featuring Maejor and Fernando Garibay, a music producer, songwriter and entrepreneur recognized for his Grammy-nominated and award-winning work with household names like Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and Shakira. Together, Garibay, Hwang and Maejor will unpack the biggest shifts shaping the entertainment business and how human creativity can prevail in the midst of it all.
In the investment track, Liliana Reyes, the CEO of the Mexican Association of Private Equity and Venture Capital Funds (AMEXCAP) will be part of a series of transformative conversations that aim to drive positive change and innovation across the region’s investment landscape.
Adriana Tortajada, CEO and Managing Partner at 1200VC in Mexico, will bring perspectives based on her two decades of experience as a leader in portfolio management and public/multilateral fundraising in Mexico, the United States and Latin America. Adriana will share valuable fundraising perspectives for funds, angels, corporations and policymakers.
Carolyn Rodz, co-founder and CEO of Hello Alice, will share her perspectives on equitable access to credit to spur new firm formation and small business growth. Carolyn is an investment banker turned three-time award-winning entrepreneur from Bolivia, and has been recognized as one of “17 Women to Watch” by Inc. Magazine.
Viviana Angulo is a founder of Pista8, a pioneering startup accelerator and innovation boutique in Bolivia. She has launched diverse educational entrepreneurial programs from Puerto Rico to Chile to Bolivia – and will share her experience adapting successful ecosystem building practices across borders.
More Just-Announced Speakers:
- Alejandro Manzanares, VP, DEI Lead, Head of Business Growth and Entrepreneurship at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Denisse Rodriguez, Executive Director at Colmena66, Puerto Rico Science Technology and Research Trust
- Gloria Viscasillas, VP Economic Development Programs Banco Popular + ECHAR PA’LANTE Multisector Alliance Lead Integrator
- Hugo Kantis, Director at Prodem
- Jeff Hoffman, serial entrepreneur and chair of the Global Entrepreneurship Network
- Jose Luis Rivera-Villamañán, Chair, Puerto Rico – USA Chamber of Commerce
Meet all 25+ of our first speakers here.
GEC+Puerto Rico is co-hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network and Puerto Rico Convention District Authority. Tickets are on sale at www.gecplus.co/puertorico.
To request a media pass, schedule interviews, or for other media inquiries, please contact GEN Communications Director Kathryn Forrest by emailing kathryn@genglobal.org.
