About JA Americas

Empowering Young Entrepreneurs Across the Americas

Do you believe that entrepreneurship can transform lives?

Join the JA MPower Fund, a $3M initiative to expand entrepreneurship education across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Your investment empowers real youth-led companies, unlocks skills, and fuels thousands of future entrepreneurs.

Get Involved

What is The Company Program?

A flagship Junior Achievement program since 1919, The Company Program allows students to create and run their own business, developing essential life and work skills.

Skills
Developed

Creativity, leadership, planning, resilience

Real Business Experience

Youth run real
ventures

Impact at School Level

Entrepreneurial mindset in classrooms

How It Works: The Company Program Up Close

This is not a theoretical course. It's a hands-on journey that turns classrooms into innovation hubs and teenagers into confident entrepreneurs.

Program Structure

STAGES

Students create and run a real business through four phases: Organization, Development, Management, and Liquidation. They pitch, sell, and close operations just like a real company.

SKILLS AND TOOLS

They learn to build and grow a business using tools like Design Thinking, Business Model Canvas, Digital Marketing, UX, and Financial Literacy—on a real exlcusive platform: Enterprise Space.

Extra Opportunities

Top teams can represent their country in the Company of the Year – COY regional competition.

The COY winner goes on to compete in the De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award, a global competition where the winner receives a grant to grow their business.
Students who choose to, can also take the Entrepreneurial Skill Pass (ESP) certification to validate their knowledge and entrepreneurial skills.

The Role of Mentors and Volunteers

Business leaders, trained teachers, and corporate volunteers guide each team throughout the program, bringing expertise and inspiration.

Impact in the Americas

In 2024 alone, over 50,000 students experienced this journey. Since its implementation in the Americas, nearly 500,000 young people from 28 countries have participated in the program, gaining the skills and mindset to shape their own futures. Explore how the program is transforming communities across the region.

Learning Experiences
0
Youth-led companies
0
Countries
0

Youth Leading Real Change

Mexico

NOPALIFE

Eco-friendly waterproofing

10 high school students from Hidalgo, in the municipality of Tepeapulco, Mexico, created waterproofing products made from prickly pear (nopal) juice.

They did it thinking about the consequences of the rainy season—specifically, water leaks and humidity in homes that affected people in the region who lacked the resources to manage the problem.

NOPALIFE was named the best company in the region in 2022, standing out not only for the economic results of their project, but also for the community impact their product generated.

What have we learned? A lot: teamwork, decision-making, problem-solving, and the development and execution of business plans.

Team Nopalife

Argentina

MANIK

Healthy snacks + sustainability

A group of students from a secondary school in a small agricultural town in the interior of Buenos Aires province created MANIK, a company dedicated to producing healthy alfajores made with rice cookies, peanut butter, and a chocolate coating.

They sold 3,000 alfajores with very high net profitability. To reduce their environmental impact, they implemented paper-saving measures, recycling practices, and energy efficiency goals.

In 2024, they were chosen as the Regional Company of the Year.

The media coverage was so significant that they were contacted by Argentina’s most famous alfajor company and invited to visit their production plants and meet the executives.

Junior Achievement marked a turning point in our lives. It showed us our true potential and inspired us to believe in ourselves.

Team Manik

Brazil

MENTEOR

Mentorship platform turned startup

After participating and winning an award in the JA Company Program in 2019, a group of students from Porto Alegre, Brazil, earned first place in the JA Brazil Startup Competition.

They developed Menteor, an online platform to connect mentors with mentees, and decided to keep growing the business and start seeking funding.

 They were so persuasive that João Kepler, a well-known investor, invested in the company.

Today, the group carries their entrepreneurial spirit into new ventures and businesses.

We overcame obstacles, celebrated victories, pivoted, made sales, and met incredible people who left a mark on our journey. Everything we learned continues to inspire new entrepreneurs. Grateful to Junior Achievement and everyone who supported us.

Team Menteor

Brazil

ACHEI

Location-tracking tech + regional winners

A team of 34 young people from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, stood out in the national competition and made it to Montevideo to showcase ACHEI at the regional competition.

They launched a location tag paired with an app that helps quickly track everyday items via Bluetooth.

They became the Best Company in 2024 and will compete in March against the top companies from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States.

The most important thing is to believe. Brazil has many mini-companies. But we made it back to the top and were recognized as the best mini-company in the Americas. We are incredibly proud.

Team ACHEI

REAL .

Be Part of the Movement

Become an MPower Investor. Fuel the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Join the JA MPower Fund, a $3M USD initiative to expand entrepreneurship education across Latin America.
We’re looking for visionary entrepreneurs, venture capital leaders, angel investors, and C-level executives with a strong connection to the region — and a desire to give back by empowering youth through early-stage entrepreneurship education.


