The Youth Talent and Innovation come together in Honduras with TIC Americas 2009

For the third consecutive year, youth creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship will meet once again for the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas (TIC Americas), an international business plan competition that promotes the incorporation of young micro entrepreneurs into the business market.

This competition which is expected to attract approximately one thousand teams from around the world- consists of two stages. The first one involves an online evaluation and selection of the 30 best projects submitted. Afterwards, in the second stage, the 30 finalists will travel to San Pedro Sula – Honduras, where, they will vie for supremacy within eight categories in order to become the proud winners of TIC Americas 2009.

The participating teams will compete for the following categories: Creative Design, Tradition and Culture, E-business, Entrepreneurship Spirit, New Markets, Social Entrepreneurship and International Alliance, which is awarded to teams formed by members from regions outside the American continent.

The prizes do not include just cash money, but also training opportunities and contact networking, the nomination to participate in the Global TIC Award & Forum in Asia, among other instruction and access to markets opportunities.

Roy Thomasson, YABT’s Executive Director, the organization leadering this initiative, explained that while only 7 teams are prize awarded, all participants are winners: " TIC Americas is an opportunities resource for young entrepreneurs and all those participating will be winners, due to they will be able to benefit from enriching experiences, contact networking and cultural exchange".

TIC Americas is a competition created by the nonprofit corporation Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), which works in cooperation with the Secretariat General of the Organization of American States (OAS). YABT acts as a catalyst for the development of Young entrepreneurs in the Americas, offering them training to improve their business skills and to be able to make technology and leadership alliances in order to become successful business-people and socially responsible leaders.

In this sense the OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza remarked that this innovative competition is relevant to for the international market due to the fact that "In Latin America one of four young people nor works or studies, that’s why this initiative is a challenge to ensure justice and equality of opportunities. The OAS has obligations in this field and we should try to encourage entrepreneurship".

Young people, under 35 years old, who are interested in participating may do so by registering their team since September 2008 in www.ticamericas.net. The companies or institutions interested in supporting this initiative can contact Mr. Roy Thomasson, Executive Director of YABT rthomasson@oas.org to E-mail, phone or at +1 202 458 3641, the General Secretariat of the OAS in Washington, DC

For more information, please contact:
Yeruti Méndez, Program Manager of YABT
Email: ymendez@oas.org - Phone: +1 202 458 3512
Register your team at: www.ticamericas.net