University director to speak at INC conference

Troy University’s Director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Juliana Bolivar, will speak at the upcoming INC Monterrey conference from March 17 through 20.  

INC Monterrey is one of the largest entrepreneurship and innovation conferences in Latin America and is held by Tecnológico de Monterrey. The event brings entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers, researchers and ecosystem builders from more than 20 countries together. 

“Being invited to speak at INC Monterrey is both an honor and a meaningful professional milestone,” Bolivar said. “INC Monterrey is one of the most important entrepreneurship and innovation gatherings in Latin America, and having the opportunity to represent Troy University and share the work we do through the Small Business Development Center is very special to me.” 

INC Monterrey is a space for people working in entrepreneurship and economic development to exchange ideas, share best practices and collaborate on new approaches to supporting small businesses and innovation. 

Attending this event can help people grow their network and help them improve their business skills, and speaking and presenting at this event can be viewed as a major career accomplishment. 

At the conference, Bolivar will be presenting how the Small Business Development Center, an entrepreneurial support service program at Troy University, has been supporting entrepreneurs not just in Troy but across rural Alabama. 

“During my session, I plan to share some of the frameworks I have developed for building collaboration between agencies and institutions that support small businesses,” Bolivar said. “Much of this work involves connecting entrepreneurs with local, state, and federal resources and strengthening the networks that help small businesses succeed.” 

 However, the director will not only be speaking about her work at Troy, but also about her own experiences. 

“I will also share lessons from my own experience as an entrepreneur in the United States and how individuals can leverage their cultural background and entrepreneurial mindset to identify opportunities, navigate systems and build successful businesses in a new environment,” Bolivar said. 

 This topic is special to Bolivar as she works with rural communities every day and believes the issues she sees are the same across the globe. 

“ Many rural regions around the world face similar challenges when it comes to entrepreneurship,” Bolivar said. “By sharing practical experiences, collaboration strategies and lessons learned, we can help strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems and expand opportunities for small businesses in rural economies.” 

While this is her first time speaking at the conference, this is also Bolivar’s first chance to attend INC Monterrey. This allows her to also learn new skills and techniques she can apply in her work in Troy and the surrounding areas. 

“One of the things I am most looking forward to is learning from other entrepreneurship support organizations and understanding how different countries approach supporting small businesses and rural innovation,” Bolivar said. 

Bolivar credits her team for the work that has been accomplished and emphasized how excited she is to present their work on an international level. 

“It is meaningful to see the work that we built here in rural Alabama at Troy University now being recognized at an international entrepreneurship conference,” Bolivar said. “Being able to share that experience in a Spanish-speaking and Latin American environment is something I feel very proud of.”