Hi! I’m Lucia Gutierrez, I'm an athlete, student, and an entrepreneur and I’m just 19 years old. I’m originally from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and now I’m exploring and living in New Haven, Connecticut studying Healthcare Management at Albertus Magnus College.

When I was 15 years old, I started a swim store with my brother, we started selling training and competition swimming suits, backpacks, goggles, caps, fins, kickboards, pull buoys, etc. to the Sonora Swimmers but I never realized how the business are changing because this story doesn't have a happy ending, after 2 years our business broke because our lack of information in business or entrepreneurship.

Last Thursday, July 9 and Friday, July 10, the first online certification for the introduction to entrepreneurship was held, where for two days young people were encouraged to take action and innovate ideas. I was part of the program! I was very excited because I participated in two ways; as an assistant and in the Business Model Canvas activity! What did we see? Entrepreneurship topics like nobody ever explains to you. We were living in a Zoom Meeting with people from Arizona, Sonora, Chihuahua, and I from Sonora but living in Connecticut.

Marco Martinez's talk was incredible to lift the spirits of the group and made me think…. In all the possibilities that we have as young people and how we can influence our community with small contributions that can have a global impact.

The experience was great! From one moment to the next we are all trying to solve the food waste problem in Rio Rico, Arizona. But with a little outside help from Iron Man, Elon Musk, and Emma Watson. This activity was very fun because I never imagined that others had such great ideas but also very crazy. Like the craziest idea: Use 5G towers to control our minds, and then making us think unwanted food is actually the best food. Who would say that in some future this person is building towers to control our minds? Yeah, let's keep our eyes open.

We were interacting with an online tool that is Conceptboard and seeing how sometimes we get locked in our ideas and seeing that someone else sees things differently. Now I’m starting my project teaching swimming lessons, not just because of the economic issue but to help all those little kids who enjoy being in the water but are afraid to swim. I saw the need for children to learn and now I am starting this great project "Lucy Swim" so that they have this as a "life insurance" which is knowing how to swim.

It was impressive how everyone was very friendly, everyone was enthusiastic and with energy to start, even though it was the first time that such an event was held online. Just by seeing them smile and the enthusiasm to participate and even one of the participants made a group chat on WhatsApp for all the participants to keep in touch.

In these last months of quarantine, we have had very complicated days in which anguish, anxiety, and stress have taken over our lives, but we also have a great area of ​​opportunity for that great idea that is spinning in your mind that can start a new lifestyle or start a business.

… And now I have my professional development certificate and business model canvas on the wall to complement my swimming lessons business to add more value to my clients