Project Makers

What Project Makers does

Project Makers is a Puerto Rico-based nonprofit organization founded in 2021 that supports entrepreneurs across the full lifecycle of business formation, from idea to scale. It delivers a structured five-program platform: Startup (early-stage idea development through 13 virtual workshops plus a Demo Day), Support (mentorship for established businesses), Growth (specialized consulting on investment readiness and export), Accelerate (a four-month social-impact accelerator co-sponsored with Boys & Girls Clubs de Puerto Rico and Vimenti), and Alumni (an ongoing post-program community with networking events, Maker's Market activations, and an Alumni Perks discount network). The organization also sells a physical planning tool, the Agenda para Emprendedores, at $25 per unit.

The platform is delivered with no proprietary technology stack: operations are service- and education-based, relying on workshops, mentorship sessions, in-person events at venues such as Plaza del Mercado de Río Piedras, and virtual sessions. Programs are distributed primarily through direct community engagement, event-based demand generation, and a curated Recursos Externos directory of vetted external service providers offering alumni discounts.

Project Makers operates as a core node in the Oasis 360 alliance alongside Plataforma de Impacto Social, Boys & Girls Clubs de Puerto Rico, and Vimenti, focused on zip codes 00923 and 00924 and the broader 70+ community corridor between San Juan and Carolina. The Accelerate program is funded through CDBG-DR passthrough grants from the Puerto Rico Housing Department, making it free for participants; the Startup, Support, Growth, and Alumni programs are similarly free, supported by grants and partnerships. Reported impact metrics include 500+ participants since 2021, 75% women participation, and a 36% business-establishment rate among Startup graduates. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, and the organization is actively expanding, including a February 2026 MOU with EDP University and chamber partnerships supporting Florida commercial missions for alumni.

Name

Project Makers

Legal name

Project Makers

Website

https://projectmakerspr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Project Makers is a Puerto Rico nonprofit that delivers free entrepreneurship programs (Startup, Support, Growth, Accelerate, Alumni) to SMB founders in the San Juan-Carolina corridor, funded primarily through CDBG-DR government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Support Services

akta.pro primary industry

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship education programs
• Small business mentoring
• Startup incubation services
• Business accelerator programs
• Social impact ventures

Headquarters

HQ city

San Juan

HQ country

Puerto Rico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded Programs: Accelerate program is free for participants as Project Makers is part of the Incubadoras y Aceleradoras de Pequeñas Empresas program of the Puerto Rico Housing Department, funded with CDBG-DR funds from HUD.
2. Agenda para Emprendedores Sales: Sale of physical planning/agenda product for entrepreneurs at $25.00 per unit.
3. Free Entrepreneurship Programs: Startup, Support, Growth, and Alumni programs offered free of cost to participants, funded through grants and partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Project Makers is a Puerto Rican nonprofit that runs a multi-stage entrepreneurship support platform. It delivers free education, mentorship, and consulting programs (Startup, Support, Growth, Accelerate) plus an ongoing alumni community to entrepreneurs in the San Juan–Carolina area, and sells a printed planning tool (Agenda para Emprendedores) as a physical product.

