Akara Social participated on April 16 in the TEDx UDeusto talk to share its entrepreneurial experience. The company, which is part of the Semillas de Talento incubation and acceleration program of the Employment Area of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, develops sportswear and accessories with a social perspective to help children in Equatorial Guinea.
Akara's motto, "dress yourself in a new opportunity", reflects the solidarity of the company that works, in collaboration with the Plastic Africa project and the Martinez Hermanos Foundation, to offer medical assistance to African children at risk of exclusion.
Akara Social is dedicated to the sale of sportswear for fitness. They are comfortable and functional garments that stand out for their cheerful colors that transmit dynamism, joy and positive energy. Its mission: to create products for fitness enthusiasts, inspiring them to improve the lives of children with health problems and social exclusion through sports.
When the problem is the opportunity
It all stems from the life experience of Wilfredo Monsuy (Equatorial Guinea, 1993), who when he was 11 years old had a serious knee injury while playing soccer: torn cruciate ligaments and the patella dislocated from its place. His family did not have sufficient means to access medical assistance, so they tried to solve it by applying some traditional treatments. But the injury failed to heal properly and Wilfredo lost five centimeters in length in his leg, leaving him with reduced mobility.
Years later Wilfredo decided to combine his passion for fashion and sports and create a sportswear brand with the aim of allocating part of the profits to help other children who do not have the possibility of receiving medical care. This is how Akara was born, which in the Fang language means "To Care". On his way he met the Martinez Hermanos Foundation, which since 2017 has been developing the Plastic Africa project. An initiative that has the support of professionals from the plastic surgery service of the Doctor Negrín Hospital and that to date has managed to intervene 900 patients, in addition to performing 1200 consultations and 1500 post-operative cures in Equatorial Guinea.
Participate in a TEDx
Before an audience of three hundred people, Wilfredo Monsuy shared the testimony of his life and his trajectory in these first years, since he founded Akara Social in 2019. He defines his participation in TEDx UDeusto as an overwhelming, motivating and very positive experience. In recent days, visits to his website have increased and sales have increased. But, above all, he highlights the possibility he has had to establish contacts with other interesting entrepreneurs with whom he already foresees future collaborations. Taking advantage of his stay in Bilbao, Wilfredo gave two other talks at the University of Deusto, within the subject of Strategic Management and Control.
The Talent Seeds program
This unique program aims to promote talent and entrepreneurial spirit among recent graduates in Vocational Training and University. It is promoted by the Employment Area of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, which is headed by Nerea Santana. The winners can test the viability of their project for one year, without economic risk, with professional support and training in business management. This means launching the project without fixed costs, since the participants have a free office for twelve months in the Business Incubator of the Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
