​Kawsay Cushuro, a team of six students from the Universidad del Pacífico, represented Peru in the 2024 edition of the prestigious international Social Business Creation (SBC) competition, run by HEC Montréal. This contest, for the creation of social ventures, brought together participants from all over the world to address social and environmental challenges through innovative and transformative proposals.

The participating UP students were: 

• Kamila Rodriguez (Business Engineering) 
• Ariana Hidalgo (International Business)
• Angie Suárez (Management) Camila Sánchez (Management) 
• Alessandra Paredes (Business Engineering) 
  
• Alejandra Contreras (Management) 

In the final stage of the competition, held in Canada, the Peruvian team reached the top five with their initiative for combating anemia by harnessing the benefits of cushuro, an Andean superfood. 

Innovative approach to combating anemia 

The team presented an initiative that seeks to develop a scalable business model based on the use of cushuro, a nutrient-rich algae found in Andean lakes. Their proposal aims to support the producing communities of Puno by using this natural resource to produce nutrition bars. The snacks, rich in iron and other essential elements, are designed to tackle anemia—a problem that affects millions of Peruvians, especially children and women. "We want to not only improve the economy of the Puno families that produce cushuro, but also create a positive change in public health by reducing the rates of anemia in the country," said Kamila Rodriguez, a Business Engineering student and member of the team. 

Results achieved and future aspirations​​​

To date, the team have succeeded in building a viable proposal— to make an impact by fostering the sustainable development of rural communities while addressing public health issues—that has attracted national and international interest. In the future, they plan to expand the initiative's reach by including more Puno families in the cushuro value chain and pursuing strategic alliances to distribute the bars in public schools across the country, thus benefiting thousands of children. "Our goal is for these bars to reach the tables of Peruvian schoolchildren, promoting the healthy development of their physical and cognitive performance. We want to show that innovation and our Andean roots can transform lives", said Ariana Hidalgo, an International Business student and member of Kawsay Cushuro. 

Influence, pride and purpose

The knowledge that members gained at the Universidad del Pacífico was key to Kawsay Cushuro's performance. From analytical tools to entrepreneurship strategies, every aspect they learned during their university training contributed to structuring a robust and competitive proposal. 

"Thanks to our training at the UP, we managed to approach each phase of the project with rigor and professionalism. We competed with great international teams, and the support from our university gave us the confidence to excel", noted Kamila Rodríguez. 

Kawsay Cushuro's success in Social Business Creation 2024 reaffirms the Universidad del Pacífico's commitment to training leaders who combine purpose, innovation, and social responsibility. Besides representing a source of pride for the university, this achievement reinforces the institutional mission to contribute to the development of sustainable solutions to society's most pressing challenges.