Raices de Esperanza

Over the last 14 years, Raices de Esperanza has worked to empower cuban youth on and off the island. Most recently, our work has been in the areas of technology, entrepreneurship and travel. Just this past summer, we had the pleasure of working with an incredibly talented group of young cuban entrepreneurs who participated in our incubando@fiu program. During the course of this six-week program, they received business classes from fiu professors and spent their afternoons at the english language institute. They were also paired with entrepreneurs in our community which allowed both the cuban and american entrepreneurs the chance to know how the other one worked, the challenges they faced, and what inspired them. Over the last year, we have also worked with young cuban americans interested in knowing cuba. We helped sponsor heritage trips to the island, giving them an opportunity to trace their heritage, connect with family members, and discover their roots. This was an incredibly rewarding experience that made it easier for cuban-american leaders to get to know their counterparts on the island and connect with their cuban roots. Our programming during the last year has allowed us to put the spotlight on cuban youth, particularly entrepreneurs who are working to shape their communities from the ground up.