1st prize winners represent Mexico and Tec at MIT GeneSys Fest

Melissa Bravo Valencia, Camila Vences Antonio, Gabriel Sirota Toporek, and Paulina De la Guardia Carbajal, all Industrial and Systems Engineering students at Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Santa Fe campus, were triumphant at MIT GeneSys Fest 2020.

MIT GeneSys Fest 2020 is an event intended to showcase applied research projects from MIT’s GeneSys network of collaborating universities, in which Tecnológico de Monterrey has participated since 2016.

Teams selected from among more than 400 students from 11 universities in 7 countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, and Uruguay presented the projects they have developed during the August-December 2020 semester. 

The projects focused on helping MSEs to overcome the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the winners, they had the opportunity to work on a project in collaboration with the MIT GeneSys Project during the last semester of their degree. This project forms part of the Center for Transportation and Logistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“The MIT GeneSys project aims to improve the survival rate of micro and small enterprises in emerging markets by improving business and supply chain practices.

“Our project focused on reducing the impact of the Coronavirus crisis at ‘Agua Alameda’, a micro enterprise that sells premium mineral water across Mexico, through the implementation of three studies,” shared Camila Vences.

The judges of the event were a group of researchers from the MIT GeneSys project: Dr. Josué Velázquez (the project director), Dr. Cansu Tayaksi, Dr. Karla Gámez, Paloma Santos, Rafael Illipronti, Sayda Benítez, and Dr. Vytaute Dlugoborskyte.

“Participating in MIT GeneSys Fest 2020 was a transformative experience for us, as we were selected from among more than 400 students from Latin America to present the results of our project. We were proud to represent Mexico and Tecnológico de Monterrey at this prestigious international event,” said Gabriel Sirota.

“Winning the Best Project Award was very rewarding, because it was the result of many hours of work and dedication to generating a high-impact project to help the MSEs that we worked with. We think that our project can be replicated in more MSEs around the world,” said Melissa Bravo.

They decided to share their knowledge with the community 

The winning team shared that their teacher, Camilo Mora, had provided them with unparalleled guidance and advice and, therefore, they think of him a key part of their team. He encouraged them to share their knowledge and skills with their community and to transform the world. 

“It was a very enriching experience for the students because they were able to put their knowledge into practice and help micro and small enterprises overcome the crisis.

“The winning team created a high-impact project, recognized for its applicability, innovation, and contribution to knowledge. I was very proud of the excellent presentation they made on behalf of Mexico and the Tec’s Santa Fe campus,” said the professor.

The winners shared that throughout their undergraduate studies, Tecnológico de Monterrey has proven to be a great university, as it has allowed them to have experiences that support their personal and professional development. 

“We have shared these experiences with extraordinary people, which have contributed to our development. We believe that the Tec has transformed us into people with an entrepreneurial spirit who can change the world.

“We want to leave a positive legacy and invite the Tecnológico de Monterrey community to participate in these very important initiatives for our country,” concluded Paulina De la Guardia.

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