Kaila Martinez is the Chamber’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year

kaila moralez

The winners of the Employer of the Year Award and the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award have been announced.  This year’s outstanding employer went to Belize Natural Energy because of its efforts in improving employee benefits, staff safety, HIV awareness, and staff morale. Kaila Moralez, meanwhile, was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year for her vision and social responsibility in respect of Belizean Jig Saw Puzzle, a business she is starting-up.  She dropped by our studios this evening to share her advice with other entrepreneurs.

Kaila Moralez, Winner of Young Entrepreneur of the Year

“It was very overwhelming. I feel proud and to me it’s a very powerful title. I appreciate having that title mostly because I feel that it will make other young people know they can do it too.”

Jose Sanchez

“Now your product itself, how difficult was it getting it off the ground? You’ve been working on it for over a year at least.”

Kaila Moralez

“From 2006, I decided that I will definitely venture into having Belize Jigsaw Puzzle a reality.”

Jose Sanchez

The puzzles themselves, what would people be able to buy when theyyou’re your puzzles? What options?

Kaila Moralez

“Any scenic area of Belize we will have as puzzles. Customers can have their own personalized puzzles, it could be a puzzle of their families, their friends, maybe their own pictures they take on trips as their options.”

Jose Sanchez

“The cost, is this something that is expensive?”

Kaila Moralez

“It’s a little bit over the imported puzzle because the materials are all imported. It will be worth every penny because they will be packaged with DVD’s.  If you buy a package of blue hole you will get an actual video of the blue hole. Unlike the imported puzzle, it leaves the customers with questions. After assembling the imported puzzle, you wonder where that image is from. Belizean Jigsaw puzzle will leave the customer with no unanswered question. They will know exactly where that image is, where it is located and everything that they assemble through the DVD that will be packaged inside each puzzle.”

Partnering for the award were the Belize Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Belize Trade & Investment Development Services, the Youth Business Trust Belize and the Ministry of Labor. Moralez will be provided with funds to develop her business and the Development Finance Corporation will chip in with a loan at a reduced interest rate. Beltraide intends to offer Moralez a development concession for the importation of supplies.  Recognition was also given to Thirza Estell as the HIV/AIDS Focal Point Person of the Year for her exceptional approach to educating her peers in the workplace about the HIV/AIDS virus.EStell is employed by Grace Kennedy Belize.