The WIN Lab® invests in women, empowering them to disrupt, experiment, and build successful businesses on their own terms.
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Originally from Venezuela, Carolina is an activist on important causes related to her home country, women’s empowerment and equality. Carolina is a connector, an arts & culture enthusiast and a philanthropist. She is a Trustee at the New World Symphony, a Host and Screening Committee Member for the Miami Film Festival and an advisor at the Lung Transplant Foundation.

Carolina is the Director of the WIN (Women Innovating Now) Lab Miami. Prior to joining WIN Lab, Carolina was Director of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Miami Campus. In 2015 she founded Ignitus, a consulting practice that helps organizations implement social impact initiatives.

WHY MIAMI?
I am originally from Caracas, Venezuela. I moved to Miami in 1993, attended college and left for NYC then Houston. I returned in 2005 and was pleasantly surprised by the changes in the city, particularly related to the arts, culture and culinary movement.

I decided to stay in Miami, because I see it as a blank canvas, a place of opportunities, where we can create new initiatives and businesses. If you want, you can truly have an impact in the community. There are so many great organizations eager to do more. You just need to commit and have passion.

PROBLEM
Growth and funding for women-owned businesses. According to the Kauffman Foundation’s 2016 Index of Startup Activity, Miami ranks as No.2 out of 40 for new business creation, but No. 38 for growth. Also, women entrepreneurs continue to experience more difficulties accessing funding from investors.

SOLUTION
At WIN Lab, we equip women entrepreneurs with tools that will help them continue to grow their ventures in a sustainable way and eventually get funded. Each WIN Lab entrepreneur (WINner) is paired with a coach. These coaches are renowned experts from the community that act as sounding boards throughout the program. In addition, we provide co-working space at our Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) offices. Every week we have sessions and workshops that cover key aspects of running a business to funding it. Our intent is to create a community where women entrepreneurs connect with like-minded founders and provide support to each other.