NOVARA Wins Yo Emprendo x Guate 2026 and Will Represent Guatemala in Ecuador
Yo Emprendo x Guate 2026 recognizes young Guatemalan entrepreneurs after nearly 6,000 students took part in the program.
Yo Emprendo x Guate brought together young entrepreneurs from across Guatemala for its fourth edition, giving students the opportunity to experience what it means to create and manage a company.
Organized by the Cámara de Industria de Guatemala (CIG), Junior Achievement Guatemala (JAG), Fundación Industrial, CIG Joven, and Guatemala Emprende, the program combines entrepreneurial training with hands-on experience in areas such as production, finance, marketing, and sales.
Nearly 6,000 Students Took Part in the Program
The fourth edition brought together students from public and private institutions across Guatemala’s 22 departments. Nearly 6,000 students participated in the training and evaluation process that led to eight youth companies reaching the final stage.
Throughout the program, participants took on different responsibilities involved in running a company, making decisions related to production, finances, marketing, and sales while developing their own business proposals.
At the final event, the eight finalist companies presented their projects before a jury made up of representatives from the business sector and professionals from different fields.
Each team explained the problem it seeks to address, its value proposition, business model, and potential for growth.
Carmen María Torrebiarte, a member of the Board of Directors of the Cámara de Industria de Guatemala, highlighted the potential demonstrated by the participants:
“Guatemala has a generation full of talent, creativity, and vision. These young people demonstrate it when they turn what they have learned into solutions.”
NOVARA Wins First Place and Will Represent Guatemala in Ecuador
The top prize went to NOVARA, a youth company from Instituto Guatemalteco Americano (IGA). Its proposal is a web platform designed to help reduce changes in university majors caused by a lack of information.
As the first-place winner of Yo Emprendo x Guate 2026, NOVARA will travel to Quito, Ecuador, to represent Guatemala at Company of the Year (COY), a regional Junior Achievement event. There, the team will have the opportunity to present its proposal alongside youth companies from other countries.
The remaining finalists were also recognized for their business proposals and the different types of impact represented by their projects.
ECOLIPS, from Colegio Mariano y Rafael Castillo Córdova, received second place. The company developed an artisanal lip balm designed to repair and hydrate lips without using paraffin or petroleum jelly.
Third place went to ELIXIA, from Colegio Colonial Bilingüe. Its project consists of a vegan cream blush made with organic pigments and packaged in an eco-friendly container.
Youth Companies Recognized for Social and Global Potential
Beyond the three main places, the program also recognized projects based on their social impact and potential to reach international markets.
MANNA, from Colegio Monte María, received the Social Impact recognition for its product, notebooks made from recycled paper, and its ability to address a social need while generating positive change in its community.
ECOLIPS also received the Global Possibilities recognition for the potential of its proposal to reach other markets.
The awards reflected the different approaches developed by the participating students, from educational technology and personal care products to sustainable alternatives and initiatives with a social focus.
Yo Emprendo x Guate Introduces Its First Alumni Award
The 2026 edition also marked the first presentation of the Alumni Award, a recognition created and implemented by the JAG Alumni Network and led by the Asociación de Empresarios Juveniles (AEJ).
The award recognizes young entrepreneurs who have participated in the Yo Emprendo x Guate program.
Ivanna Castellanos, from Colegio Intellego, received the Entrepreneur of the Year award.
The second place went to María Ximena Paz, from Colegio Monte María, while Luis Mario Sandoval, from Colegio Mariano y Rafael Castillo Córdova, received third place.
With its fourth edition, Yo Emprendo x Guate brought together students from across Guatemala to develop business ideas, take on entrepreneurial responsibilities, and present their companies to a jury of business and professional leaders.
