FOCUS Mujeres Emprendedoras

FOCUS Mujeres Emprendedoras is a business model validation program implemented in partnership with Venprendedoras, with in-person classes held in Miami once a week for 13 weeks. Created in 2019 by CISNEROS, it aims to support Venezuelan women who wish to validate a business idea or are in the initial stages of developing a venture. 

Since its creation in 2019, the program has trained nearly 100 Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs in Miami, boosted the growth of dozens of local small businesses, and transformed the lives of many women.  Its impact extends far beyond entrepreneurship. Venprendedoras was created by Mariela Briceno, an alumna of the first cohort, who now coordinates the program.

The 20 selected participants learn about the mindset needed to succeed and various methodologies that guide them from identifying the problem their product or service aims to solve, to discovering the business model, validation, and hypothesis testing. The program is delivered in English to strengthen participants’ communication skills and facilitate their integration into the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In addition to weekly classes, participants have access to mentoring sessions and extracurricular activities and join the FOCUS Community upon completing the program. This comunity brings together alumni, fostering partnerships and knowledge transfer, and providing continuous information, support, and networking opportunities.

Our Impact

✅ High satisfaction and recommendation levels: 94.2% NPS (Net Promoter Score) when asked, "How likely are you to recommend this program to other Venezuelan entrepreneurs?"

✅ Nearly 100% of participants show high levels of new knowledge acquisition on entrepreneurship, especially in agile methodologies, product design, pitching, and financial management.

✅ FOCUS’s impact goes beyond entrepreneurship, marking a milestone for many participants in terms of self-worth and access to a support network.

✅ 63.5% of the businesses in the evaluated sample – after the fourth year – have evolved or grown.

✅ 57.7% of entrepreneurs in the evaluated sample – after the fourth year – attributes a high impact on their personal development to FOCUS. Many report changes in self-awareness and self-confidence, with stories of connections, inspiration, and positive impact on family and personal relationships.

With your support, we can ensure the sustainability of this program and secure the funds for our 2025 FOCUS Community activities:  at least one monthly training or networking activity and access to mentors or business consultants for its members.