Four years ago, EARTH graduate Joaquin Viquez created Viogaz, a business that designs and installs biodigesters (a technology that transforms human and animal waste into sustainable energy and treats waste water). Apart from promoting sustainable resource management, Joaquín is committed to making sure that the services his company provides “be accessible to businesses both large and small.” The Costa Rican company currently employs five people, including EARTH alumnus Jonathan Brenes, and has offered its services to more than 30 companies and farmers in Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Nigeria.

The education Joaquin received at EARTH helped sharpen the technical and business management skills he had learned watching his parents run their own small business. It also imbued a large dose of social and environmental responsibility, notes Joaquin: “When you study at EARTH, there is this feeling that is always under the surface that is difficult to describe. It is a message that makes you want to create something and generate a positive impact in the lives of others, the community and the environment. It is what you think about every time you make a decision.”

Mayra Ruiz is a small town girl with a big talent for business. Her hometown of San Juan de Rio Seco, located more than 60 miles from the capital of Bogota and home to around 15,000 inhabitants, is where Mayra and her family run a coffee project called El Tabor. In addition to her family business, Mayra has been working to change the business model of coffee farmers in southeast Colombia to help them better compete in a globalized economy that hinges on client satisfaction.

Mayra doesn’t just look to revolutionize the coffee business in her country; she also strives to be an agent of change. She reflects that, “If I hadn’t studied at EARTH, I definitely would not have the business vision that I have today, nor the comprehensive training to act as an agent of change. I feel that I have a responsibility to make change, not necessarily that I need to do it myself, but rather inspire a transformation that can generate economic growth and transform people’s lives so that people do not feel the need to belong to gangs. I want people to work with pride, make money and help others. ”

For the Barcia brothers, an entrepreneurial spirit has been a part of their lives since they were born. Their parents started their family business ECOPACIFIC and today, the two EARTH University graduates lead the company: Kevin Barcia as General Manager and José Barcia as Production Manager.

The impact that ECOPACIFIC has made in the lives of the owners as well as their loyal employees is described by Kevin as “Totally gratifying and exciting.” For his brother José, working with healthy natural products while helping local farmers is a big source of motivation.

With 193 employees, ECOPACIFIC is an important source of jobs in the Sangoloquí and Portoviejo regions of Ecuador, and is described by its owners as “a business of human beings; it’s not about the buildings or the fruit, it’s the people that make it possible.”

For Kevin, working side by side with his brother has been very positive, and both share a conviction reaffirmed through experience that EARTH is “the best agribusiness school in Latin America.”

Nine years ago, Maribel Murillo took the biggest risk of her life and started her own company, which she named Ecobalance.

Her company promotes technologies that diminish the environmental impact of agricultural activities in Honduras, principally through the use of a cultured mix of microorganisms called Efficient Microorganisms or EM.

Maribel left EARTH with the dream of someday owning her own business, and after six years of working and saving money for her dream, she left her job and invested in her project. Ecobalance currently distributes EM products all over the country where they are recognized as ecological, low-cost and production-boosting solutions.

“I left EARTH with determination to create my own business, not just to make money for my family and me, but to develop my country without damaging the environment. Today, I can say that I have a job that I love and a company that makes me proud.”

Daniel Garza is the owner of Entre Nubes, which combines agriculture and tourism into one scenic package. Coffee crops and vegetable production are complemented by a restaurant, where visitors can sit and enjoy a high quality product after plantation tours. “Little by little, we are growing. There was a time where we made $20,000 a year, but in 2013 we invoiced over $400,000. But still, much remains to be done.”

The business has grown significantly, from three employees in 2004 to a staff of 38 in 2014. For the employees of Entre Nubes, the company means a better quality of life and an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.

Although Daniel admits that there is nothing that can fully prepare you for the surprises that come with owning your own business, he credits EARTH University for providing him with the tools for success. “EARTH’s program allowed us to start our own business in our first year, exposing us to what it is really like to work for yourself; it makes you curious to try it out in the real world.”

Sylvia Natukunda started out as an independent consultant and is now the owner of Farm Reap in her native Uganda. The company is dedicated to offering services in business and value added chain development, among other services. In addition to her consultancy work, Sylvia produces yogurt. “The yogurt business started from a necessity to create work for myself and more employment for young people, as in Uganda it is very difficult for young men and women to find work,” explains Sylvia.

In addition to providing much needed jobs, Sylvia’s yogurt utilizes produce that would otherwise be wasted. “The majority of produce in Uganda are sold fresh, so there are significant losses after the harvest. The yogurt processing business was created precisely to reduce these losses.” Apart from viewing Farm Reap as a solution for problems in her community, Sylvia adds that, “I am doing what I love. It makes me feel accomplished.”

The Entrepreneurial Projects Program that she experienced at EARTH years ago made her realize that owning her own business was possible, “EARTH gave me the invaluable skills that have allowed me to do what I do.”