The Role of Community in the BUAP’s Entrepreneurial Journey

The Role of Community in the BUAP’s Entrepreneurial Journey – Mexico

Within the first ten minutes of our conversation with Dr Lilia Verónica Gómez Galeana, Head of the Department of Incubation and Professional Skills Development (DITCo) at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in Mexico, the word “community” is mentioned several times. And we’ll hear it many more as the conversation progresses, because it’s a concept that runs through the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem of the university.

“The advantage for students who choose our programme is the community. They connect with students from other countries, get to know them. They realise that the challenges of entrepreneurship in Latin America are the same as in Europe,” she tells us.

That programme invites students who are exploring this career path to experience it in a safe environment through Santander X Explorer, a programme integrated into the first of the two training options offered by the BUAP (a university with some 130,000 students):

• **University-based entrepreneurship training.**“This is for those formalising and refining their ideas. We work with canvases, design thinking techniques… and this is where Santander X Explorer comes in: it’s a required component. It allows students to explore reference blogs and materials, meet different mentors and peers. It brings with it a community,” Verónica explains.
• University-based business incubation. This is the next stage, although “some students start here directly if they already have more mature projects. The Business Model Canvas by Alex Osterwalder is one of the tools we use in this phase,” she adds.

“We do struggle to engage young people, they get bored easily,” Verónica admits. “Thanks to these programmes, they set up their own WhatsApp groups to ask questions, in addition to the group they already belong to within Santander X Explorer. We’re very attentive to their progress, and they also have Explorer Alumni as role models—we interview them on social media so they can share their experiences. It all comes together very organically,” she says.

In this way, BUAP has developed an entrepreneurial ecosystem “which also forms part of my own,” Verónica confides. “Through meeting other professionals and Explorer Coordinators, I started to expand my network; the key is to keep building these communities. I sought a way to join Metared X precisely because of the inter-university community… that’s what support looks like. There, I talk to them about Santander X Explorer and notify them of open calls. I make sure they know that if there’s nothing related to entrepreneurship in their institution, Explorer is available. For me, it has even led to international opportunities, for instance, I’ve been invited to give talks in Colombia to explain everything about the programme,” she explains.

The Benefits of Santander X Explorer for Participants, and for Universities

Beyond the community (which remains a central theme), another benefit of the programme for students is the ability to count hours towards their mandatory social service. “By law, students in Mexico must complete 480 hours of social service; otherwise, they cannot graduate. At BUAP, Santander X Explorer allows them to validate between 80 and 90 hours, but only if they obtain the Explorer Certificate. These hours can also count towards their professional internships. Why? Because they’re building community, working as a team,” Verónica explains.

On top of that, “participants in Santander X Explorer improve their business vocabulary and broaden their horizons through contact with people from so many countries. Their way of communicating changes, it’s a different kind of discourse, and that’s incredibly enriching,” she says.

There are also benefits for the university itself: “Santander X Explorer brings recognition to our incubator, several of our projects have reached competitions. Beyond that, it’s a free programme, so the platform is free or charge. Coordinators like myself receive ongoing support via WhatsApp and email, which enables global interactions with institutions around the world. That prestige given the strong reputation of Spanish universities, is further enhanced by working with an institution like Santander,” she adds.

HIGHLIGHT
“Being supported by the community is truly reassuring,” says the Head of the Department of Incubation and Professional Skills Development at BUAP.

Entrepreneurship as Mental Health and Motivation

The benefits of the programme extend beyond the university. As Verónica notes, “even if someone hasn’t studied at our university, we accept people in their 40s and 50s and even newly retired individuals. They hear about Santander X Explorer through BUAP’s social media and ask to join. These are people who are drawn to entrepreneurship for mental wellbeing, not because of the potential financial gain. They’ve retired and want to stay active,” she explains.

Verónica is also looking to expand these benefits (and improve the training of future entrepreneurs) by including Road to Explorer in the university’s entrepreneurial itinerary. In the programme offered by BUAP, “a prior step is necessary, and Road to Explorer will become part of our offering and it will be mandatory from next academic year,” she reveals.

And after completing both programmes? “We have a post-incubation support area, always open to students so they can consult us as needed. One of the most touching cases is that of a student who, after finishing Santander X Explorer, asked: ‘What now?’ He has leukaemia. Healthcare access is limited, and he still has to wait for treatment. But knowing that we’re looking for investors for his idea and preparing him for incubation keeps him highly motivated,” she concludes.

Santander X Explorer helps forge connections between programme participants, across universities, or both building bridges and bringing ideas together to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash.