BBVA Momentum winner named to Forbes magazine list of 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs
BBVA Momentum winner Laura Hertz, founder of Gifts for Good, continues to do well by doing good. The social entrepreneur was recognized by Forbes magazine in its list of 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs for 2020.
Hertz’s company connects corporate gift-givers to other social entrepreneurs whose products support efforts to impact homelessness, food insecurity, employment and clean water, among others.
Ocañas: "All the judges agreed that Gifts for Good is a solid business that’s ready to scale."
“During our 2019 BBVA Momentum program, all the judges agreed that Gifts for Good is a solid business that’s ready to scale,” said BBVA Director of Communications and Responsible Business Reymundo Ocañas. “It’s particularly rewarding to see that Forbes also recognizes the same potential that we saw in Laura and in her business.”
BBVA Momentum is a global intensive training program for social enterprises which includes five months of online and in-person education, strategic mentorship and access to funding opportunities. The online component is provided by Headspring Executive Development, while the in-person training is delivered by experts from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. Throughout the program, each social entrepreneur receives support from BBVA mentors and specialists from the U.S. and abroad to aid their development of a comprehensive growth plan for their business.
At the end of the program, BBVA awards prizes to participant enterprises considered most sustainable and with the highest social impact. In addition, winners may be eligible to receive further investment opportunities, including capital to implement the growth plans developed during the program.
Hertz: "The opportunity to participate in BBVA Momentum was instrumental in helping Gifts for Good move forward."
“The opportunity to participate in BBVA Momentum was instrumental in helping Gifts for Good move forward,” said Hertz. “The skills that I acquired through the training -- combined with the invaluable mentorship -- have had a real impact on the business and positioned us well for recognition like the Forbes list.”
Forbes’s list is compiled based on nominations submitted, which are culled by Forbes reporters and ultimately judged by the magazine’s panel of judges for the year. Past judges include internet entrepreneur Marc Benioff, venture capitalist Kirsten Green, designer Tory Burch, Nike co-founder Phil Knight and restaurateur David Chang.
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