Latin America Leadership Program

The Corporation for Development of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CODEIS), a social enterprise founded and led by GCL 2019 alumnus from Ecuador Francisco Abad, was awarded the Global Youth Empowerment Grant, as published in the Youth Solutions Report, and the first place of the “Quito Sostenible y Responsable 2019 Prize”.

Francisco developed the “World Change Makers” program during the Global Competitiveness Leadership Program 2019. After GCL, Francisco revamped CODEIS to effectively implement what he had learned. Francisco created 5 business units: CODEIS Corp, which focuses on social innovation consulting and corporate training; CODEIS Social implements World Change Makers Academy and SDGs Lab; CODEIS Labs, an incubator and accelerator for enterprises at base of the pyramid; CODEIS Academy, which brings knowledge to public in general; and CODEIS Leadership, which strives to create leadership opinion about social entrepreneurship at base in-country and in the region. In the last two years, CODEIS has expanded its operations into 8 cities, provided more than 1000 hours of mentoring, training and facilitation, executed 4 social ideathons, supported 500 entrepreneurs, developed 130 prototypes and business plans, and organized 18 pitch competitions. In 2020, CODEIS would start working in Mexico, in partnership with The Fleishman Foundation, thanks to the initiative of another GCL alumnus, Gustavo Rodriguez, from Tampico, Tamaulipas.

“World Change Makers Academy” program aims to provide technical tools of social entrepreneurship and leadership, facilitate access to professional networks and funding to four vulnerable communities: at-risk youth, refugees and immigrants,  survivors of domestic violence, and people with disabilities. 

In September 2019, the “World Change Makers Academy” program was selected and published at the Youth Solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Report, which highlights the 50 most innovative young solutions worldwide to promote SDGs. This report was published by the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. Furthermore, this project was selected as one out of five winners to receive the Global Youth Empowerment Grant supported by the Junior Chamber International, to increase its impact in the communities and do a pilot project for survivors of domestic violence, and people with disabilities. On the other hand, in December, CODEIS was awarded the first place of the “Quito Responsable y Sostenible 2019 Prize" for its work to reactivate the local economy by empowering entrepreneurs and local change-makers.