Entrepreneurs from Tec feature in documentary made by BBC StoryWorks

https://tec.mx/en/news/mexico-city/entrepreneurs/ecotourism-startup-rutopia-global-winner-hult-prizePhotos: Benjacob Cruz

Students from Tec de Monterrey had the idea of creating a social impact startup for rural communities in Mexico while they were performing an experience-based learning activity.

This became Rutopía, a sustainable development and tourism company which already has a partnership with the Airbnb platform.

Their story will now be told in a documentary series about higher education made by BBC StoryWorks (the content marketing division of BBC Global News) for the International Association of Universities (IAU).

Each episode of the 34-part series, called Aiming Higher, shows the impact of universities on the modern world.

The documentary makers chose to focus on Rutopía for one of these episodes. This startup was created by Emiliano Iturriaga, Sebastián Muñoz, Leslie Perez, and Diego Espinoza while they were carrying out a Tec21 Educational Model activity for Tec de Monterrey in Chiapas.

In the course of making the documentary, its directors accompanied the young entrepreneurs from Rutopía to regions such as Oaxaca so that they could explain how their startup works to the audience.

“We’re very excited! It’s great to see people paying attention to social startups. This type of documentary is important for keeping the flame of social entrepreneurship alive in young people,” said Emiliano to CONECTA.

The series, which can be seen on the web page www.iau-aiminghigher.org, was officially launched in Mexico on November 14, at the annual meeting of the IAU itself, held in Puebla.

Rodolfo Rubio, Vice President of Marketing, Communication, and Institutional Image at the Tec gave a speech at this event to explain the concept behind the Tec21 Model.

“This project is one example of how our students’ potential and ideas can grow and transform into elements that change the world. Our Tec21 Model and our entrepreneurial ecosystem can complement what they start of their own accord through their talent, resources, and entrepreneurial spirit,” he said to CONECTA.

“BBC StoryWorks content is very prestigious. The fact that they and the IAU have taken note of a case from the Tec and its students is a sign that the Tec21 Model is really innovative,” added Jesús Martín, Director of Institutional Marketing and Storytelling at the Tec.

THE STORY OF A SOCIAL STARTUP

It was during an iSemester (in which students carry out a real project for an entire semester) that the founders of Rutopía developed the idea, when they were still students at the Tec’s Mexico City campus.

iSemester was one of the first Tec21 Model activities to be implemented at the Tec. Among other things, the model encourages students to solve challenges outside the classroom and acquire skills for the real world.

Having formed their startup, the students who created Rutopía registered it at INCMty, an entrepreneurship festival organized by the Tec, where they qualified for the regional semifinals of the Hult Prize, which is awarded to social startups from universities.
 

They ended up winning the prize from among 20,000 enterprising projects all over the world.

This award, which also comes with a prize of one million dollars, recognizes entrepreneurship with social impact. It was the first time it had been won by Mexican entrepreneurs.

Rutopía currently works in partnership with Airbnb under the name Social Impact Experiences to allow Mexico’s indigenous communities to generate a sustainable income by receiving travelers from all over the world.

WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY

The episode on Rutopía and Tec de Monterrey can be seen at https://youtu.be/vtCy9CnQCCE, while the whole series can be seen at www.iau-aiminghigher.org.

Besides the Tec, another three Latin American universities will be covered by the series: the University of Chile, the University of Costa Rica, and the CETYS (Center for Technical and Higher Education) University in Tijuana, Baja California.

It will also show institutions from other countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Japan, China, Thailand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Hungary, and the United States.

WATCH IT HERE:

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