Aggie International Entrepreneurs

1. Aggie International Entrepreneurs Academy for Future International Leaders – International Leadership Project 2010-2011 - Microloan Distribution in Comayagua, Honduras

2. Overview • Aggie International Entrepreneurs is a micro-finance pilot project launching in the city of Comayagua, Honduras. • Basics: • 2 weeks volunteer work • 4 week business course implementation • Credit-bearing (in progress) • Launching: Spring 2012 (course) & Summer 2012 (project implementation) • Microloan of 20 000 lempiras (c. 1000USD) per group of 4 entrepreneurs working together in the same industry

3. Mission Statement • To pilot a project that will build entrepreneurial capacity in a severely underprivileged area, specifically the Honduran city of Comayagua, via micro lending and business education.

4. Key Partners In Honduras: Horizontes al Futuro CENET At TAMU: Mays Business School Department of International Studies Study Abroad Office AFIL

5. Works skills and rehabilitation center for ‘at-risk’ Hondurans • Skills training • Lack resources to help their skills program graduates pursue a business Horizontes al Futuro

6. Business Course • Designed a manual • About 50% Complete • Basic business principles • Written in basic-level Spanish • Difficulty: • keeping in tune with the level of education of the Comayaguan micro-entrepreneurs • Lack of support from CENET in helping us complete the course as initially thought

7. Credit-Bearing Designation • Intention: to facilitate recruitment of students and enable them to apply semester financial aid to their involvement in the project. • Tool that will aid in sustainability • Spring 2012 course • Hurdle: TAMU “red tape”

8. Student Participants Looking for about 8 students – 2 groups of 4 for direct mentoring Student Conditions for qualification are as follows: • Must be upper-level • Must be an Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, or International Studies (emphasis in Commerce) major • Better if they are receiving from Mays Business School a(n): • International Business Studies certificate • Latin American Business certificate • Entrepreneurial Leadership certificate • Must have a 3.0 GPR or higher • Must have a working level of conversational Spanish • Must attend all required training events and meetings • Must complete their fundraising before project implementation in Honduras

9. Difficulties Encountered • Communication with key partners in Honduras • Inability to travel • Time management • Department of International Studies is being dissolved effective 2012 • Loss of key partner

10. Revised Project • Extending experience length from 4 weeks to 6 weeks to allow for 2 weeks of personal volunteering • Credit – bearing experience • In progress ~ allowing for greater use of financial aid and reduced cost • Moving implementation dates - delaying

11. Revised Timeline

12. Projections for the Future • Hopeful but expect several difficulties to arise, particularly it making it credit-bearing • Partner with Global Business Brigade (potential) • Implement in Spring 2012 and Summer 2012 • Guide future AFIL group in taking up this project • Susana will continue to attend TAMU and remain the point of contact with Horizontes