Travesía al Éxito Empresarial

"Travesía al Éxito Empresarial" is a business acceleration competition promoted by Plaza Las Américas and Banco Popular, with the support of WAPA-TV. A retail business will have the opportunity to boost its chances of success with benefits that include:

• A cart at Plaza Las Américas with no lease fee for one year
• $20,000 in seed capital, courtesy of Banco Popular
• Eight (8) personalized business mentoring sessions
• Access to the Next post-acceleration program
• An exclusive financial education workshop

The competition is open to entrepreneurs residing in Puerto Rico, 21 years of age or older, with existing businesses operating between 1 and 3 years, and at least one (1) year of sales experience that validates the need for their product and production capacity. Participating businesses must not be franchises, subsidiaries, or have operated in a shopping center in the last 12 months.

The business initiative's product must be compatible with the operation of the carts in Plaza Las Américas and complement the shopping center's retail offerings. The following items will not be considered in the competition: clothing, food, beverages, jewelry, and footwear.

How to participate?

From August 5th to September 5th, eligible entrepreneurs may submit their proposals to participate in this initiative, which has successfully boosted several small businesses in Puerto Rico. Participants must submit their participation electronically by accessing the participation form at this link here: First Round, before 11:59 PM on September 5th, 2025.

Selection Process

A panel of judges will evaluate the received proposals and select a maximum of ten (10) semi-finalists. After an interview with the jury, five (5) finalists will be chosen. Before presenting their business plan, they will participate in a preparation workshop to assist them in this phase of the competition.

The five (5) finalists will have the opportunity to participate in the "Journey to Success Showcase" event on October 17 and 18, 2025, where they will gain real-world experience selling their products in the shopping center, which will help them better define their business plan.

Rules

To view the Competition Rules, go to https://www.plazalasamericas.com/reglas-oficiales-para-la-competencia-travesia-al-exito-empresarial-de-plaza-las-americas-inc-y-banco-popular-de-puerto-rico-1

Orientation video

Frequently Asked Questions about the Business Journey to Success

1. Who can participate in this competition?

Participants must be legal residents of Puerto Rico and over twenty-one (21) years of age. Only one company per participant or family unit will be allowed to enter.

Participants must own at least 51% of the company or business's shares and must hold management leadership positions within the company or business.

2. What type of business can be proposed?

The product must be compatible with the operation of a cart in Plaza Las Américas and complement the shopping center's store offerings. The company or business must have been operating for 1 to 3 years.

The company or business must be established exclusively in Puerto Rico and cannot be a franchise or subsidiary of another company established inside or outside of Puerto Rico. The company cannot have been a merchant in any shopping center in Puerto Rico during the past 12 months.

3. How can I participate in this competition? What are the participation requirements?

Participants must submit their entries electronically exclusively by accessing the entry form link on this page, before 11:59 PM on September 5, 2025.

A series of guiding questions will guide you through the required analysis elements, including: (1) Product and Company Description, (2) Potential Market, (3) Prospective Customer, (4) Competitor Analysis, (5) Business Model and Sales Projections, (6) Management Team, (7) Concept Validation, (8) Marketing Plan, and (9) Operations.

Business proposals submitted by this date will be evaluated by a panel of judges who will select a maximum of ten (10) semifinalists. The 10 semifinalists will have the opportunity to present their businesses and products to the jury on October 3, 2025. From there, the jury will select five (5) finalists who will be notified by text message, email, or phone call.

The finalists will participate in a mandatory workshop on October 9, 2025, followed by the "Travesía el Showcase" event on October 17 and 18.

This event is a real-life sales experience at Plaza Las Américas, which will allow the five finalists to validate their products with the public and fine-tune their business plans.

Finally, the five finalists will present their business proposals in an interview with the jury on November 7, 2025. Both the workshop and the interview are mandatory.

4. Is it necessary to submit a business plan?

Only the finalists must submit a complete business plan following the established parameters and formats, which will be explained to them. The deadline for finalists to submit their Business Plan is October 31, 2025.

5. What are my commitments to Plaza Las Américas as a finalist or winner of this competition?

Finalists' Commitment:

Finalists commit to participating in videos and presentations coordinated by sponsors for promotional events. On October 17 and 18, 2025, they commit to participating in the "Journey to Success Showcase" event at Plaza Las Américas, where they will have the opportunity to experience real-life sales at the shopping center, which will help them better define their business plan. They must also attend the workshop on October 9, 2025, and the interview with the jury on November 7, 2025.