Entrepreneurship Laboratory
The program driving the local economy of Rincón del Mar
The Entrepreneurship Lab supports local initiatives that shape community-based tourism. Through technical training, strategic mentorship, and the creation of real market opportunities, we empower entrepreneurs to develop sustainable, competitive businesses with deep social and cultural value.
This program is rooted in a simple conviction: tourism growth is only sustainable when the community plays a leading role. For this reason, through Dos Aguas Lodge, and now through the Foundation, we have supported dozens of entrepreneurs in improving their products and services, diversifying their income sources, and positioning themselves within a territory experiencing rapid tourism growth.
The Challenge:
Tourism Growth in a Vulnerable Territory
Rincón del Mar, located in San Onofre, Sucre, is an emerging tourism destination, but it is also a territory marked by deep socioeconomic inequalities and a recent history shaped by armed conflict.
As tourism grows, so do its risks:
-
The local community can be left behind in an increasingly competitive market.
-
Traditional occupations risk losing value or disappearing.
-
Limited technical training restricts access to real economic opportunities.
-
Economic benefits often concentrate outside the territory.
In response to this context, the Entrepreneurship Lab was created as a commitment to community tourism, the creative economy, and cultural entrepreneurship that protects local identity while generating dignified opportunities.
From Vision to Action: How the Lab Works
Even before the Foundation was formally established, Dos Aguas Lodge launched this program as a space for learning, innovation, and ongoing mentorship for local entrepreneurs.
Our process combines strategic training, personalized advisory support, and partnerships with actors in the community tourism ecosystem. So far, we have worked with initiatives in nature tourism, rural accommodations, food production, crafts, culture, and local commerce.
Some of the Products and Experiences Strengthened with Local Partners
Headwrap workshop
female empowerment and the revitalization of Afro-Caribbean heritage.
Gastronomy: Arepa 'e Huevo
traditional recipe transformed into a high-value culinary experience.
Traditional
Dance and Drums
immersion in bullerengue, cumbia, and mapalé, strengthening the cultural fabric of the territory.
Mangroves and Tropical Dry Forest
nature-based tourism that promotes environmental education and local conservation.
Local Food Production
we have supported processes such as corn flour production, egg farms, and artisanal cheesemaking, strengthening family businesses that sustain the local economy while preserving traditional knowledge.
Mangroves and Tropical Dry Forest
nature-based tourism that promotes environmental education and local conservation.
Local Food Production
we have supported processes such as corn flour production, egg farms, and artisanal cheesemaking, strengthening family businesses that sustain the local economy while preserving traditional knowledge.
Our Methodology
Inspired by models of sustainable entrepreneurship and local development, our methodology integrates four pillars:
- Training in key skills: Workshops on financial literacy, product innovation, experience design, tourism marketing, and environmental sustainability.
- Personalized mentorship: Each entrepreneur receives ongoing guidance to strengthen their value proposition, formalize their business, and improve their management capacity.
- Training in key skills: Workshops on financial literacy, product innovation, experience design, tourism marketing, and environmental sustainability.
Today, these experiences, products, and services are recognized as community tourism benchmark in the region.
Results and Impact
The Entrepreneurship Lab demonstrates that sustainable tourism can generate real wellbeing when it is built from within the community.
Our impact in numbers and processes:
-
More than 40 families have strengthened their economic stability through the program.
-
Community-based tourism experiences have been co-created and are now an essential part of the destination’s offerings.
-
Local entrepreneurs have increased their income and improved service quality, generating an estimated 400 million COP in economic activity in 2024.
-
Local identity is protected while tourism becomes a driver of cultural preservation.
-
The program is emerging as a replicable model of community entrepreneurship in the Colombian Caribbean.
How you can help
Sponsor a local business
Help a local entrepreneur access training, mentorship, and tools to grow their business.
Share your skills
Lead workshops in areas such as marketing, finance, digital skills, sustainability, or product design.
Donate Equipment and Tools
Work tools, materials, digital equipment, and supplies strengthen local trades and small businesses.
Become an Ally of Responsible Tourism
Your organization can help advance a model of tourism that protects culture, the territory, and the communities who call it home.
