Elgenia Pieternella

Elgenia Pieternella, a passionate multi-disciplinary professional  and expert, is the host for Global Entrepreneurship Week on five of the Dutch Caribbean islands. Elgenia is also the acting managing director for GEN Curaçao.  The role of Managing Director for GEN, further enables her to combine her passion and experience to guide, mentor and advise ecosystem builders. She is the CEO and founder of Fundashon Negoshi Pikina (FNP).  FNP is one of the largest organizations in the Dutch Caribbean promoting entrepreneurship education and financial literacy to students, startups and small businesses. Elgenia has an extensive experience working with and advising the private and public sector. She has been appointed by Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide as CEO for Curaçao and is their representative on the other Dutch Caribbean islands. JA is one of the world’s largest and most-impactful youth-serving NGOs. Elgenia has organized and supported many entrepreurship-focused events, that engaged local and global partners. Through her leadership, Elgenia and her team received many recognitions and awards from organizations in and outside Curaçao. Pieternella has an intensive (international) network.   Elgenia is an economist and holds a law degree. She studied in Europe and in Curaçao. She is a part time lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Curacao.  At the moment Elgenia serves as strategic policy advisor for the Minister of Economic Development of Curaçao.  Until 2023  she  was also a member of Sustainable Development Goals Secretariat for Curaçao.  Elgenia currently is a financial and marketing advisor for a few family businesses.  She has served as an advisor or board member for labor organizations and credit unions, local and international women and youth organizations, private commercial entities, small businesses and several community and non-profit organizations. She speaks Papiamentu (native language), Dutch, English and Spanish.