Daniel Daccarett always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Since he was a child he worked in various jobs: sweeping ditches, washing cars, selling belts. He even founded a factory that made emu cream, but it didn’t turn out as he expected.
All the learning he obtained, and the mistakes he made along the way, contributed to his professional development and led him to build Emprende Tu Mente, one of the largest entrepreneurship events in Latin America.
From entrepreneurial barbecue to a consolidated organization
Emprende Tu Mente started informally at home in 2007 with the “entrepreneurial barbecue,” a meeting with entrepreneurs and organizations. The following year they asked him if it would be repeated, and it was done again. In the third year, the event had to move to larger venues.
The idea was to connect unlikely pairs: startups and entrepreneurs with large companies. A horizontal space where people with a project or dream would have the opportunity to show it to the public, investors and well-known businessmen.
Daccarett pointed out: «We know that Chile is a small country, and if one does not have contacts or connections with others, one does not win. It was there that I had the idea of creating a space in which everyone is connected and has access to the opportunities that entrepreneurship can offer.
Evolution towards the largest event in the world
The organization went from entrepreneurial barbecues to being a hierarchical entity with territorial expansion. They started in Santiago and now hold events in regions with EtMtuesday in Antofagasta and Concepción.
They have formed alliances with large companies, and for EtMday 2025, the organization will present a novelty linked to the commitment to become the largest entrepreneurship event in the world. For the first time, India will be a guest country, the third largest startup incubator in the world.
Its differential point is in the social aspect and the originality of its events. They connect worlds from a human point of view, from face-to-face contact. They are also focused from the perspective of the company, stimulating the collaboration of consolidated companies with the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Vision for Latin America
Regarding the Latin American ecosystem, Daccarett sees the need to improve connections between startups and large players in the private world. Geographic and cultural differences can be seen as barriers that must be overcome.
His dream is to make Chile a hub of entrepreneurship and innovation not only for Latin America, but also for the world. If I had to summarize the purpose of ETM in one sentence, it would be: “Make the impossible possible.”
