The winners of the Moonshot program traveled to Silicon Valley to live an immersive experience that connected them with leaders of innovation, technology and investment from the most influential ecosystem in the world.
Paraguayan entrepreneurs and startup leaders participated in the Moonshot Immersion in Silicon Valley, an experience organized by itti and ueno bank through the Moonshot program to strengthen the national entrepreneurial ecosystem through direct learning in the largest innovation laboratory on the planet.
For two weeks they toured the offices of Google, Salesforce, Plug and Play Tech Center, Stanford University, among others, connecting with investors, mentors and references who drive the most relevant technological transformations in the world.
From Asunción to Silicon Valley: the representatives of the winning startups lived a journey that redefined their way of thinking about innovation. The first week, organized together with SV Links, included visits to technology giants, venture capital funds and academic sessions at one of the most influential universities in the world.
“This trip was not a prize: it was an intensive mindset acceleration”highlighted Sergio Mura, Director of Moonshot. “Exposing our entrepreneurs to the Google or Plug and Play way of thinking reconfigures their ambition. The mentality transformation they achieve here is an invaluable asset for the entire Paraguayan ecosystem.”
At Stanford University, participants attended talks with experts such as Naeem Zafar, Kartik Gada and Miguel Fuentes, addressing corporate innovation, artificial intelligence in health and the ethical challenges of AI. “Believing that AI is only a tool is a mentality from 20 years ago. Today, the challenge for the entrepreneur is not to incorporate it, but to lead a future where AI is ubiquitous,” Gada explained during his presentation.
The agenda also included a workshop with Michelle Messina, author of Decoding Silicon Valleywho shared the keys to the “growth mindset” that defines the ecosystem: think big, embrace error as part of learning and execute with speed. “Ideas are cheap. Execution is priceless. Let’s do things!” he summarized.
For Paraguayan entrepreneurs, learning was both technical and human. “Entering Stanford and talking to other Latin American leaders who are already rising from Silicon Valley makes you see that the limits we thought we had were self-imposed,” said one of the participants.
Beyond the trip, the initiative seeks to generate impact at the country level: boost more competitive companies, promote quality jobs and accelerate technological solutions that improve the lives of thousands of Paraguayan families.
