Wormhole partners joined filmmaker Juan José Campanella on the panel of judges for the event organized by Telefónica that provides training and support for technology entrepreneurs.

Wayra Week  has an independent panel of experts in the digital realm. From September 26-30, speakers such asJuan José Campanella, Sally Buberman and Ignacio López (the directors of Wormhole IT)discussed how to approach possible investors. Ten winners were selected from among thirty semi-finalists (initially, nine hundred projects were presented). The winners will be “accelerated” at the Wayra Academy in Buenos Aires. The integral support provided by the academy ranges from access to technological tools to assistance in management, funds and financing to accelerate development.

“We consider WAYRA a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs from Argentina. When we started around five years ago, there were no incubators and they would have been extremely useful to us. I believe that the young people who are now competing from WAYRA Argentina and other countries should make the most of this opportunity and take full advance of this experience,” saysSally Buberman, Product and Marketing Director at Wormhole IT and a member of the panel of judges.

The WAYRA Week 2011 ended on Friday September 30 with diplomas and commemorative disks for the ten winners. According to Ignacio López, Technology Director at Wormhole IT and a speaker at WAYRA 2011:“he fact that 900 projects were presented is incredible. It shows the creative, entrepreneurial spirit is strong here in Argentina. Having places like WAYRA to channel this energy is fundamental for stimulating new ideas.”

Secrets to a great pitch and the DNA of an entrepreneur

All of the projects presented at WAYRA 2011 had to be quick and clever to convince the panel of judges. The members of Wormhole IT started off by participating in international competitions such as these five years ago, so they spoke from experience about pitching ideas: “I don’t know if there is an actual recipe. For me, it’s like the trailer of a movie that I’d like to go see. It has to be short but attractive enough to make me want to find out more, to leave me thinking about things and asking myself questions,” said Ignacio López. Sally Buberman added: “It’s important to get straight to the point but tell it like a story, to make sure that people have fun, are entertained and understand what you are selling. An entrepreneur’s DNA mainly contains perseverance. You will hear the word ‘no’ many times and that’s tough. A true entrepreneur gets up and continues with his or her project. For me, that’s the most important part about the entrepreneurial spirit”.

“An entrepreneur sees that there is something wrong with the world, something that should be changed or that could be improved. So it is important to understand that there are no borders, to know how to ask for help and to find a team that can help you in good times and bad. That is all part of the DNA of an entrepreneur,” concludedIgnacio López.  

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