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Desde Cero wants to ensure that young leaders achieve financial health
5 MINUTE READ
May 27, 2019

2018 YLAI Fellow Julio César Pineda is making a difference in his community in Honduras. We asked Julio to share the positive effect his company has had on people. Read on to learn more about Julio and his company, Desde Cero (From Zero).

As a business owner, what motivates you to make a difference in your community?

In Honduras, there are some programs developed for financial education and almost all of them are tied to the interests of banking institutions. As a result, we set ourselves the task of creating a platform that explains in a simple and local way a little-explored topic such as the management of our money.

What does your organization do to empower people with fewer resources?

We help Hondurans achieve their goals by managing their resources, and we believe that reaching vulnerable populations with financial education will contribute to social welfare. Through our digital content on personal finance, we reach areas outside the capital, and with key partners, we offer free talks to people with limited resources to create a culture of money management.

What positive effect has your business had on your local community? How does that make a difference in the lives of others?

Having good personal-finance practices, people can make better decisions, achieve their goals, and achieve financial stability. We have seen people who saved to pay their tuition or seed capital to start their business, and others who have eliminated burdensome debts that they had failed to consolidate.

 

What specific partnerships do you have with local groups? Why has the support of the groups been useful to achieve your goals?

Empower Honduras, CEMPRENDE Association approached young people with limited resources to talk about financial importance at an early age and young entrepreneurs who have not had a previous approach to financial education. Thanks to the alliance with a large cooperative, we unite elements of personal and business finance.

Why should aspiring entrepreneurs commit to making an investment in their community?

We have a crucial role in the integral development of Honduras. We cannot ignore the fact that the country’s development has been hindered by various factors, and we must take responsibility for applying our creativity, ingenuity, energy, and knowledge to seek innovative solutions to the collective needs that surround us.

How can other organizations and business owners follow your model?

Be authentic, constantly study the trends of your business, trust that the help or added value of your business reaches the right people. When we manage to help people through what we do, customer loyalty and sales come too.

Learn more about Julio’s work here.

Editor’s note: For more information on opportunities to expand your business vision and grow your business, check out the resources of the YLAI Network by visiting the homepage of YLAI Strengthens.

Este artículo está disponible en español.