Product overview

Project Makers is a Puerto Rican entrepreneurship support organization structured as a multi-phase platform spanning four core programs — Startup (early-stage business idea development), Support (mentorship for established businesses), Growth (investment and export readiness), and Accelerate (social impact accelerator) — plus Alumni (ongoing graduate community). The organization also sells a physical Agenda para Emprendedores planner ($25) and maintains an External Resources (Recursos Externos) directory of vetted professional service providers offering discounts to program graduates. Together, the four programs form a progression from idea through scale, while the Alumni program sustains engagement post-graduation and the External Resources network provides specialized services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Startup An educational program for individuals with a business idea or in the early stages of entrepreneurship, comprising orientation, 13 virtual workshops on Mondays and Wednesdays, networking activities, expert consultations, and a Demo Day pitch event at program completion.
• Support A mentorship and support program for owners of established businesses that provides guidance, resources, and expert consultation to grow their enterprises.
• Growth Specialized consulting for business owners ready to export, receive investment, or scale sales, offering investor linkage, networking, job fair participation, organizational development, alternative financing support, and access to community business associations.
• Accelerate A four-month accelerator for social impact enterprises seeking to eradicate poverty, improve quality of life, and accelerate economic mobility for families; provides education, mentorship, and technical assistance, culminating in a Showcase event. Free for selected participants.
• Alumni A post-program community for graduates of Startup, Support, and Accelerate, providing networking events (Alumni Nights, Makers Market), workshops (Pompeo Empresarial, Marketing Labs), alumni discounts (Alumni Perks), and an exclusive video library.
• Agenda para Emprendedores A printed planning tool for entrepreneurs featuring SMART goal development, budgeting sections, brainstorming areas, important dates, and compliance indicator tracking, sold for $25 with pickup, shipping, and event-purchase fulfillment options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% of participants are women
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EDP UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Memorandum of Understanding signed on February 3, 2026, to implement Startup Lab x EDP program - a business formation program adapted for EDP University students, integrating entrepreneurship as a tool for professional development during their bachelor's degree. Project Makers staff (Jorge Herrera, Marta Formariz) designed the program and will lead implementation.
• Plataforma de Impacto SocialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Oasis 360 alliance that connects workers, entrepreneurs, and families with opportunities to work, grow, and prosper from their community. Focused on residents of zip codes 00923 and 00924 and surrounding areas.
• Boys & Girls Clubs de Puerto RicocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization within Oasis 360 focused on child poverty eradication. Co-sponsors the Accelerate program for social impact entrepreneurs.
• VimenticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization within Oasis 360 focused on youth development. Co-sponsors the Accelerate program for social impact entrepreneurs. Lola Yglesias, Director of Incubation and Expansion, leads program components.
• Kassia Studio LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent venue partner providing space for Conecta y Crece entrepreneur event. Located at Simón Madera #4. CEO Fernando Llavona is also a panelist and alumnus.
• La Cámara Nacional Puertorriqueña de Comercio - Capítulo de Central FloridaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner chamber for commercial missions to Florida, supporting alumni export and expansion efforts.
• La Cámara Puertorriqueña de la Florida CentralminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner chamber for commercial missions to Florida Central, supporting alumni export and expansion efforts.
• La Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Metro OrlandominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner chamber for commercial missions, supporting alumni in Florida market expansion.
• Centro Unido de Detallistas (CUD)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipated in Caribe Unido initiative to strengthen collaboration between Caribbean countries and facilitate export of products and services. Alán Taveras, president-elect of CUD, presented 'Guide to Doing Business in the Caribbean'.
• Instituto de Desarrollo para la JuventudminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Recompete initiative working with Plataforma de Impacto Social, Vimenti, and Vidalús to support community economic development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: U.S. nonprofit network providing free mentorship, education, and resources to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Closest functional analog to Project Makers in mission (free entrepreneurship support) and delivery model (workshops, mentorship), though SCORE operates nationally rather than in a single territory.
• Grupo Guayacán: Puerto Rico-based entrepreneurship support organization running pre-acceleration and acceleration programs for local founders. Direct peer given shared geography, Puerto Rican entrepreneur focus, and similar multi-stage program structure.
• U.S. Small Business Development Centers (SBDC): Federally funded network providing no-cost advising, training, and resources to small business owners. Comparable on funding model (government-subsidized free services) and on small-business education/consulting delivery.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused entrepreneurship communities offering programs, mentorship, and workspace to mission-driven founders. Peer on the social-impact orientation and community-based program delivery, though operates at much larger geographic scale.

Regional players

• Foundation for Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico-focused nonprofit working on economic and community development, including entrepreneur support and community revitalization. Peer on shared geography and overlapping social impact mission, with broader scope than Project Makers.
• Centro para la Innovación y la Tecnología de Puerto Rico (InnoVation PR / PR Science, Technology & Research Trust): Puerto Rico-based organization supporting innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship ecosystem development on the island. Regional peer with overlapping entrepreneur-support mission but broader technology and innovation scope.

Emerging players

• DreamSpring: U.S. nonprofit CDFI providing microloans and business support to underserved entrepreneurs, including Hispanic and women-owned small businesses. Comparable focus on underserved, women-majority entrepreneur segments, though centered on capital rather than training.

Others

• Compass Point Nonprofit Services: Nonprofit consulting and capacity-building organization providing services, research, and peer learning to other nonprofits. Tangentially comparable as a peer-learning/community-of-practice provider for the social-impact sector Project Makers operates in.
• Babson College (Lewis Institute for Social Innovation): Academically anchored entrepreneurship institution with programs on social entrepreneurship and inclusive entrepreneurship. Comparable through thought-leadership and curriculum on entrepreneurship for underserved communities.

Broad incumbents

• Y Combinator: Largest U.S. startup accelerator providing seed funding, mentorship, and program structure to early-stage companies. Comparable accelerator structure and Demo Day model, but operates at vastly larger scale and targets venture-backable tech startups rather than community entrepreneurs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/projectmakerspr
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProjectMakersPR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-makers-pr
• Instagraminstagram.com/projctmakerspr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Project Makers