Grupo Guayacán Welcomes Three New Members to its Board of Directors

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Grupo Guayacan
Los nuevos Directores de Grupo Guayacán:(izquierda a derecha) Ángel Pérez, Frances Colón, Javier Soltero (en pantalla), Francisco Uriarte, Presidente de la Junta de Directores de Grupo Guayacán, y Manuel Calderón, Vicepresidente de la Junta de Grupo Guay

San Juan – Grupo Guayacán, Inc. (GGI) announced that three new Directors have agreed to serve on the organization’s Board of Directors effective immediately. The new appointees are Mr. Javier Soltero, Corporate Vice President of Outlook for Microsoft; Dr. Frances Colón, Founding Board Member of Cenadores Puerto Rico; and Mr. Ángel Pérez, Vice President of Rock Solid Technologies. “On behalf of GGI’s Board of Directors, I am very proud to welcome these three amazing individuals to the Guayacán family.  As Guayacán prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, we are certain that their skills and experience will be of great value to this organization’s vision and leadership and we are thankful for their commitment,” said Francisco Uriarte, Partner in Aireko Companies and Chairman of GGI’s Board.

Mr. Javier Soltero, a renowned technology entrepreneur born and raised in Puerto Rico, currently serves as Corporate Vice President for Outlook at Microsoft, where he leads the team responsible for the vision and strategy for the Outlook client and cloud service across all platforms. Prior to this role, he was the general manager of Outlook Mobile, the most downloaded iOS and Android Microsoft mobile app. Soltero joined Microsoft in 2014 when Acompli, the startup he co-founded, was acquired. In 18 months, he led Acompli to great success, building a world-class team of developers and launching the product to rave reviews. “I’m very excited to bring the Silicon Valley perspective to help further Grupo Guayacán’s mission to develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Puerto Rico,” said Soltero.

Dr. Frances Colón is a distinguished Puerto Rican scientist, advocate, and policy leader. In addition to her role as Deputy Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State at the U.S. Department of State, Colón is a Founding Board Member of Cenadores PR, a group that seeks to harness the connections and technical expertise of the Puerto Rican diaspora to empower civil society in Puerto Rico.  “I´m honored to have the privilege of joining this team. I admire Guayacán’s nearly 20 year track record of working to jumpstart entrepreneurial and economic development in Puerto Rico through an innovative model that leverages the catalytic power of the private equity asset class,” said Colón. Throughout her career, Colón has worked to promote the integration of science and technology into foreign policy dialogues, the advancement of women in science, and innovation as a tool for economic growth around the world.

Mr. Ángel Pérez is a celebrated local entrepreneur and contributor to Puerto Rico’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. As Partner and Vice President of Rock Solid Technologies he has led the company’s efforts to increase the software company’s international presence, focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean. “Having participated in all of Guayacán’s initiatives and programs since 2006, I can attest to the great impact that the organization’s work has had on Puerto Rico’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. I have witnessed how gaps in the ecosystem have been filled and how the entrepreneurial landscape has become more robust, thanks largely to Guayacán’s programs and the partnerships it has established. I’m honored to join this Board and put all my experience and energy behind this organization,” said Pérez. In 2010, Rock Solid Technologies graduated from the first class of the Guayacán Venture Accelerator (GVA), an executive development program aimed at accelerating the growth of mature companies. Pérez was also a Guayacán Fellow, attending MIT´s Entrepreneurial Development Program in 2007. As a distinguished GGI Alumni, Pérez has also participated in other efforts, including championing the team that represents Puerto Rico at MIT’s Regional Entrepreneurial Development Program. Lastly, Pérez is a Founding Partner at Ausubo Ventures, Puerto Rico’s first angel investing group.

The new Directors were selected through a nomination and screening process led by GGI Board Vice Chairman Manuel Calderón, Board Member Francisco Martorell, and Executive Director, Laura Cantero.  “At Guayacán, we pride ourselves on having a strong and independent governance structure, anchored by a robust Board of Directors that includes people from different sectors and a diverse set of backgrounds. On this occasion, we are pleased to welcome Javier and Frances, two distinguished members of the Puerto Rican diaspora, who are eager to give back by finding ways to meaningfully engage with local organizations who are making a difference on the island. We are also proud to have Ángel, one of GGI’s most notable Alumni and a tireless collaborator to our efforts. On behalf of the entire team at Guayacán, our deepest appreciation to Javier, Frances, and Ángel for accepting the challenge; we look forward to working together to advance Guayacán’s mission of furthering Puerto Rico’s entrepreneurial and risk capital ecosystems,” said Cantero.  The GGI Board also includes Antonio Medina, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, as an ex-officio member. 

For more information about Grupo Guayacán, visit www.guayacan.org or contact us at 787-641-6028 or through Facebook at www.facebook.com/guayacanorg.

This information was provided by a press release from Grupo Guayacan. 

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