About GEN El Salvador

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) is active in El Salvador as part of its broader mission to make it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. Working alongside public-sector partners, ecosystem builders, and entrepreneurs, GEN strengthens the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through global connectivity, capacity building, and flagship programs.  

El Salvador represents a growing and increasingly dynamic entrepreneurship landscape in Central America, with rising interest in innovation, digital transformation, and startup creation. 

GEN's President, Jonathan Ortmans, most recently hosted a meeting in November 2025 with over 35 ecosystem stakeholders and partners from across sectors, demonstrating engagement with global programs and networks, in San Salvador ahead of the Global Entrepreneurship and Technology Forum 2025.

Key GEN programs and activities in El Salvador to date include:

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week—GEN’s largest global initiative operating in nearly every country—El Salvador engages entrepreneurs, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders each year. Coordinated by the Fundación Salvadoreña para el Desarrollo Económico y Social (FUSADES), under the leadership of its PROINNOVA Program Director, Samuel Salazar, and supported by FIAGRO's Operations Director, Cindy Salguero, the campaign has had a track record in the country since 2009.

Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC)

El Salvador participates in the Entrepreneurship World Cup, coordinated locally with the Ministry of Economy and national partners.  Through EWC, Salvadoran entrepreneurs gain access to national and global visibility,  training, mentorship, and advisory services, as well as funding opportunities.

For the Ministry of Economy, EWC provides a pathway for Salvadoran startups to connect with global markets. It has therefore taken the leadership in hosting it since 2020, after a successful first edition coordinated by FUSADES. Since the very first edition in 2019, El Salvador produced a top 100 EWC global competitor - Nutrinacion. 

Since then, coordinated by the Ministry's Innovative Entrepreneurship Coordinator, Marielos L. Dominguez, GEN has mobilized dozens of ecosystem partners, including Microsoft El Salvador and Banco Atlantida, around EWC and the annual conference. 

In 2022, Fiado App took the top prize at the EWC national finals among five other strong finalists. In 2024, Beelder captured the first prize at the national finals, advancing to the “EWC 250” - the next round of the global competition against applicants from 200 countries. In 2025, DiiMO Technologies made it to the top 100 global EWC startups, representing El Salvador at the finals held at the Biban Forum in Riyadh. 

Startup Huddle

Launched locally in 2021 by 2019 EWC national finalist Edgar Cartagena (Nutrinacion), this initiative has helped strengthen grassroots entrepreneurial communities and foster early-stage innovation. Through Startup Huddle, entrepreneurs can pitch ideas in a safe, collaborative environment, receive structured feedback from peers and experts, and build connections within the local ecosystem. 

Global & Regional Public Sector Engagement 

El Salvador is increasingly integrated into GEN’s regional and global initiatives, including: 

  • Participation in the Startup Nations Ministerial at the GEC+ Puerto Rico in July 2024, where Deputy Director of Innovation and Competitiveness Alejandro Panameño represented Minister Maria Luisa Hayem.
  • In 2023, Maria Luisa Hayem, Minister of Economy of El Salvador, received global recognition for having overseen the extensive digitalization of services to boost investment and trade facilitation. This includes over 424 simplified procedures, 195 procedures digitalized, and an average 60% reduction in time taken per procedure. Minister Hayem accepted the Compass Award for Enterprise Registration and Regulation at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in Melbourne, where she also participated in the annual Startup Nations Ministerial.
  • Under previous administrations, El Salvador's CONAMYPE (Comisión Nacional de la Micro y Pequeña Empresa) engaged in various GEN policy initiatives and dialogues, including the Startup Nations Summit in Dublin, Ireland in 2015. In 2017, represented by then Executive Director Ileana Rogel. Mrs. Rogel was among the finalists for the 2017 Startup Nations Awards, celebrated in Tallinn, Estonia.
  • Co-leadership for the Global Entrepreneurship and Technology (GET) Forum 2025, hosted in San Salvador by IDB Lab along with the Salvadorian national government and Agrisal, bringing together investors, policymakers, and founders from across Latin America and beyond.  In the context of this flagship Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) gathering, the Ministry of Economy reaffirmed the commitment of over 30 stakeholders, including GEN, in taking the ecosystem to next level.

These efforts position El Salvador as an emerging hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. 

Looking Ahead 

GEN is committed to deepening its engagement in El Salvador by: 

  • Expanding access to global programs
  • Providing platforms for entrepreneurs to scale beyond national borders
  • Supporting ecosystem leaders with tools, training, and data
  • Supporting policy dialogue and ecosystem development  

As the country continues to invest in innovation and entrepreneurship, GEN aims to play a catalytic role in unlocking inclusive economic growth and long-term ecosystem development.