Adrian Borter has been working for BPN since 2008. That is only 2 years after the foundation of BPN in Nicaragua. Thus, he has experienced almost the entire BPN era on the ground. He took the attendees on a short journey into the past and told something about the history of the BPN Foundation and its founder Jürg Opprecht at the opening. Successes were celebrated, but also the less dazzling experiences were considered in retrospect.
Current and former BPN employees took to the stage and those present listened attentively to their stories. Many emotions and even a tear or two (of joy) were expressed at this unique event. But the entrepreneurs were also in the spotlight and shared their experiences and lessons learned with everyone. Even one entrepreneur, who now lives in Costa Rica, took part in the celebration via live stream and revealed how she was able to overcome the challenges facing her company by never losing sight of her own vision. During the panel discussion with various entrepreneurs, the audience was also able to hear impressive stories about their everyday business lives and learn how helpful a concrete vision can be in the further development of one's own company. Not losing focus and the support of BPN were even cited as the keys to success.
During a culinary break, the participants of the anniversary celebration recharged their batteries for the group work in the second part of the program. At each table, the questions "What have I learned at BPN?" and "What has helped me to overcome challenges?" were discussed together. The presentation of the results by the entrepreneurs was the best present of the day for the BPN team!
The remaining time was then used to hold another panel discussion with BPN participants on the topic of "vision". One entrepreneur revealed that she had tried to visualize her vision at one of her first BPN seminars. As part of a seminar exercise, she closed her eyes and saw her future before her: the small, cramped room that had previously provided her with space for the production of business uniforms and embroidery was to develop into a two-storey production facility with a professional infrastructure. Today, some 7 years later, her vision has come true. She is therefore incredibly proud of what she has achieved so far and is convinced that the image of her dream infrastructure in her mind's eye has helped her to realize it. CEO Willi Helbling closed the round with a touching speech on the subject of "vision".
Following the official program, the meeting was used for a lively exchange between the entrepreneurs. The opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded people and benefit from their experiences was met with great interest.
After the celebration, Adrian Borter noted with a beaming smile that the event was a complete success and had been very motivating and inspiring for him as well as for the local team. The BPN team Nicaragua is proud of what has been achieved and is pleased that despite various and ever new challenges (economic crises, incidents in 2018, pandemic, etc.) an impact takes place - BPN works!
