January is National Mentorship Month, a timely reminder that behind every strong economy is a pipeline of people who were given the opportunity to learn, grow, and be guided.
Throughout my career, I have seen how access to knowledge, guidance, and opportunity can change lives. Whether working in finance and strategic planning, teaching financial literacy, supporting entrepreneurs, or serving as a board member of Fundación Kinesis, one lesson has been consistent: mentorship is one of the most effective tools for building long-term, sustainable growth for individuals, organizations, and economies.
At Invest Puerto Rico, mentorship is not a symbolic gesture. It is a strategic investment in the island’s future. One of the clearest expressions of that belief is our Internship Program, which we implemented with a simple but intentional goal: connect emerging talent with real-world experience while strengthening Puerto Rico’s workforce.
Over the past three years, interns have contributed meaningfully across our organization. Natalia Rivera, Lucía Hernández González, and Dariana Rodríguez Pérez supported key marketing and stakeholder initiatives. Fabián González Díaz and Alejandro Bracero contributed to business development efforts, while Kamila Pérez gained hands-on experience in finance and administration. Notably, four of these six interns came to Invest Puerto Rico through Fundación Kinesis, underscoring the value of partnerships that intentionally prepare and connect young talent to professional opportunities.
Internships, when done well, are more than résumé builders. They are entry points into professional ecosystems. They help students and recent graduates develop practical skills, understand how organizations operate, and build relationships that often shape their careers long after the internship ends.
This matters for Puerto Rico’s economy. Conversations about competitiveness and growth often focus on incentives, infrastructure, and capital. All of that is important, but none of it works without people who are ready to step into professional roles. Internships are one of the most practical ways to build that readiness locally, right now.
If we want to retain talent, we need to stop treating early-career experience as optional or symbolic. Well-designed internship programs strengthen organizations and careers at the same time. From a financial and operational perspective, that is not a soft investment; it is a smart one.
Our interns are not observers; they are contributors. They work alongside teams across strategy, research, marketing, business development, and operations. They are expected to think critically, ask questions, and understand how economic development actually happens, from attracting investment to supporting companies once they establish operations on the island.
Just as important, this work cannot happen in silos. Strong collaboration between nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and employers is essential to building effective talent pipelines. When organizations align around a shared goal,the impact multiplies.
As Puerto Rico competes in a rapidly changing global economy, we must be deliberate about how we develop our people. Talent does not appear overnight. It is built through exposure, guidance, and trust.
National Mentorship Month is a reminder that investing in people is essential to building a strong economy, and of the power of guidance and opportunity. At Invest Puerto Rico, attracting companies and capital go hand in hand with preparing the next generation to lead and sustain growth. Mentorship is not a “nice to have”; it is a smart economic strategy.