Your investment doesn’t just support a program. It ignites real companies, real skills, and real futures for thousands of young people.

See below the potential impact your investment could make.

If you invest

$25,000/year
You help create 22 youth-led companies and impact 330 young entrepreneurs.

If you invest

$50,000/year
You help create 44 youth-led companies and impact 660 young entrepreneurs.

If you invest

$100,000/year
You help create 88 youth-led companies and impact 1,320 young entrepreneurs.

If you invest

$300,000/year
You help create 264 youth-led companies and impact 3,960 young entrepreneurs.

Capital commitments will be directed to JA Worldwide, a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with applicable tax exemption.

Account number 1690251986
Legal title JA Worldwide​
Routing/Transit number 102000076
Wire ABA 121000248​
Swift WFBIUS6S
Bank Name/Address Wells Fargo Bank N.A. 420 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104​
Account Address 131 Dartmouth St3rd Floor Boston, MA 02116-5297​
Tax ID 273666259
Concept JA Americas - MPower Fund
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU MAKE A TRANSFER!

Let’s Chat!





Alumni Who Inspire

Pedro Englert
(Brasil)

CO-Founder NVA Capital
JA Brasil Board Chair

Martín Cao
(Argentina)

CEO Nimble Giant Entertainment
Board Member ADVA (Argentinian Videogame Developers Association

Ileana Tapia
(Perú)

CEO & Founder Sicurezza
JA Americas Regional Board Member

Rodrigo Prieto
(México)

Renowned cinematographer who has worked with directors such as Iñárritu, Almodóvar, and Ang Lee.

Impact Investors

Wences Casares

Renowned tech entrepreneur and pioneer in the financial technology sector. His commitment to innovation and technological development has inspired a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Charles Kim

Managing Member and Co-founder of Alpine Group, Charles Kim has been instrumental in the firm’s growth, positioning it as a leading investment management company known for its innovative strategies to generate alpha across global markets.

Sebastián Serrano

Founder and CEO of Ripio, one of Latin America’s leading cryptocurrency platforms, Sebastián Serrano is a key figure in the region’s fintech landscape.

Sean Summers

As the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Mercado Libre, Sean Summers plays a pivotal role in shaping the marketing strategies of one of Latin America’s largest e-commerce platforms.

Ignacio Roizman

Prominent entrepreneur in the tech and agricultural sectors, known for his innovative approaches and contributions to both industries.

Nicolás Berman

An experienced investor and entrepreneur in the technology sector, Nicolás Berman has been instrumental in supporting and scaling numerous tech ventures.

Daniel Rabinovich

Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Mercado Libre in Argentina

Patricio "Pato" Jutard

Co-founder and General Partner at Newtopia VC, Patricio Jutard is a leading figure in Latin America’s tech ecosystem, focusing on early-stage startup investments.

Juan Cabrera

With over 25 years of experience in the tech industry, Juan Cabrera is an entrepreneur and executive known for his leadership in various technological ventures.

Micky Malka

Founder of Ribbit Capital, a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm, Micky Malka specializes in investing in startups that leverage technology to transform financial services.

Diego Sternberg

In 2012, Diego Sternberg founded Nexton, a company that connects Latin American tech talent with U.S. startups, facilitating the creation of world-class engineering teams.

Agustín Di Luciano

Engineer and artist based in Miami, Agustín Di Luciano co-founded Nexton and the South American Business Forum (SABF), bridging tech talent across continents.

Francisco Álvarez-Demalde

Co-founder of Riverwood Capital, Francisco Álvarez-Demalde leads a global investment firm focusing on technology-driven companies.

Rodrigo Teijeiro

Entrepreneur, founder and CEO of RecargaPay, a leading mobile payments platform in Brazil.

Ariel Arrieta

A serial entrepreneur and impact investor, Co-founder and General Partner at NXTP Ventures, one of the pioneering tech investment funds in Latin America.

Pablo Cairoli

As the President and CEO of Capital Markets Argentina, Pablo Cairoli brings a strategic perspective to economic development and financial leadership.

Mariano Battan

Founder of Bocho, an innovative project that merges technology and culture, reflecting his creative nature and entrepreneurial spirit.

Guillermo Rauch

Entrepreneur and developer, recognized as the founder and CEO of Vercel, a company specializing in frontend development platforms.

Facebook-f Linkedin-in Instagram X-twitter Youtube Tiktok

©2025 JA Americas. Miembro de JA Worldwide. Todos los derechos reservados.